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"I've got chills thinking about it": Buccaneers' QB Baker Mayfield reflects on the Championship success of Florida High School football program
One act of kindness can change the world, which happened for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was ecstatic about the high school football team Space Coast Vipers’s triumph in the SSAA Atlantic 1A championship final.
Bayfield, who made a major donation to the Vipers via his Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation earlier this year, spoke at a media event on Wednesday about the high school program’s incredible turnaround in fortune to win their maiden state championship.
“I have chills when I think of it,” Baker Mayfield expressed. “All we did was give them some helmets they did the rest, they turned it around."
The Mayfield impact and the Vipers’ renaissance
In addition to his helmet contribution, Baker Mayfield joined the Space Coast Vipers for their team bonding sessions. These sessions included watch parties of NFL games with players and their families.
This fueled the players’ desire to improve, as they began the season with three wins and two defeats in their first five games. But after that, the real Vipers cameback began, as they won five of their next six games, including a blowout 68-0 win over First Academy.
A nervy 21-19 triumph over the Umatilla Bulldogs took the Space Coast Vipers to an impressive 9-3 record. The beautiful comeback was met with a memorable conclusion: The Vipers lifted their first State Championship title in history with a 21-14 win against the Bell Bulldogs.
Reflecting further on the Florida high school program’s miraculous journey, Baker Mayfield said how the team fought hard to push forward was “special.”
"They believed in it and that’s what football is all about — it teaches you life lessons how to handle adversity, how to deal with it and push forward so congrats to them. It’s pretty special,” Mayfield said.
“Needed someone to say - We are rooting for you”: Vipers coach Owens
Coach Jake Owens of the Vipers attests to Baker Mayfield’s significant influence on their victories.
Before the State Championship game on Nov. 15, Vipers coach Jake Owens appreciated the Buccaneers QB's transformational involvement.
"They (Space Coast Vipers) needed some guidance, some leadership, and someone to say, 'We're rooting for you,'" Owens said. "And now we're playing for a state championship. It's just an incredible story."
It was more than just a charitable gesture on the part of Baker Mayfield – it was a manifestation that there is more than what this team can give. It inspired the players to go the extra mile, believe in themselves, and wage a positive outcome.
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