ST. JOSEPH, Mo. _ The cameras lined the sidewalk in front of Scanlon Hall, jockeying for a spot to catch a glimpse of Patrick Mahomes as he moved into his home for the next three weeks.
But the second-year pro pulled a veteran move, slipping in unseen through a back door of the Missouri Western State dormitory.
It's the Texas Tech product's first year as a starting quarterback in the NFL, but if his arrival at Chiefs training camp Sunday was any indication, he's already acting the part of a seasoned professional.
He may not be as experienced as Alex Smith was when he became the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2013, but as a second-year guy in Andy Reid's system, Mahomes enters training camp with a significant advantage.
"Everything was new for Alex that first year," Reid said Sunday. "Patrick's got a running start. He's been through it. He knows the verbiage. He knows the secondaries. He knows all the stuff."
Under Smith's tutelage, the 22-year-old got a full year of an NFL education before taking the reins of Reid's complex offense.
The transition from the friendly and familiar confines of Lubbock, Texas, to the scrutiny of an NFL team could've been difficult. But Mahomes conquered the learning curve thanks to help from Smith.
"He had a process of how he did things, how he made sure he was prepared for every situation in the game as well as every practice," Mahomes said. "For me, being able to watch that and understand what's needed in order to have success in the NFL is probably the biggest thing he did for me."
Mahomes also had a bit of a grace period to figure out how to handle himself
Though his entrance to training camp was low-key, his summer was anything but.
In May, he was spotted at the Kansas Speedway for the KC Masterpiece 400 in jorts and a cutoff T-Bones jersey. Earlier in the month, he attended a Jason Aldean concert at the Sprint Center and a couple of Royals games.
He also went through his second round of OTAs and learned how to handle the ever-increasing expectations about his new role and the Chiefs' upcoming season.
It all shaped his transformation from backup to QB1.
"Definitely have matured a lot in this last year," he said. "Coming from college where they tell you exactly what you have to do and they tell you have to be at this at this time, you kind of get punishment for that. Now you're in the NFL and you have to do it on your own.
"For me, just having a full year of that and having to really just learn how to do everything on my own and make sure I'm prepared for every situation and watch whatever film I have to do at home. It's really matured me as a person."
Now, Mahomes will carry the lessons he's learned over the last year into his second training camp as he takes the reins of one of the most loaded offenses in the NFL. He'll be surrounded by explosive weapons like wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill, running back Kareem Hunt and tight end Travis Kelce.
Even with an experienced cast around him and a year in Kansas City under his belt, Mahomes could still experience a couple of hiccups _ but Reid is prepared for that.
"He was lucky enough to be in a great room last year with not only great coaches, but great players," Reid said. "He absorbed. That's what he did. It showed during OTAs. He was able to come out and function at a high level and do what he needs.
"Are there going to be growing pains and all that stuff that goes on? Sure. He's a young guy that's learning the game. We're here to teach him, and that's what we'll do. He's here to learn and then go play _ and having fun doing it."
