Former top NFL draft pick Baker Mayfield revived his career with Tampa Bay.
He made one gesture that turned the season around for a team.
And Baker Mayfield helped a high school football team out of this scary situation.
Baker Mayfield provides equipment for state title-winning high school football team
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield salvaged his career after he replaced future Hall of Famer Tom Brady as the team’s signal caller last season.
He signed a three-year extension with the team earlier this year worth up to $115 million with $50 million in guaranteed money.
The former number-one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft also saved the season of a high school football team in Florida.
Space Coast High School in Cocoa, Florida faced potentially canceling its season this year because the team’s equipment was old and outdated, raising concerns about player safety.
The team went 1-8 last season and there were questions if they would even be able to field a team this year.
Mayfield and his wife Emily stepped up before the team’s season, donating $17,900 for equipment including helmets and shoulder pads.
Stephanie Starkey has a son who plays for Space Coast and graduated from the University of Oklahoma where Mayfield won a Heisman Trophy.
She decided to reach out to the Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation about getting help for the team.
The Mayfields came through and that decision propelled the Space Coast Vipers to a state championship.
Florida team wins a state title with Baker Mayfield’s help
Space Coast head coach Jack Owen thought Mayfield’s donation inspired the team this season.
“We were just floored,” Owens said. “It’s been an incredibly humbling experience to have someone like Baker to reach out and say, ‘Hey, what do you need to get this done?’ I don’t think they know how much of an impact they’ve made. It’s one of those incredible things that came together like a perfect storm, and Baker and Emily are a big part of that because it took so much stress out of that situation so the focus could be on football.”
The Vipers went 10-3 this season and defeated Bell 21-14 to win the Sunshine State Athletic Association Atlantic 1A championship.
“I tell them all the time, don’t forget about the journey it took to get here, and Baker and Emily will always be part of that journey,” Owens said.
Mayfield was happy to help such a special season for the team happen.
“It’s just a cool story,” Mayfield said at a press conference. “I have an unbelievable platform to be able to give back, and obviously they were in the predicament of probably not having a season. Not just for the varsity. The JV, they didn’t have enough equipment. So, just being able to give back and then seeing that turnaround.”
He credited the Space Coast team for making the most of their opportunity.
“All we did was get some helmets. They did the rest,” Mayfield stated. “They turned it around, they believed in it, and that’s what football is all about. It’s teaching life lessons, how to handle adversity, how to deal with it, and push forward. Congrats to them. It’s pretty special.”
Baker Mayfield’s decision to give back to his community made a massive impact in the lives of players, coaches, and families of the Space Coast Vipers.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
