Though the Texas Tech basketball team's Monday night game against No. 4 Houston didn't go as planned, it was still an unforgettable evening in Lubbock. Aside from the intense game that went down to the wire, one of the developments that had people around the country buzzing was the 94-foot put that Texas Tech student Blake Porter drained during a timeout.
Starting his put at one baseline and sending the golf ball through a small cutout in a cardboard partition located on the opposite baseline, Porter won a pair of AirPods Max. And as his improbable put went through the cutout, he sent the crowd into a frenzy while celebrating with Texas Tech legend and Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes II who was sitting courtside for the game.
It was a feel-good moment that drew national attention. But the story didn't stop on Monday night.
A Texas Tech fan won the fan putt and hit a celly with Patrick Mahomes 😂🔥
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 25, 2025
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Thursday, Porter was invited to appear on The Today Show on NBC. There, live from New York, he attempted to make another 94-foot put.
What was amazing is that Porter almost pulled it off again. Attempting two puts on Thursday, he twice came within inches of making it through the cut out that had been set up for him outside of the television studio. But what happened next was even more incredible.
To Porter's surprise, he was shown a video from Mahomes who had a special message for him.
"What's up Blake?" Mahomes said. "What an awesome moment it was for you the other night. I was so excited to be just a small part of it. And I know you think you know what you won, but what you don't know is that Texas Tech Athletics is going to be paying your tuition next fall. And on top of that, Adidas and I are going to make you an honorary member of Team Mahomes. So we're going to be sending a nice care package your way to support your golf game. Congrats again, and enjoy your time on The Today Show."
It was yet another instance of Mahomes giving back to his alma mater and being the best representative of Texas Tech that anyone could have asked him to be. He continues to go out of his way to showcase the university and help support not only Texas Tech's athletic programs but also the individuals who also call Tech home.
Though the loss to Houston on Monday wasn't what anyone wanted, at least it provided us with this heartwarming story. Certainly, it will be a week that Porter will never forget.