In Others' Words: Baker4Heisman

Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield made a name for himself late last season, dancing his way to Internet fame. Now the world has awakened to a talent that far outpaces his shimmy — playing football. Mayfield has led the Sooners to a 9-1 record and has played himself into the middle of the Heisman Trophy race. Here's what others are saying about Shake 'N Bake.

THE TEAM

Head Coach Bob Stoops

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"There's something special about him. He just has that tenacity, that toughness, that competitiveness and talent. A bunch of coaches missed the talent. He's got an incredible arm. He has a great ability to be athletic out of the pocket when he doesn't look to be that athletic. If you timed him in the 40, you probably wouldn't think he was that athletic. But he just finds a way."

Senior Outside linebacker eric striker

"Did you see the play where he broke all those tackles? I don't think he made much of a gain, but geez, he made it outta there. You rarely see that. You see different things from great quarterbacks, but that was a little something different."

Freshman offensive tackle DrU SAMIA

"He's just, I think 'competitor' is the best word for him. He will never go down. You think a quarterback's going to slide, but he will only slide if he needs the clock to run. You think a play's done, but he will go until he gets every last inch. So he's definitely a competitor. There's no other word for him."

Junior Wide receiver dede westbrook

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"You could say that he's a football player more than a quarterback, but don't take that quarterback credibility away from him. If you try to contain him and have him sit back there, he can thread needles all day long. He's a heck of a passer. He can kill you both with the run and with his throwing ability, so don't take either one of them for granted."

Senior wide receiver durron neal

"His will to win is great. It's contagious and guys feed off of it. Just the passion, whether he makes a bad play or a good play, is always at 100 percent. You want to play with a guy like that any time because he has the same desire and passion as you've got. I'm not the type of person to get all excited — I'm always like the calm one — but when you see a guy with that much passion when he makes a big play, when he throws a touchdown or makes a big run, he shows his emotions. And playing with a guy like that, it gets you fired up inside. And he keeps it the whole game. He's a warrior."

offensive coordinator lincoln riley

"Great players not only do their job well but they make others around them better, and they take everybody else to a different level. There's no question he's a leader. He pushes these guys. He's vocal, but they definitely go more by how he carries himself, how he plays, how he works, the passion he brings. It's been incredibly valuable for this team. And he's never afraid to make that big play, like pulling the ball at the goal line against Tennessee on fourth down. He's not afraid to do it in the biggest stages in the biggest moments. The team, the coaches — everybody around him — has confidence that he will do it when he gets those opportunities."

SENior Defensive end charles tapper

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"Every game he makes an exceptional play. The Baylor game on the last play when he threw the ball to Meech (Dimitri Flowers), it was like his life story. He just kept grinding and trying to find a way to get it in. When he made that play, we were just like, 'Wow.' But that's just the Baker we know. We see him do it every day. It's not even that amazing to us anymore because we see it so much."

junior quarterback trevor knight

"'Bake' should win the Heisman because he's been the most consistent guy all year on and off the field. The way he prepares, and obviously the way he plays, is second to none. I love getting to compete with the guy every day and sitting in the meeting room with him because he does things the right way. He has a fire about him and an energy that's unmatched. Guys just gravitate to him on the field. I think it's just his relentless effort and relentlessness on the field. You can't match it. He's a competitor, he's a player and you love playing with guys like that."

senior wide receiver sterling shepard

"He just has a knack for making big plays. Dude doesn't know anything else but making big plays. He's a competitor. He impresses me all the time. The Baylor game when he moved around for a little while then threw a TD to Dimitri (Flowers), that was pretty amazing. Shoot, every one he throws to me is amazing."

Senior center ty darlington

On Baker and the Heisman Trophy

"He's the absolute embodiment of the (Heisman) award. He's an outstanding football player; not just an outstanding quarterback, an outstanding football player. He makes whatever play needs to be made at any time. He's out there playing with the mentality of a running back or a linebacker. He's not afraid of anybody. He's not just a leader because he's the quarterback, he's a leader because it's his presence and the way he carries himself. He's the X factor on the field. He's the most outstanding player on the field at all times."

On Baker's Toughness

"The thing people don't realize about him is how tough he is. The quarterback sometimes get the bad rap for being a pretty-boy, but he's the farthest thing from it. He really is a tough dude. That stuff you can't really see on the TV screen. So many times you see him get up and you see the blood stream down his leg or arm and you see him gritting his teeth and how much pain he's in. You see the unwillingness to quit in his eyes and his relentlessness. He has the will to push us to victory."

THE MEDIA

KIRK HERBSTREIT, ESPN

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“What doesn't show up, they feed off of him. That is the difference; the intangibles, the heart, the fire. Again, I have not seen an Oklahoma quarterback in a long time that had such an impact on his team. So it's not just putting his stats next to these others. It's what he does for this team and how they feed off his energy.”

“We've seen the recognition. He's made great throws. I have been blown away to see his arm strength in person. And of course he has what it takes to be able to improvise, to create, the mobility to keep a play alive, the ability to extend plays.”

Jake Trotter, ESPN.com

"On the way to capping Oklahoma's most dramatic fourth-quarter comeback in more than three decades, quarterback Baker Mayfield felt his pocket collapsing. He somehow escaped, somehow stumbled out of a tackle and somehow while falling back fired a pass into the chest of Sterling Shepard to convert a third down. In recent years and especially over the offseason, the Sooners have been frustratingly wondering, searching for the identity that would catapult them back to national prominence. On the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Oklahoma may have finally unearthed it. It wasn't to be found in the reinstallation of the air raid or defensive scheme changes; or in alternate uniform options or catchy Twitter hashtags. Instead, Saturday night in a 31-24 double-overtime victory over Tennessee, the Sooners discovered a calling card that could serve them well for the rest of the season, and beyond: a collective toughness derived out of a tough-minded quarterback."

– Oklahoma Rediscovers Identity Through Tough-Minded QB Baker Mayfield, Sept. 14, 2015

IVAN MAISEL, ESPN.com

"To refresh your memory, Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech and won Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2013. He left Lubbock and walked on at Oklahoma, the team he cheered for as a child, and two years later, he just might be the best quarterback in college football."

- Oklahoma's Win Over Baylor Returns Stoops, Sooners to Elite, Nov. 14, 2015

BRUCE FELDMAN, FoxSports.com

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"The star was OU's fearless quarterback Baker Mayfield, who shredded the Bears defense, going 24-of-34 for 270 yards passing to go with 76 yards rushing and four total TDs, vaulting him into the thick of the Heisman race. The Texas Tech transfer evaded tacklers, hung in the pocket unfazed and delivered on-the-money passes when he knew he was just about to get clobbered."

- How Oklahoma Created One of the Nation's Fiercest Offenses, Nov. 15, 2015

Bryan Fischer, bleacher report

"As he hopped up on one ankle after rolling to his right and being dragged down with a horse-collar tackle, clinging to a three-point lead, the walk-on signal-caller looked up first at the sky and then turned around and stared down at the 68 yards that lay ahead. He had the Bears right where he wanted them."

- Baker Mayfield the Playmaking Superstar Who Can Lead Oklahoma to Playoffs, Nov. 15, 2015

SOCIAL Buzz

"I have your Heisman Trophy winner... Baker Mayfield." – @dannykanell pic.twitter.com/9vHvRLV2uT
— Mike & Mike (@MikeAndMike) November 16, 2015

Left tonight's game in Waco VERY impressed with the OU Sooners! Team played with an edge and has a dangerous offense led by Baker Mayfield!!
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 15, 2015

If he's not there shouldn't be one. He's right dab in the middle of it. Kid is a BALLER!!! https://t.co/ct4mgteZte
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 15, 2015

Baker Mayfield... brings his own guts every time he takes a snap. Stud.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 15, 2015

Baker Mayfield's played himself into the Heisman race tonight if he wasn't on folks radar before this.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 15, 2015

Baker Mayfield just ate a sandwich, then threw a touchdown pass to Dmitri Flowers.
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) November 15, 2015

My Top 4 Heisman Candidates 1) Derrick Henry 2) Ezekiel Elliott 3) Baker Mayfield 4) Christian McCaffrey
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) November 16, 2015

Baker Mayfield was the No. 2-rated passer in the country coming into tonight & had his biggest game yet, capped by that wild TD pass.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 15, 2015

Baker Mayfield is so much fun to watch. Guy is so confident and fearless. Made a terrific throw there knowing he was about to get drilled.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 15, 2015

Baker Mayfield is incredible and tonight becomes a Heisman candidate off this performance. He keeps plays alive! Baylor is on the clock now.
— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) November 15, 2015

If OU holds on, Baker Mayfield will need to be part of every Heisman conversation. What a gutty performance #OUvsBAY
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) November 15, 2015

Baker Mayfield!!! With the Heisman moment!!
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) November 15, 2015

Baker Favre on his uncanny escapability. Might don Wranglers this week vs. TCU. https://t.co/2FJW9WiwHA pic.twitter.com/o2Uog14VID
— David Ubben (@davidubben) November 15, 2015

Reminds me of young Brett Favre at Southern Miss or early years with Packers. Team feeds off his energy! https://t.co/w5gCjOYvC0
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 17, 2015

Good luck trying to defend Baker Mayfield on the road in the fourth quarter. He lives for it.
— David Ubben (@davidubben) November 15, 2015

A takeaway from Oklahoma in Waco: the QB is a catalyst. Baker Mayfield can flat play, & a cool trait: When he scrambles, he never settles.
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) November 15, 2015