Dylan Raiola likens relationship with Patrick Mahomes to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan
Between his position, No. 15 jersey number, his hair and, at times, his playing style, the Nebraska quarterback has been frequently linked to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.
It's not a connection that Raiola shies away from. If anything, he embraces it — so much so that he has a historical comparison for it.
REQUIRED READING: Big Ten college football power rankings start with Penn State, Ohio State
In an interview with the Cover 3 Podcast on July 22 at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas, Raiola likened the way he views and tries to emulate Mahomes to Kobe Bryant's relationship with Michael Jordan.
'I'm not comparing myself to Kobe or anything, but like Kobe did to Mike, that's kind of what it is for me to Patrick,' Raiola said. 'He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now, if not the best. Just for me to be able to have someone to look up to, talk, call, whatever…the comparisons are kind of everything outside. I can't control that god made me look like this, play the same sport. It's all love.'
Nebraska's Dylan Raiola On his relationship with Patrick Mahomes:"What Kobe did to Mike, That's kind of what it is for me to Patrick" #BigTenMediaDays #Nebraska #dylanraiola pic.twitter.com/yIGoYVvJZG
Over the course of his legendary NBA career, Bryant became perhaps the closest thing the sport had seen to Jordan since his retirement, emulating his game, mannerisms, trademark intensity and even hairstyle, trading in his baby afro for a shaved head.
One year into his college career, Raiola has taken the same kind of approach with Mahomes, opting for a similar haircut and wearing a headband during games. Before a win last season against Colorado, Raiola generated widespread attention on social media for mimicking Mahomes' pregame routine. Raiola trains with quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen and trainer Bobby Stroupe, both of whom worked with Mahomes on his rise to NFL stardom.
The comparison, of course, has its limits. Beyond their follicle choices, the two don't look all that much alike (Mahomes is mixed, with a white mother and Black father, while Raiola is of Polynesian descent). More glaringly, one of the quarterbacks is a three-time Super Bowl champion and a two-time NFL MVP while the other is a 20 year old who threw 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions for a team that went 3-6 in the Big Ten last season.
The tie between the two is more than superficial, though. Mahomes and Raiola have struck up a relationship, with Raiola noting the two call and text one another. Last year, Mahomes shouted out Raiola on social media, referring to him as 'Lil cuzzo.'
In about a month, there will be one more data point between the two — Raiola and Nebraska will open their 2025 season at Arrowhead Stadium against Cincinnati on August 28.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
26 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
NFL takes 10% stake in Disney's ESPN, which now owns NFL Network
The NFL has reached a deal to take a 10% ownership stake in the Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN, the league and Disney announced Tuesday evening, a move that is expected to solidify the sports media outlet's relationship with the league for years to come. In return for the equity stake valued at more than $2 billion based on recent valuations of the company, ESPN will take over the NFL's cable properties including the NFL Network and Red Zone, the popular channel that continuously updates fans on the slate of Sunday contests. The NFL Network also has the rights to eight regular season games. In addition to the sale of NFL Network, the NFL and ESPN are also entering into a second non-binding agreement, under which the NFL will license to ESPN certain NFL content and other intellectual property to be used by NFL Network and other assets. The deal is a big win for ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who took over the Disney unit in 2018 with a mandate to improve the company's relationship with the NFL. The equity stake comes ahead of ESPN's move into the direct-to-consumer streaming business this fall, which gives consumers the opportunity to purchase the company's sports channels without a cable or satellite TV subscription. NFL Network will also be available on the streaming service. 'This is an exciting day for sports fans,' Pitaro said Tuesday in a statement. 'By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN's reach and innovation, we're creating a premier destination for football fans. Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game — anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN's digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service.' The new product is aimed at recapturing sports fans who are forgoing cable and satellite services. ESPN has seen its reach in cable decline from 98 million homes in 2013 to around 72 million as a result of cord-cutting. ESPN has the broadcast rights to 'Monday Night Football' and two Super Bowl games in the current NFL contract that runs through 2033 but is expected to be reopened in 2029. The deal with Disney means the NFL's other partners — Fox, NBC, CBS, YouTube and Amazon — will be bidding against an entity that the league has a financial interest in next time the media rights come up. Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman of Fox Corp., told Wall Street analysts Tuesday he is not concerned the NFL's partnership with ESPN will impact his network's standing with the league. 'We have a tremendous relationship with the NFL,' Murdoch said. 'We appreciate that they are fans of the broadcast and cable networks, and we look forward to working with them and deepening our relationship with them as we move forward.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals injury update: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. returns to practice
Harrison was back on the practice field on Tuesday after missing three days last week. The Arizona Cardinals, after a day off on Sunday and a walkthrough on Monday, returned to the practice field at State Farm Stadium to prepare for their preseason opener Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. also returned to practice after sitting out three days with knee soreness. He returned with a slightly different look, as he wore a sleeve on his left leg. His return to the field at the beginning of the week more than likely means that he will be good to go and able to play in the preseason opener Saturday night. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced Tuesday that the starters would play in the game. Harrison has been one of the standouts in training camp. Having him healthy and getting him game reps against another team should help keep the momentum moving forward. Kickoff for the game against the Chiefs is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. Arizona time) from State Farm Stadium. The game will air on CBS 5. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Back to Seattle: Carroll and Smith return in Raiders-Seahawks preseason game
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Seattle represents a proving ground for Pete Carroll and Geno Smith. Carroll, especially, left an indelible mark on the Seahawks by coaching them to their only Super Bowl title. Smith quarterbacked the franchise to winning records the past three years. Now Carroll and Smith head back to the Pacific Northwest, returning to their former home Thursday night representing the Las Vegas Raiders when they open their preseason schedule against the Seahawks. Carroll took over the Seahawks in 2010 after winning two national championships at Southern California as part of a seven-year run of double-digit victories. His return to the NFL was a little bit of a leap of faith for Carroll after previous stops in which he went 6-10 in 1994 with the New York Jets and 27-21 in 1997-99 at New England. 'It was an experiment coming out of USC to go to the NFL and see if the way we had developed, the culture we had created, the concept of competing the way we did would carry over,' Carroll said. "Mostly, it was the way we treated the people in our program. I wasn't sure. I had an inkling it would be OK, but I didn't know and a lot of people probably questioned it as well. 'We didn't change anything. We maintained the philosophy. We adapted to the players and, of course, the game. After it's said and done, I feel really good about the time we spent there, that we were able to stay with what we believed in and make it work out all right.' Carroll went 137-89-1 in 14 seasons in Seattle, putting together double-digit victories eight times over a nine-year stretch. That included consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning the championship in the 2013 season with the dominant "Legion of Boom" defense. 'I loved my time in Seattle and loved the fans and the people that we met and dealt with and competed with," Carroll said. 'But (Thursday's) a game for us. We're going to go play ball.' Carroll declared that every Raiders player was 'live' for that game, but what that meant exactly was hard to say. That especially leaves open the question of whether Smith will take snaps other than in warmups in his former home stadium. Seattle is where Smith turned around his career when he signed in 2019 as the backup. He had lost his starting job with the Jets and spent one season each with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers. But it wasn't until 2022 that Smith became the starter — and he made the most of it. He led the league by completing 69.8% of his passes while throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Smith was selected as the AP Comeback Player of the Year. 'It means a lot to me as a place where I called home for six years, was able to have a son there, and I was able to really just kind of turn my career around,' Smith said. "Met some really cool people, got to know a lot of great people there, a lot of great teammates over the years. Just really special things, special thoughts that come to my mind when I think about it.' Lonnie Johnson could return late in season Carroll said safety Lonnie Johnson Jr., who broke his right leg in Saturday's mock game, will have surgery soon and could return in the next couple of months. Johnson competed on the second team in practices, but was with the starters when the Raiders went to nickel defenses. 'I think we recognized Lonnie in a way that he hasn't been recognized in the earlier parts of his career,' Carroll said. 'We're really going to miss him. We had a number of things that especially he could do well in contributing to the defense, so we have to work a little bit to figure out how other guys take these kinds of concepts. "These five weeks here are hugely important to him so he can get back three or four or five weeks into the season.' Carroll on adding a defensive tackle The Raiders announced their trade Monday night in which cornerback Jakorian Bennett went to Philadelphia for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV. Booker was fifth on the Eagles' depth chart, but could have a great opportunity in Las Vegas. '(Booker) plays really hard and he's really consistent in his effort,' Carroll said. 'He's big enough and flexible enough to play a number of spots for us. He looked really good in their rotations and that's a heck of a defensive line over there. It keeps him from playing and getting his numbers up, but we see a lot of positives.' ___
