Mayfield has been a Sooner fan for a long time

Published Aug. 28, 2015 5:23 p.m. ET

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More than a decade ago, former Oklahoma receiver Tinker Owens sent off a package to a family near Austin, Texas.

Inside the package were autographs from Tinker and his brother Steve, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma.

“It was pretty impressive that he'd do that for a couple of young OU fans who knew what Tinker and Steve meant to OU football,” the father of Mayfield said to The Oklahoman

Turns out those autographs went to Baker Mayfield, the new starting quarterback for the Sooners in 2015. Mayfield and his family had met Tinker Owens in Norman before a game in 2004 against Oregon and the families have been friends since.

Mayfield was a big OU fan as a kid and would come to games and wear an OU jersey. Check out this picture of him wearing a Quenitin Griffin, No. 22 jersey.

He walked on to the team before last season after leaving Texas Tech. Mayfield sat out the entire season last year and beat out Trevor Knight and Cody Thomas for the starting spot this year.

OU opens the season against Akron on Sept. 5.

(H/T The Oklahoman)