LUBBOCK, Texas – When Patrick Mahomes takes the field for the Super Bowl on February 2, he will be wearing a little piece of Lubbock on his wrist. Mahomes, for every game, wears a Luke Siegel bracelet.
“The very first time, I noticed that he was wearing it in a game was when they show before the handoff and I got text messages and then I send a message to him say hey I didn’t realize you were he goes, I never take it off,” said Tim Siegel, Luke’s dad.
On July 8, 2015, Luke had a golf cart accident in South Lubbock that would cost him the use of his limbs and his voice.
Luke’s dad, Tim Siegel, started a non-profit called Team Luke Hope for Minds. It raises money for families whose children had severe head injuries and needs financial help.
“Every day is a challenge. Every day I live with pain, but it’s the pain is lessened when I’m helping others,” said Tim.
The foundation started in January 2018 and has already given out more than $350,000 to families in 19 different states.
Tim Siegel was a tennis coach at Texas Tech for 23 years. Even before the accident, he and Luke met Patrick Mahomes many times.
After the accident, Mahomes has been a big supporter of the cause even wearing Team Luke cleats during football games.
“He’s someone that we knew when he was in college, and he’s kept with it, and the fact that he’s the MVP of the league, going to be a Super Bowl champion soon, and someone that responds to text messages and says that he’s praying for Luke and Luke means everything to him and so it’s hard to really put into words,” said Tim.
Tim says Mahomes has worn the Team Luke bracelet in every single NFL game he has played and when it broke during the Patriots game Mahomes called him to get a new one replaced. He says this partnership has not only helped the foundation but his family as well.
“He’s bringing awareness to our organization. Team Luke Hope for Minds supports children after brain injury, and someone like a Patrick Mahomes, not only widely known of course but widely respected. It means a lot to us and he’s done more than I could ever imagine,” said Tim.
Luke and his dad already have their plans set for the Super Bowl on February 2nd.
“I will watch it with Luke probably in his bedroom, kind of a special place where I get to hold Luke in the chair we watch the game together, but I will do the play by play with him like I’ve done for the last four and a half years,” said Tim.
