Patrick Mahomes has spent his life practicing one thing: winning.

Patrick Mahomes likes to point out that growing up in Whitehouse, Texas, “football was my No. 3 sport.”

He considers baseball and basketball to be his biggest interests growing up. His friends thought he was better at basketball—though at 6’2″ his professional prospects were limited—and of course, he played football and baseball at Texas Tech, but was also drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He also played golf, competed in the high jump, and tried almost every sport that came his way.

All of this makes his quest to become the greatest football player of all time even more astonishing; but also offers an explanation.

“Patrick is the perfect example of a multi-sport athlete,” said Adam Cook, one of his former high school football coaches.

By doing everything and specializing in nothing, Mahomes focused on one thing: winning. The sports, seasons and playing fields changed, but what remained was him and his buddies trying to come out on top.

Sometimes he was a leader who hit them on the fast break, sometimes he was a pitcher who threw a no-hitter, sometimes he threw one deep in the end zone.

“I just play,” Mahomes likes to say.

And maybe it’s just learning to win in every way possible that, more than his many skills, has defined Mahomes’ career. He’s never been the prototype of a professional quarterback, but as Kansas City opens the NFL season at home to Baltimore on Thursday, he’s on the verge of making history.

The Chiefs are seeking a third straight Super Bowl victory, something no NFL team has ever accomplished. Winning another Lombardi (Mahomes’ fourth overall) in February would give them something that even the other great quarterbacks don’t have. Not Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Bart Starr or Terry Bradshaw. Not even Tom Brady.

“You never know if you’re going to win another Super Bowl — I mean, that’s what you hope for,” Mahomes said this week.

Hope remains high thanks to Mahomes. He’s only 28, but the roster around him has changed, coordinators have come and gone, key players have aged or left. But in the end, there’s No. 15, who always finds his way, especially in the playoffs.

Maybe a 13-second lead against Buffalo, maybe a 10-second lead against San Francisco in one Super Bowl or overtime in another.

It’s about winning. That’s all. That’s all it’s ever been.

“Because he played multiple sports, all those experiences and skills overlapped in the NFL,” his former high school coach Cook said. “For Patrick, it’s just one game. It was always one big game, on different playing surfaces. In high school, you’re only guaranteed 10 games. Instead, Patrick was always playing something and learning how to win along the way.”

The triple won’t be decided on Thursday. Baltimore remains a serious challenger in the…