Former Red Raider QB Baker Mayfield Among Best Walk-Ons in College Football History
Before he came one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL, Baker Mayfield was a walk-on for both the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Oklahoma Sooners. His success at both schools land him on NCAA.com's list of 17 of the most impactful walk-ons in college football history.
When Mayfield chose to walk-on for the Red Raiders, he did so ignoring scholarship offers from Washington State, Rice, New Mexico and Florida Atlantic. Rather, Mayfield bet on himself, advice that he got from his dad when choosing where to play.
"I easily could've gone to a place like Florida Atlantic, but my dad pushed me to realize that my dream was to play somewhere big," Mayfield told ESPN in 2016. "He was right."
Betting on himself worked out for Mayfield, as after stepping onto campus as Michael Brewer's backup he would get the chance to start the 2013 season opener after Brewer suffered an injury.
Mayfield would light up the SMU defense in his college debut, throwing for 413 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-23 blowout Red Raider victory. He completed 43-of-60 passes, breaking Billy Joe Tolliver's record. He's also thought to be the first walk-on true freshman in FBS history to start the first game of the regular season.
Following his initial season as a Red Raider, Mayfield would transfer to Oklahoma where he would once again compete as a walk-on. Despite being a walk-on for the Sooners, Mayfield went on to be one of the best quarterbacks in recent college football memory. He won the Heisman Trophy and led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns.
Whether Red Raider fans choose to claim Mayfield as a Red Raider is ultimately up to them, but his accomplishments place him squarely in the conversation for the best walk-on performer in college football history.
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.