Baker Mayfield to be honored with statue at Oklahoma
Baker Mayfield might be coming off a disappointing 2021 season with the Cleveland Browns, but his impact on college football is about to become more solid than ever.
After beginning his career at Texas Tech, Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma in 2014 and dominated the sport with the Sooners. In his three years as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, Mayfield passed for 12,292 yards and 119 touchdowns, rushing for another 18 touchdowns.
His 2017 season was especially impressive, as he passed for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns, led the Sooners to a Big 12 Conference title and the College Football Playoff, and won the Heisman Trophy. The Browns then selected him with the top pick in the NFL Draft.
And now, Mayfield's excellence at Oklahoma will be forever commemorated with a statue in his honor.
The statue will be dedicated on April 23 following the Sooners' spring game, the university announced on Monday.
"I’m a Sooner for life and incredibly grateful for all of the success my teammates and I had at OU," Mayfield said in a statement. "It’s humbling and surreal to think about having a statue in iconic Heisman Park. I can’t wait to be back in Norman and reunite with the most passionate fans in college football."
Mayfield is one of seven players in Oklahoma history to win the Heisman. The Sooners already have statues of Heisman winners Billy Vessels, Steve Owens, Billy Sims, Jason White and Sam Bradford on display in Heisman Park across the street from Memorial Stadium. A school spokesman said a statue of 2018 Heisman winner Kyler Murray eventually will be added.
Mayfield's 33 wins as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma are the second-most in Oklahoma history, trailing only Landry Jones' 39 victories. He is also second all-time in program history in touchdown passes and passing yards.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
