Emmy Award-winning actor Henry Winkler has never shied away from expressing his admiration for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs. But it’s his first meeting with the star quarterback and tight end that remains especially memorable to him. In fact, the 80-year-old actor vividly remembers what transpired when he first met Mahomes.

“When I went to meet Patrick Mahomes at SoFi Stadium, I was invited on the field, and I’m standing there,” Winkler said. “And all of a sudden, this behemoth comes running with a smile on his face from across the field. He looked down like I was a toothpick, ‘I’ve a surprise for you.’ And he gave me his signed jersey. And while I was talking to him, Travis came out with a T-shirt. Fonzie family. But I never met him. I didn’t see him. But I did get the T-shirt, but that was it.”

Winkler first made his admiration for Mahomes public during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show in October 2022. While promoting one of his projects, the actor unexpectedly began praising the Chiefs quarterback. When Winkler asked Rich Eisen whether he knew Mahomes personally, Eisen said he would do his best to arrange a meeting between the two.

Not long after, Mahomes reached out to Winkler and extended an invitation to attend one of the Chiefs’ games during the 2022 season. The quarterback welcomed Winkler to sit with his family and even invited him onto the sideline during Kansas City’s Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

“That’s one of the greatest of all times as well,” Mahomes said of the veteran actor.

Once the Chiefs defeated the Chargers 30-27 at SoFi Stadium, Mahomes gifted Winkler his signed jersey on the field. Winkler also got another opportunity to meet Kelce when his son, Max, directed Kelce in Ryan Murphy’s, Grotesquerie.

“I got an autographed picture, and I made him a video of, I said, ‘Max, I want to tell him how great he is,'” Winkler revealed a couple of years ago, while also adding, “Cause you really think he’s just a football player. He’s really good. He’s a natural, and he talked to me about it on his podcast with his brother.”

Winkler, who lives in Los Angeles, didn’t get the opportunity to attend a Chiefs game last season since Kansas City played its road matchup against the Chargers in Brazil. This year, however, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs are scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium twice, once against the Chargers and once against the Los Angeles Rams. So, don’t be surprised if Henry Winkler makes an appearance.