Patrick Mahomes’ Ex-Trainer on the Quarterback’s ‘Amazing’ Growth (Exclusive)

Patrick Mahomes’ former quarterback trainer is opening up about what it’s like to see the once overlooked football star become one of the best players in NFL history.

Quincy Avery, one of the top quarterback coaches in the sport, recently spoke with PEOPLE ahead of the release of a new Hulu documentary about his life and career, The Quincy Avery Effect, on April 23.

“To be able to say you worked at one point with the best quarterback in the world, it’s really cool” Avery tells PEOPLE, making the argument that Mahomes’ status as one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks is “pretty undisputed” after his three Super Bowl championships, three Super Bowl MVP awards, and two NFL MVP awards in recent years.

But back when Avery, 38, and Mahomes, 29, crossed paths on the practice field, it was during the 2017 offseason before several teams passed him up in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Mahomes was a standout at Texas Tech, once breaking the NCAA single game record with 819 total yards in a now-famous 2016 matchup against Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners. He also led the NCAA in passing yards and touchdowns that season, yet Mahomes still dropped to No. 10 overall in the draft when he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs eight spots after fellow NFL quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

The now six-time NFL Pro Bowler wasn’t as “refined” back then as he is now, Avery says, although Mahomes still showed signs of greatness in his time before the NFL.

“Having that opportunity to see him at that point in time and to see what he’s been able to grow into, it’s been really amazing,” Avery says, noting that the two are not close anymore but still stay in touch.

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“I’ll DM Mahomes every now and then and we’ll exchange a laugh or talk about random things like that,” Avery adds. “It’s cool, I feel like I’m probably more connected than anybody else to all the biggest names in the sport.”

Mahomes is just one of a handful of NFL stars Avery has had a hand in molding. The self-described quarterback “guru” is often credited as the man who helped shape recent Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts into an NFL star when he came out of college, while Avery has also helped train the likes of Houston Texans starter C.J. Stroud, Green Bay Packers starter Jordan Love, Cleveland Browns starter Deshaun Watson. 

Avery spent more than “1,000 days” living out of his car while building a career for himself as a college quarterback coach, according to his documentary. Since the humble beginnings of his career, Avery has gone on to start his own training program and says he’s helped more than 100 quarterbacks earn college scholarships — some of whom eventually have the chance to turn pro.

“There’s really difficult moments for these guys that they experience all the time, and there’s not many people that they can share those things with, so it’s me being able to be there as a sounding board and being able to give them advice in these moments,” Avery explains about the connection he has with quarterbacks, often the most high-pressure position in sports. “And I think that they trust me, because they know that I’ve been through things too, like really difficult situations and they know it’s without judgment and it’s like I’m a brother. I’m gonna stick by their side at all times.”

The Quincy Avery Effect, from Andscape and Religion of Sports, will begin streaming on Hulu starting April 23.