Baker Mayfield leaves Senior Bowl at halftime because of family issue
Perhaps no one wanted to impress NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl more than Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Although Mayfield became the sixth Sooner to win the Heisman Trophy, many NFL scouts remain skeptical of the 6-foot-1 senior because of his stature as well as his questionable behavior during games.
Two particular incidents were when he grabbed his crotch and shouted a few choice words toward the Kansas Jayhawks, and when he planted the OU flag at the 50-yard line of Ohio State’s field after a Sooners blowout.
One of the things Mayfield said he wanted to show NFL teams at the Senior Bowl is who he truly is.
“I want to prove the type of person I am,” Mayfield said. “There’s a media portrayal of me and there are the people in the program who know who I am.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of a chance to do that during Saturday’s game.
Mayfield arrived at the Senior Bowl late because his mother, Gina, was in the hospital with an undisclosed illness, according to NBC Sports’ Kevin McGuire.
He received little playing time before leaving the game altogether to support his mom.
Baker Mayfield has apparently left the @SeniorBowl stadium entirely. #SeniorBowl
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) January 27, 2018
His mom is sick. Is that important enough? https://t.co/cV6iEMLbYq
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) January 27, 2018
Mayfield went completed 3-of-7 passes for just 9 yards before leaving to attend to his mother.
On Tuesday, he had told reporters he might not be able to stay for the entire week or participate in Senior Bowl game itself because of his mother’s health issue.
“Family comes first,” he said.
Mayfield didn’t get much of a chance to impress NFL scouts during the game, but he may have settled questions about his character in the week leading up to it.
The Cleveland Browns, who possess the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, were just one of the teams impressed with Mayfield’s showing and attitude this week.
“He’s done well,” Browns General Manager John Dorsey told Cleveland.com. “Again, he’s one of those guys that’s so competitive that he’s passed the test here.”
The former walk-on did exactly what he set out to do in the Senior Bowl: impress scouts and show his true character.
Gina Mayfield’s condition is undisclosed, but we wish her all the best and a speedy recovery.
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