Mahomes and the Vestibular System

During a recent practice session, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl winning quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, tested out his passing ability while blindfolded and dizzy. Mahomes was blindfolded while spinning around a pole, similar to a dizzy bat race. The trainer then handed him a football and had him throw towards a target net. While he did not meet his target initially, he did have some success after a few attempts.

This is a fun example of how our perception of spatial orientation are reliant on vision, vestibular, and somatosensory inputs. It is also a great example of the vestibular system’s time constant following unilateral stimulation.

Reference

Dillon J. (2024) Patrick Mahomes throws while blindfolded, dizzy at training camp. Chiefswire (accessed August 27, 2024).