Kansas City Chiefs' Mecole Hardman Jr. Celebrates Son's First Birthday After Super Bowl Win: 'Went by So Fast'
The proud dad celebrated his son in a heartfelt Instagram post
Mecole Hardman Jr. went from one celebration to another in a matter of hours, with his son's first birthday beginning hours after the Chiefs won the 2024 Super Bowl
Hardman had a major moment in the big game, catching the pass in overtime that sealed the Chiefs' fate as champions
Hardman's son, nicknamed Three, was born on the day of the team's Super Bowl win last year
Mecole Hardman Jr. got to enjoy a very special Monday with his family.
The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, 25, woke up a Super Bowl champion once again, having caught the game-winning catch. While his team may have won last year, Hardman was a little too busy with the birth of his son to fully immerse himself in celebrations.
Hardman and pregnant girlfriend Chariah Gordon also celebrated their son, Three, who was born the day of last year's Super Bowl, as he turned 1. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the proud dad paid tribute to his little boy.
"Happy 1st Birthday son! A year has went by so fast! I love you so much! You are growing up so fast! Can’t wait to make so many more memories! I love being a father to you and I can’t wait to watch you grow up and be something special ❤️🥺," he wrote.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: Mecole Hardman Jr.'s Cutest Photos with His Son
While Three wasn't at the big game, he was in Las Vegas with the family and Mom was checking in on him. Gordon shared a photo of her using checking in on her baby boy using her Nanit baby monitor.
"I get to enjoy the game and check in on my son 3," she captioned the shot.
In another photo, she posed with Hardman, captioning the shot, "Mom and Dad❤️."
Hardman admitted to reporters on Sunday that he was too stunned to realize what he and his teammates had just done in the moment he caught the game-winning pass in overtime.
“I blacked out man,” Hardman said after the Chiefs’ 25-22 championship win, according to The Associated Press. “I forgot we actually won the game.”
Hardman, the Chiefs’ unlikely hero, didn’t appear to celebrate the catch at first. He caught the three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who then broke the news to Hardman when he ran over to celebrate.
“I threw a touchdown to this dude to end the game, and he looked at me,” Mahomes, 28, said. “He had no idea. I said, ‘Dude, we just won the Super Bowl.’ He had no idea. He didn’t even celebrate at the beginning.”
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.