When it comes to football, there might not be a better duo than Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Maybe only Tom Brady and UNC head coach Bill Belichick come close. The Kansas City Chiefs QB and HC have been on a wild six-year run together, stacking the most Super Bowl appearances and 3 titles in that span. But this weekend, the iconic pair is returning to their alma maters for a different type of moment and a purpose bigger than the football field.

On November 5th, College football insider Jackson Payne hopped onto X and spilled the tea: “Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have teamed up for this commercial to promote BYU’s alumni tailgate charity drive in Lubbock this weekend. As part of the Cougs Care initiative, the tailgate will be collecting new and gently used books to donate to Literacy Lubbock.”

They shot a fun commercial to hype up a charity book drive happening at one of the most anticipated college football games this week, where No. 7 ranked BYU takes on No. 8 ranked Texas Tech at the tailgate party in Lubbock. Reid played and coached at BYU, while Mahomes is a proud Red Raider, so they’re asking fans from both schools to pause the rivalry for a second and donate some books to a good cause. Their commercial/advertisement had a light-hearted script explaining the purpose of tailgate-charity.

The whole thing is a joint effort between BYU Alumni’s ‘Coughs Care’ program and a local literacy group in Lubbock. It’s a sweet way to channel all that college football energy into something really positive for the community. Folks going to the game can drop off new or gently used books at the tailgate, or if they can’t make it, they can buy some from an online wish list. It just goes to show you that sports can bring people together.

Mahomes didn’t mice about the tailgate: “No matter which team you are cheer for, come out, lend out, and help the families in Lubbock.” BYU’s Curtis Isaak added the importance of this event: “COUGS CARE is a way to build the bridges and give back to the hosting communities.” In 2024, season or year alone, they donated over 5000 pounds of food.

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire also shared how special this moment is for players and the school. “It’s so special to have College GameDay because you know it’s one of those deals, it really is a dream as a player to be a part of that,” McGuire said. He also plans to reach out to Patrick Mahomes and hopes Mahomes will show up with Andy Reid as guest pickers for the show. The GameDay broadcast will take place at Jones AT&T Stadium and will finish right before kickoff at 11 a.m. Ever since getting into the league, Patrick Mahomes has been constantly putting up reps for his community.

Patrick Mahomes’ $1.5 million charity work

Patrick Mahomes has already made a significant impact off the field in Kansas City through his “15 and the Mahomies Foundation.” Even before his No. 15 jersey is retired someday, his charity work has helped many local families, children, and organizations. At the foundation’s sixth annual gala held at the Kansas City Convention Center, they raised more than $1.5 million on Monday.

The most impressive part is that the money didn’t sit and wait. The foundation immediately donated the entire $1,508,000 to over 20 charities right on stage that night. Last year they raised over $1 million for 20 charities, so this year topped that total. Many special guests attended the event including Andy Reid and his wife Tammy, and Mahomes’ family. Mahomes even threw a few football passes inside the building just like he did at last year’s gala.

Mahomes started this foundation back in 2019 to help kids, focus on health and wellness, and support communities in need. Over the years, the foundation has teamed up with groups like Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, Children’s Mercy, and Lead to Read.

The former Red Raiders signal-caller has also supported several other charity efforts including “My Cause My Cleats,” raising awareness about food allergies, and giving 15 students from Kansas City, Tyler, and Lubbock a $10k scholarship each. This is one of the big reasons fans love Mahomes not just for his talent in the NFL, but also for the heart and impact he brings off the field.