Kansas City-area restaurants prepare for big weekend ahead of Chiefs’ big game
11 February 2023
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Before the Super Bowl this Sunday, the Chiefs have a lot of support at home, especially from one Overland Park family.
The last time the Chiefs won the big game in 2020, the Steppe family was at the hospital awaiting their son’s birth. However, this isn’t just any ordinary birth story.
You see, Heather Steppe was nine months pregnant in February 2020, with a February 14 due date.
“We had kind of joked that playoffs are happening. The games were incredibly stressful. I was like, ‘One of these games is going to put me into labor,'” Heather said.
So, she and her husband, Kyle, decided to make a bet: if she goes into labor during one of the Chiefs games, they’ll name their son Patrick. (You know, after that one player with the #15 jersey). Up till that point, they were still up in the air on what to name him.
“I just loved the idea of naming him after a star like Patrick, someone who does great for our community. He’s a one-of-a-kind quarterback and Patrick’s a one-of-a-kind kid,” added Kyle.
The night before his son’s birth, Kyle said he was outside and saw a shooting star.
“I kind of wished for it to happen, and it just wildly came true,” added Kyle Steppe.
It absolutely came true, because not only did Heather go into labor on game day, but she also went into labor on Super Bowl Sunday.
A few hours of labor and a C-section later, nurses wheeled Heather into her post-op room, right as kick-off was happening. The family watched from the hospital room as the Chiefs came back to win 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers, as Kyle beamed with pride for his newborn son and hometown team.
“Just being in this golden age and having our story intertwined in it, it’s something really special,” he added.
Besides sharing a name, both Patrick Mahomes and Patrick Steppe have a knack for sports: baseball, basketball, golf, football, you name it.
“He’s actually kind of crazy,” said Heather of her son. “He can dribble a basketball and dribble a soccer ball in a straight line down the field. He can hit a baseball just by throwing it up in the air! It’s strange.”
With a life size cutout of Mahomes in the Steppe’s front window, young Patrick Steppe is looking up at his namesake everyday and cheering him on during every game.
“He’s always cheering for Patrick,” Kyle said. “Yelling, ‘Go Chiefs!’ at the TV.”