Baker Mayfield has led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 2-0 start, throwing five touchdown passes in wins over Washington and Detroit.
Off the field, Mayfield is also making big things happen. The Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation recently donated nearly $18,000 to the
Space Coast (Cocoa, Fla.) football program
according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Jake Owens took over the program in February. The players needed new equipment, including new helmets.
"It's tough finding money right now, and we had a parent reach out to the Baker and Emily foundation to possibly support our football team here at Space Coast," Owens said in a video posted on the
foundation's website. "And they were generous enough to reach back out to us and tell us that they were going to sponsor the Space Coast Vipers this year."
The Space Coast football program benefited from a nearly $18,000 donation from Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield's foundation. The money helped the Vipers purchase helmets and shoulder pads. (Photo: Eugene Alonzo)
The Vipers are 3-2 this season, including a tough 20-19 overtime loss to Astronaut (Titusville) last week.
Mayfield said the donation was a way of giving back to a game he loves.
"This game teaches you so much about life, the challenges, adversity, time responsibility, accountability, all that," Mayfield told
the Tampa Bay Times. "So just to be able to provide equipment so guys get that opportunity, it's a great feeling."
The Buccaneers quarterback had a storied high school career at
Lake Travis (Austin, Texas). He was 25-2 as a starter and led the Cavaliers to a state title as a junior while throwing for 3,788 yards and 45 touchdowns. A dual-threat quarterback, he added 754 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Mayfield was the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma after throwing for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns. He was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2018 by the Cleveland Browns and played one season with the Los Angeles Rams before landing in Tampa Bay last season.
