Space Coast High School in the Port St. John community in Cocoa, Fla., almost didn't have a football season this year. I think it's safe to say that morale was pretty low for the Vipers, who only won 14 total games between 2018 and 2023. In an effort to turn things around this year, the school rehired former head coach Jake Owens. As soon as he took the job, he realized something wasn't right: the team's equipment was in pretty bad shape, according to the sports site On3.
Word of the bad equipment spread, and parents of the team members began looking for solutions. One reached out to the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation. Created by NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield and his wife, Emily, the foundation's mission statement says: "With a focus on resilience and a spirit of support, our nonprofit provides programs, scholarships, and philanthropic opportunities to help others tackle life's challenges in order to be the best version of themselves."
According to Sports Illustrated, when Mayfield heard the team may not even get to play this year due to their lack of quality equipment, he wanted to help. So he donated $17,900. Not only did the team get the new equipment it needed, including proper helmets, but the donation really helped boost morale in the locker room. After having a 1-8 season in 2023, the Vipers turned things around this year, winning a whopping 10 games and having the best season in the history of the program.
But that's not all. The team made it to the postseason and went on to win the 2024 SSAA Atlantic 1A state championship last week. Coach Owens called it a "team effort," according to Florida Today. "I'm just so happy for our players and our coaches that have worked so hard and this Port St. John community, they have wanted this for a very long time," he said.
Mayfield, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was asked about the donation that prompted the record-setting season for the Vipers. His response was nothing short of "classy," as Sports Illustrated put it. "I mean, I got chills thinking about it. It's just a cool story. I've got an unbelievable platform, being able to give back," he told a reporter. The same reporter told him that the Space Coast football players get together every Sunday and bond over watching Mayfield and the Buccaneers play football.
Baker Mayfield donated $17,900 to a Texas high school team that needed the equipment to play their games… They just went on to win the state championship
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 21, 2024
Some things
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Austin, Texas native Mayfield played college football at Texas Tech and the University of Oklahoma before becoming the number one pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was also the winner of the 2017 Heisman Trophy. Throughout his professional career, he's played for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When he's not playing football, he and his wife Emily run their charitable organization together. They're also the parents of a baby girl who was born in April of this year.
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