WHITEHOUSE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Super Bowl excitement is building in a small East Texas town Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes once called home.
Flags, signs and even vendors supporting the Kansas City Chiefs are an odd sight in Whitehouse, town of 7,000.
“Whitehouse has always been a very close knit community and so they support anybody who is from here,” said Whitehouse native Laurie Prachyl.
Here, Mahomes is a hometown hero.
“I am buying sweatshirts for my family, my son is really good friends with Patrick,” said resident Shiloh Klein. “They went to high school together, they played football together, they have a big group of friends.”
A Chiefs flag flies alongside the U.S. and Texas flags outside the Whitehouse Independent School District to show pride for one of its graduates.
It’s here where Mahomes learned how to throw a football and now, at only 25, heads to sport’s biggest stage for the second year in a row.
Vendors like Bruce Carter found a way for locals to show their special connection to the NFL star who’s popularity continues to grow.
“When you think about small towns, people never really go there so they miss out on the excitement, said Carter. “I’m thinking as an entrepreneur there’s a huge opportunity to go meet a need.”
Some businesses have shrines to Mahomes outside their stores.
Even if the Chiefs lose on Sunday, Mahomes can count on the fans where his roots are to always root for him.
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