Veteran Gives Patrick Mahomes Directions in the Rain—The Follow-Up Gift Is Life-Changing
Rain has a way of washing away pretense. It falls on everyone equally—the fortunate and unfortunate, the famous and the forgotten. That’s what Brett Perry thought as he stood at the gas station, his weathered military jacket offering little protection against an early autumn downpour. The rain beaded on his salt-and-pepper hair and ran down his face, mingling with the sweat from his earlier five-mile walk.
At 57, Brett’s body carried the invisible weight of three tours in Afghanistan. His right knee ached from an old injury, and sometimes in the quiet moments between sleep and waking, he could still hear the distant echo of explosions. But he’d made peace with those ghosts—mostly. What he couldn’t make peace with was being invisible in the country he’d sacrificed so much to protect.
The pump clicked off, and Brett replaced the nozzle. $15. That was all he could spare this week, enough to get him to his part-time job at the hardware store and back for a few days. The VA check would come next week. Until then, every dollar counted.
As Brett turned to head inside to pay, a sleek black SUV pulled up to the pump across from him. The vehicle probably cost more than Brett would make in five years. The windows were tinted, but as the driver’s side door opened, Brett caught a glimpse of a tall man in an expensive coat stepping out. There was something familiar about him—the way he carried himself, the easy athletic confidence.
Brett didn’t pay much attention to celebrities, but even he recognized the face now struggling with the gas pump. Patrick Mahomes. The Patrick Mahomes. Here at this run-down gas station off Highway 29 in the pouring rain, looking frustrated as he jabbed at the payment screen.
Brett hesitated. The man clearly wanted privacy. Why else drive yourself in a car with windows that dark? But there was something almost comical about watching one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time battling a temperamental gas pump.
“Need a hand?” Brett called out, his voice carrying over the drumming of rain on the metal awning.
Mahomes turned, surprise evident in his expression. For a moment, Brett thought he might have made a mistake. Maybe the guy just looked like Mahomes. But no, up close, there was no mistaking those eyes, that signature curly hair, the broad smile.
“This thing’s not taking my card,” Mahomes said, gesturing to the pump with mild irritation.
Brett nodded knowingly. “Yeah, pump four’s been acting up for weeks. Owner keeps saying he’ll fix it.” He walked over, his slight limp barely noticeable. “You have to kind of jiggle it while you swipe. Here, let me show you.”
Mahomes stepped back, watching as Brett demonstrated the peculiar ritual required to make the ancient machine cooperate. After a few attempts, the screen flickered to life.
“There you go,” Brett said, stepping back. “Should work now.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.” Mahomes’s voice was warm and sincere. He studied Brett for a moment, eyes flickering to the faded military patches on his jacket. “You serve?”
Brett nodded. “Yes, sir. Army. Three tours in Afghanistan.”
Something shifted in Mahomes’s expression—a subtle recognition, perhaps respect. “Thank you for your service.”
Brett had heard those words countless times from strangers, but this time, they didn’t feel empty.
“Heading somewhere particular?” Brett asked, nodding toward the SUV. “You look a bit lost, if you don’t mind me saying.”
Mahomes chuckled, a surprisingly warm sound. “That obvious, huh? Yeah, I’m trying to find Oakwood Country Club. GPS keeps sending me in circles.”
Brett knew the place, an exclusive golf course where membership cost more than his annual income. He pointed east. “Head back to the highway, take the next exit, and at the roundabout go right instead of left. That’ll take you straight there.”
Mahomes nodded, committing the directions to memory as the rain came down harder, drumming against their shoulders. “You know your way around here,” Mahomes observed.
“Lived here all my life, except when I was deployed.”
There was a moment of silence between them. Two men from different worlds, standing in the rain at a gas station. Then Mahomes reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek wallet. “Let me pay you for your help,” he said, already extracting what looked like a $100 bill.
Brett raised his hand, shaking his head firmly. “No, sir, not necessary. Just helping out a fellow traveler.”
Mahomes looked genuinely surprised, then slowly returned the bill to his wallet. “What’s your name?”
“Brett. Brett Perry.”
Mahomes extended his hand. “Patrick.”
Brett shook it, noting the strength in the other man’s grip. “I know,” he said with a small smile. “Hard not to recognize the best quarterback in the league.”
Mahomes laughed, a genuine laugh that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Some might debate that title.”
“Not around here they wouldn’t,” Brett replied.
They stood for another moment, the rain creating a strange bubble of privacy around them. Then Mahomes reached into his jacket and pulled out a small notebook and pen. He scribbled something down, tore out the page, and handed it to Brett.
“My assistant’s number,” he explained. “I’m in town for a charity event this weekend. Give her a call tomorrow. I’d like to invite you as my guest.”
Before Brett could respond, Mahomes was back in his SUV, the engine purring to life. He rolled down the window just enough to say, “Take those directions again?” Brett repeated them, watching as Mahomes nodded, then pulled away, the expensive vehicle disappearing into the curtain of rain as quickly as it had arrived.
For a long moment, Brett stood there, the piece of paper growing damp in his hand. Then carefully, he folded it and tucked it into his wallet. He wouldn’t call. What would someone like him do at a fancy charity event? Besides, it was probably just a gesture.
But the next morning, after a restless night, Brett decided to call. The voice that answered was professional. “Mr. Mahomes’s office, this is Karina speaking.”
Brett cleared his throat. “Hello, my name is Brett Perry. I, uh, met Mr. Mahomes yesterday at a gas station. He gave me this number.”
There was a brief pause. “Mr. Perry? Yes, Mr. Mahomes mentioned you might call. He asked me to extend an invitation to the charity gala tomorrow evening at Oakwood Country Club.”
Brett was stunned. “That’s very kind, but I don’t think I have anything appropriate to wear.”
“That won’t be a problem, sir. Mr. Mahomes has arranged for a car to pick you up tomorrow at 4:00. The driver will take you to Kingsley’s on Main Street, where a suit will be waiting for you. After you’re fitted, the car will take you to the event.”
Brett was speechless. “Please thank Mr. Mahomes for me.”
“You can thank him yourself tomorrow.”
The next evening, Brett found himself in a perfectly tailored suit, stepping onto the red carpet at Oakwood Country Club. Inside, the event was dazzling—chandeliers, laughter, the hum of Kansas City’s elite. Mahomes greeted him with a warm handshake and insisted Brett sit at his table, introducing him to business leaders, military officials, and local heroes.
During the evening, Mahomes took the stage and spoke about the challenges veterans face. “Tonight, I want to honor someone who reminded me that kindness is its own reward. Brett Perry, thank you for your service, and for showing me that a simple act of help can change a life.”
After the applause, Mahomes pulled Brett aside. “I want you to consider a position with my foundation. We need people like you—people who understand what it means to serve, and who care enough to help others. Full salary, benefits, and a chance to make a real difference.”
Brett was overwhelmed. “Why me?”
Mahomes smiled. “Because you saw me as a person, not just a celebrity. You helped without expecting anything. That’s the kind of person I want on my team.”
A month later, Brett was working full-time for the Mahomes Foundation, helping veterans find housing, jobs, and hope. He had a new home, a reliable car, and a sense of purpose he thought he’d lost forever.
All because, on a rainy night, he helped a stranger at the gas pump—and that stranger was Patrick Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes Got His Chiefs Teammates Elite Fitness Gifts
The Kansas City quarterback gave a mountain of gifts to his offensive line for the holidays, including Whoop bands and Normatec Elites—stuffed inside a KC red Yeti cooler, of course.
PATRICK MAHOMES KNOWS how to treat his teammates. Being a QB1 doesn’t stop when you’re off the field, and the 3x Super Bowl champ showed his appreciation for his Kansas City Chiefs offensive line by dropping off massive hauls of swag for them in the locker room. No wrapping was necessary, as the goods were fittingly delivered in one of YETI’s rugged Tundra Hauls, colored in that bright KC red.
Our own squad here at Men’s Health couldn’t help but notice that amongst the high ticket items there were a couple top notch fitness gifts. Being fans of the Whoop 4.0 and Normatec Elites, we know from our own experience that these products are game changers in personal wellness and recovery.
“[Normatec] boots are something I utilize,” Mahomes told Men’s Health in a past conversation about his recovery process. The quarterback uses them several times a week, to recover from practice or his rigorous training sessions with long-time trainer Bobby Stroupe. “Putting them on makes sense to me.”
The Normatec Elites are the most advanced of Hyperice’s industry leading air compression boot line, and were just released by the brand this summer. The normal price for these boots is $999, a few hundred dollars more than the latest gen of its flagship Normatec 3s. For anyone who is interested in recovering like a pro athlete themselves, they are $100 off thanks to Hyperice’s holiday sale.
So what’s so special about these boots? They use dynamic air compression to increase circulation in your legs, which may aid recovery. Past versions have required a bulky control unit that you need to carry around and attach to the legs, but the Elites have everything built in, while still only weighing a touch over 3 pounds.
I’ve been using them for the past few months, and really enjoy the ability to carry them easily from my bedroom to my living room, depending on where I want to set up for a nice 30-minute massage session. I’ve even taken them a bit further than that, as the Elites are TSA-approved and allow you to travel with them on the plane, for some in transit recovery.
The Whoop 4.0 is another item that we at Men’s Health have had plenty of experience with, and Mahomes shared with us how important the stylish health tracker has become to his daily routine. It seems evident from these gifts that the health of his teammates is important to him, and he wants to share the tools that have worked for him. Is there any gift better than that of good health? We don’t think so.
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The Men’s Health team also knows good style and fashion when we see it, and the rest of the gifts included some fine-looking Rolex watches (appears to be a Datejust 41) and non-massaging-but-still-cool leather cowboy boots from Lucchese. Check out the full product list below.
