Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola burst onto the college football scene last year as a star. In his freshman season, Raiola completed 275 of 410 passing attempts for 2819 yards and 13 TDs. This offseason, despite rumors that other top programs expressed interest, Raiola opted not to enter the transfer portal and stay in Nebraska.
On Tuesday, at Big Ten media days, Raiola was asked who Raiola would want to come watch him play. In the past, Raiola has shown a deep admiration for Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, rather than pick his idol, Raiola picked two NBA icons as his answer, including Michael Jordan, who has an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes.
"Michael Jordan or Kobe (Bryant)," Raiola said. "I know that goes way back before my time but those are two legends that, not even only in basketball but overall even in sports, they just set the bar."•
You will never guess who Dylan Raiola wants at a Nebraska game
Fans often poke fun at Dylan Raiola for his relationship with Patrick Mahomes and how much he seems to try to embody him. However, it appears to be paying off as Raiola has been able to able to use the lessons he learned from Mahomes to become an early success in college.
Dylan Raiola speaks about his relationship with Patrick Mahomes
At the Big Ten media days, Dylan Raiola also spoke about his relationship with Patrick Mahomes. He spoke passionately about learning from Mahomes, even comparing his relationship to the one Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan had early in Bryant's NBA career.
"I kind of use it like Kobe (Bryant) and (Michael Jordan)," Raiola said. "You look up to a guy like that. One of the best to ever do it, and he’s still playing. So I think it would be not wise of me to not do that. Just see it as an opportunity and enjoy it. It’s a cool guy to learn from and a cool person to experience it with."Last season, Patrick Mahomes spoke about how Dylan Raiola looks up to him and did not seem to mind the attention.
"I mean, it’s cool, honestly," Mahomes said. "I was that guy. I grew up watching players. I remember when I (was growing up), I loved Alex Rodriguez, played shortstop, and would try to make plays just like him, and do stuff like that, and it helped me become the athlete that I am. It’s just telling me I’m getting a little old."Despite his comment about getting old, Mahomes is still viewed by most as the best quarterback in the NFL.
Why did you not like this content?
- Clickbait / Misleading
- Factually Incorrect
- Hateful or Abusive
- Baseless Opinion
- Too Many Ads
- Other
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
About the author
Edited by Alexander O'Reilly