Patrick Mahomes stood out when no one expected him to do it. The moment Chiefs reporter Tucker D. Franklin made the news of his father’s passing public, Mahomes stood tall beside him, supporting him through this tough time.
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“I think it’s easy to wonder if the quarterback of your favorite team is actually a good guy,” Tucker D. Franklin said on X. “We don’t have to wonder about that in KC ❤️”
He also posted a screenshot of his conversation with Patrick Mahomes, who stood with him in his personal loss.
“Praying for your family, man. Chiefs and Chiefskingdom is with you!” Mahomes said.
To which Franklin replied, “Man, thank you so much for reaching out. Means more than you’ll know. I appreciate you.”
Tucker D. Franklin lost his father unexpectedly at the age of 55 on August 31, 2026. He later posted about the tragic loss on Twitter, sharing pictures of himself with his father and expressing how much his dad meant to him and the impact his loss had on him.
“He was a great father, phenomenal husband, and an amazing man,” Tucker said. “The only thing he loved more than the Kansas City Royals was his family. He will be greatly missed. It’s easy in times like these to be upset by all the things you didn’t get to experience. I’m crushed and devastated.
“Life is not fair, but in these unfair moments, I’m choosing to be thankful for the 28 years I had with a man I was honored to call my father. Though it should’ve been more. Thank you, Dad.”
Doug Franklin was a man who wore many hats and loved helping people. Teaching was one of his biggest passions. He served as a pastor at North Star United Methodist Church for six years and wanted people to truly live by their faith instead of simply “play church.”
His journey as a pastor began in 2001 at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church. Later, he served at several other churches, including Smith Chapel in Marshall, Prairie Chapel in Urbana, and Dockery Chapel in Trenton. He kept giving back wherever he was needed.
Doug also spent years helping his local community outside the church. From 2009 to 2020, he worked as a chaplain and firefighter for the Trenton Fire Department and Grundy County Rural Fire Protection District. He became a lieutenant in 2015 and later served as a training officer, helping prepare the next generation of firefighters.
And Patrick Mahomes made sure he is not alone in this fight.
Franklin’s love for sports came from his father, as he loved the MLB team the Royals. Now, Tucker is a Kansas City sports media personality and a longtime Chiefs fan. He joined KC Sports Network in July 2021 as a podcast producer for Let It Fly Media and also helped create digital content.
His previous experience working with Arrowhead Report at Sports Illustrated and his Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast helped him land this job.
Franklin’s media journey started with earning a sports media degree from Northwest Missouri State University in 2019. But coming to the Chiefs is straight up connected to his childhood.
Sports were woven into Franklin’s childhood; he wore a Royals onesie in his newborn hospital photo. Later, his Elvis Grbac jersey became his “Sunday best” when he was in preschool.
As he grew up, Franklin watched Chiefs quarterback Trent Green and Royals star Carlos Beltran. He loved playing with a ball and following his hometown teams.
Now that he is going through a tough time, the Chiefs and their quarterback are making sure he reaches a better place mentally real soon.