Baker Mayfield facts for kids
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Mayfield with the Cleveland Browns in 2021
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| No. 6 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | April 14, 1995 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) |
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| College: |
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| NFL Draft: | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||
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Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League (NFL). He started his college football career with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Later, he played for the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2017, he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first walk-on player to ever receive this award.
The Cleveland Browns selected him as the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. In his first season, Mayfield set a new record for rookie quarterbacks with the most passing touchdowns. He also helped the Browns end a long winless streak. His best season with the Browns was in 2020. He led them to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and their first playoff win since 1994.
After leaving Cleveland in 2022, Mayfield played for the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. He joined the Buccaneers in 2023. There, he led the team to two division titles and a playoff victory. He also earned Pro Bowl honors and achieved career-high stats in back-to-back years.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Baker Reagan Mayfield was born on April 14, 1995, in Austin, Texas. His parents are James and Gina Mayfield. Baker is the younger of their two sons. His father played football for the University of Houston.
Mayfield grew up as a big fan of the University of Oklahoma. He went to many of their games when he was a kid.
Baker was the starting quarterback for the Lake Travis High School football team in Austin. He led his team to an impressive 25–2 record over two seasons. In 2011, they won the 4A State Championship. By the end of high school, he had thrown for 6,255 yards and 67 touchdowns. He also had only eight interceptions.
Even though he had scholarship offers from smaller schools, Mayfield wanted to play for a big university. He decided to go to Texas Tech as a walk-on player. This means he joined the team without a scholarship at first.
College Career Highlights
Starting at Texas Tech
Before the 2013 season began, Mayfield was named the starting quarterback. This was a big deal because he was a walk-on true freshman. He was the first walk-on true freshman quarterback to start an FBS season opener.
In his first game against SMU, Mayfield threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 43 passes out of 60 attempts. This broke a school record. For his great performance, he was named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Mayfield finished his first season with 2,315 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named Big 12 Conference Freshman Offensive Player of the Year for 2013. After the season, Mayfield decided to leave Texas Tech. He mentioned a "miscommunication" with the coaching staff.
Moving to Oklahoma
In January 2014, Mayfield transferred to the University of Oklahoma. He joined the Oklahoma Sooners as a walk-on. He was not allowed to play in the 2014 season due to Big 12 Conference transfer rules. He also lost a year of eligibility.
Becoming a Star at Oklahoma (2015-2017)
In August 2015, Mayfield became the starting quarterback for the Sooners. In his first game, he threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Later that season, he led Oklahoma to a huge comeback win against Tennessee. They were down by 17 points but won in double overtime.
Mayfield finished the 2015 season with 3,700 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. He placed fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He helped Oklahoma reach the 2015 Orange Bowl, which was a playoff semifinal game.
In the 2016 season, Mayfield continued to shine. In a memorable game against Texas Tech, he threw for 545 yards and seven touchdowns. This game broke many passing records. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy again, finishing third. He also led the Sooners to a 35–19 victory in the 2017 Sugar Bowl, earning the MVP award.
The 2017 season was incredible for Mayfield. He threw for a school-high 598 yards against Oklahoma State. He led Oklahoma to their third straight Big 12 championship. They beat the TCU Horned Frogs 41–17. Mayfield won MVP honors for the game.
On December 9, 2017, Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy. He received a huge majority of the votes. This made him the first and only walk-on player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
The "Baker Mayfield Rule"
When Mayfield transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma, he asked the NCAA to let him play right away. He argued that since he was a walk-on, the usual transfer rules for scholarship players should not apply to him. The NCAA said no.
The Big 12 Conference also had rules that made him lose an extra year of eligibility for transferring within the conference. Oklahoma tried to get Texas Tech to agree to let him play immediately, but they refused at first.
In 2016, the Big 12 Conference changed its rules. They voted to allow walk-on players, who didn't have a scholarship offer from their old school, to transfer within the conference without losing a year of eligibility. This new rule, sometimes called the "Baker Mayfield rule," made him eligible to play for Oklahoma through the 2017 season.
Professional Career
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Cleveland Browns (2018–2021)
Rookie Season (2018)
Mayfield played his first NFL game in Week 3 of the 2018 season for the Cleveland Browns. He came into the game when the Browns were losing 14–0. He led them to a 21–17 comeback win, ending their 19-game winless streak. He was the first player since 1961 to come off the bench in his debut, throw for over 200 yards, and lead his team to their first win of the season.
Mayfield became the Browns' starting quarterback in Week 4. He led the Browns to a 7–8–1 record, their best since 2007. He finished his rookie season with 3,725 passing yards. He also threw 27 touchdowns, breaking the rookie record held by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson. Mayfield was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team for 2018.
2019 Season
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The 2019 season was a bit tougher for Mayfield and the Browns. He threw for 3,827 yards and 22 touchdowns. However, he also had 21 interceptions. He became the first Browns quarterback since Tim Couch in 2001 to start all 16 games in a season. The Browns finished with a 6–10 record.
Playoff Success (2020)
In the 2020 season, Mayfield helped the Browns achieve great success. In Week 7, he threw a career-high five touchdowns, leading the Browns to a comeback win. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 13, he threw four touchdowns in the first half, tying a franchise record.
The Browns finished the 2020 regular season with an 11–5 record. This earned them their first playoff spot since 2002. In the Wild Card Round, Mayfield led the Browns to a 48–37 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was the Browns' first playoff victory since 1994. They also won their first playoff road game in 51 years. The Browns' season ended with a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Mayfield finished the season with 4,030 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.
Injury and Trade (2021)
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In the 2021 season, Mayfield played with a partially torn labrum (a shoulder injury). He missed his first game as a starter in Week 7 due to the injury. After the Browns were out of the playoffs, Mayfield had surgery on his shoulder. He finished the season with 3,010 yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games. In the 2022 offseason, the Browns traded for another quarterback, so Mayfield asked to be traded.
Carolina Panthers (2022)
On July 6, 2022, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers. He became the Week 1 starter for the Panthers. He played in seven games for the Panthers, starting six. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 5. After a 1–5 record with the team, Mayfield asked to be released, and the Panthers agreed on December 5, 2022.
Los Angeles Rams (2022)
On December 6, 2022, Mayfield was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams. He had only two days to learn their plays. In his first game with the Rams, he led them to an amazing comeback win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Rams were down by 13 points in the fourth quarter. Mayfield led a 98-yard game-winning touchdown drive, which was the longest of his career. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.
Mayfield later said his time with the Rams helped him enjoy football again. He felt it brought back the fun he needed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2023–present)
2023 Season
On March 15, 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Mayfield to a one-year contract. He competed for the starting quarterback spot after Tom Brady retired. Mayfield won the job.
In Week 1, he led the Buccaneers to a 20–17 victory. In Week 2, he had a great game, throwing for 317 yards and a touchdown. This was the first time in his career he started a season 2–0. In Week 15, Mayfield had a perfect passer rating against the Green Bay Packers. He completed 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns. He was the first opposing quarterback to ever achieve a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Mayfield led the Buccaneers to a 9–0 victory in Week 18, securing their third straight NFC South title. He finished the season with career highs in touchdown passes (28) and passing yards (4,044). He also earned his first Pro Bowl nomination. In the playoffs, he led the Buccaneers to a 32–9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
2024 Season
On March 10, 2024, Mayfield signed a three-year contract extension with the Buccaneers. In Week 1, he threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns in a win. He continued to play well, leading his team to several victories. In Week 17, he threw a career-high five touchdown passes. He also led a comeback win in Week 18 to clinch the Buccaneers' fourth straight division title.
Mayfield finished the 2024 season with 4,500 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns. He became only the fourth player in NFL history to have at least 4,000 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, and a 70% completion rate in one season. The Buccaneers made the playoffs, but lost in the Wild Card Round.
Personal Life
In July 2019, Baker Mayfield married Emily Wilkinson. They announced in December 2023 that they were expecting their first child. Their daughter was born in April 2024.
While playing for the Browns, Mayfield appeared in a series of fun commercials for Progressive Insurance. The ads showed him living "at home" in the Browns' stadium with his wife.
Images for kids
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Mayfield with the Cleveland Browns in 2021
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Mayfield at 2017 Big 12 Media Days
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Mayfield in 2018 training camp
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Mayfield against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019
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Mayfield in 2020
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Mayfield with the Cleveland Browns in 2021
See also
In Spanish: Baker Mayfield para niños
