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University of Oklahoma Athletics
21 Questions With Baker Mayfield
April 15, 2016 | Football
NORMAN — Just two days after the Oklahoma football team held its final 2016 spring practice, Baker Mayfield celebrated his 21st birthday on Thursday. So naturally, our gift to him was sitting him down and asking 21 all-encompassing questions (plus some follow-ups) for this exclusive SoonerSports.com feature.
The 2015 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Sporting News National Player of the Year, Mayfield quarterbacked the Sooners to the Big 12 title and College Football Playoff last year. What are his thoughts on the team now that his third OU spring season is in the books? Who are his picks for breakout players this coming season? Who is his favorite OU football player of all-time? What one play would he like to have back from last season? Those are just a few of the topics we asked him about, and Mayfield had some interesting answers to several non-football questions, as well, in this revealing Q&A. Consider it a present from Baker to you.
Question 1: You just finished your third spring football season since transferring to OU. What was different about this one for you?
Answer: "I think I had a level of comfort, being settled in and knowing that I don't have to prove anything to anyone here, only to myself. So it's about working on my own game. I'm comfortable with who I am and what people around here think of me. So this spring has been about getting better and working on my game."
2. What is your football focus going to be from now until the start of August camp?
"Obviously, summer workouts will be important for getting your body right, but also in summer and closer to camp I'll be looking at film, keep looking at run-game checks so I can put our guys up front and the running backs in the best spots to make good plays and help us win. I think a big thing for us is finding one-on-one opportunities outside to get our guys the ball."
3. Barring something unforeseen, your back-up next year is going to be Austin Kendall, a true freshman. What's your assessment of him now that spring ball is done?
"He came in as one of the most natural throwers I've ever seen. He throws a very pretty spiral. He is obviously very talented; that's why he's here and why he got recruited. But his growth and how fast it has happened has been great to see. He was 17 when he got here and now he's controlling the offense. He knows a lot more about how to control a huddle and be a leader. I couldn't be more happy about how fast he's progressed. He's still learning and that's why you call him a young quarterback and a true freshman. But whenever he gets out on the field next year, it won't look like it. It'll be his time to shine and he'll be fine out there."
4. Texas A&M transfer Kyler Murray is a somewhat different type of quarterback. What are your impressions after watching him in practice the last month?
"He's a natural athlete. He's another guy I'd say is a natural thrower, the way he spins the ball. You can tell he's played baseball. But he's progressed well, too, transitioning to this offense even though he might have run a similar one at A&M. You can tell he's had game experience. The guys in the huddle respect him and listen. And our receivers like him. He runs around and makes scrambling plays for them. He's exciting to watch and I'm excited to see him in the future."
5. You lost two starters on the offensive line -- right guard Nila Kasitati and center Ty Darlington. What are your thoughts on the line for next season?
"Losing Ty is big. Ty knows what he's doing wherever he is; doesn't matter if it's football or not. (Left guard) Jonathan Alvarez was kind of our backup center last year; it's just that we got lucky that Ty really didn't get hurt. Now that Alvy is moving over permanently to center, he's done a great job adjusting. He's learned more about what it takes to be a center and all the calls to put us in a better spot. And that was kind of the biggest thing that could potentially be a drop-off when you lose a guy like Ty. But there hasn't really been a drop-off. Alvy's picked up the slack.
"Replacing Nila will be tough, too, but we got guys like Orlando (Brown) and Dru (Samia) a whole season of playing time last year as freshmen, so they're just going to get better. I'm pretty excited about our younger O-line. They're playing well and we're going to have some depth."
Mayfield says Jonathan Alvarez, who spent the majority of last season at left guard, has adjusted extremely well to the center position as he replaces first-team All-Big 12 pick Ty Darlington.
6. Your favorite target last year, Sterling Shepard, is moving on to the NFL and will be a high draft pick later this month. What do you tell anyone who is worried about replacing him next season?
"I don't think they need to be worried. Obviously, losing a guy like Shep is going to hurt because he's such a good player. But we have young guys who are very talented and are going to make some plays. I think we're going to be more evenly distributed, so other teams aren't going to be able to key in on one certain thing or lock us down in one aspect. I think we're going to have more weapons overall."
Follow-up: Do you see some of the younger receivers stepping up?
"Yeah. One who immediately comes to mind is (Penn State graduate transfer) Geno Lewis, who isn't young but is new around here. But some of our bigger, younger guys like Jeffery Mead, A.D. Miller and Dahu Green I think will be big parts of our game. And on the inside, Mark Andrews is going to have a bigger role now that Sterling is gone."
7. Who are one or two defensive guys you think are going to surprise people?
"Obo (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo). Obo is going to make a lot of plays. He's kind of gotten overshadowed because we had Eric Striker and Devante Bond on the outside, but he's going to make some plays. On the inside, Jordan Evans is going to get a lot more recognition. And I think some of our younger players are going to make a lot of plays. Then on the front line, Charles Walker and Matt Romar will kind of provide the leadership."
Follow-up: But as far as guys like Obo who haven't had as much opportunity, who are some you think could have a positive impact?
"Tay Evans. He and Curtis Bolton at inside linebacker. Will Johnson played quite a bit last year and made a lot of plays, but I think he's going to have an even bigger role. And Matt Romar is going to see a lot more plays."
8. What was your favorite moment last season?
"I'd say the times in the locker room after big wins, just being in there celebrating and goofing around, enjoying the success we had. Getting some meaningful hugs with Coach Stoops or guys like Shep and Ty and Nila. Little things like that are important to look back on as far as the memories you make."
9. Is there one play you wish you could have back?
"I would like to have back one of my interceptions against Clemson. If I could take them both back I would, but if I can only pick one I'm going with the first one. It was a dumb mistake that I don't usually make. We had a good drive going. And who knows? If I would have taken care of the ball on that drive maybe the outcome would have been different. But I can't do anything about that anymore and right now it's just about correcting the mistake so it doesn't happen again.
10. Who's your favorite OU football player of all-time?
"Oh, man. That's really tough. Can I pick three? Because I'd have to go with Quentin Griffin, Mark Clayton and Antonio Perkins. I went to the game when Antonio broke the record for punt return yards against UCLA and that was fun to watch. And I would always run around in my Quentin Griffin jersey when I was a kid. Back in those days I thought I was a running back, but then everyone caught up to me and passed me. I remember his six-touchdown game against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Those guys were always fun to watch. And you mix a guy like Mark Clayton in there — I thought I was a receiver, too. They all made me think I was more of an athlete than I really was."
Quentin Griffin, who scored six TDs against Mayfield's hometown Texas Longhorns in 2000, is one of the QB's three favorite all-time Sooners.
11. You've shown a lot of love on social media for the OU men's basketball team and specifically for Buddy Hield. How would you describe Buddy and your relationship?
"Oh, Buddy. Buddy's exactly how he seems to be on TV. He seems like a very genuine person and a real competitor, and that's exactly who he is. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met and he could so easily be the exact opposite of that. With the talent he has and the recognition and awards he's gotten, he could easily have a huge head. But he's very humble. And I love that. To see a guy have that much success and with how hard he works — his offseason was a ton of work and he trained hard and put on some muscle — that's why you do it. And he represents his home country and he works very hard for his family and the people who love him.
"As far as our relationship, it's been great. Even before he started getting recognized nationally he called me 'Big Time' and I called him 'Big Time' right back. It's been fun to see him blow up and have success. I enjoyed going to games and watching him stun the crowd and do the things that I know he's capable of. I'm a little envious of his basketball skills."
12. What team do you want him to wind up with next season?
"I would like to see him end up with the Thunder so I can go catch him at some games, but wherever he goes he'll make a difference for that team."
13. What other sports did you play growing up? Did you hoop?
"I'm a terrible basketball player. Baseball is my other sport. That was my first love. I was a pretty good player and right now I'm missing it a lot. I like to go watch our baseball games and see how Cody (Thomas) does and all our other guys. They're enjoying some success right now and are on a little hot streak. I like the Texas Rangers a lot. I think if I could, I would go try out. But I'm a little busy right now."
Follow-up: What position or positions did you play?
"In high school, I was the only junior to start in the field and the only spot that was open was first base. So they put me over there because I could hit. And that was fine with me, as long as I was in the lineup. Growing up, I played all over the infield. My main spots were shortstop and third base. But if you put me in the lineup, I'll do anything — DH or whatever — to get a couple of plate appearances."
Mayfield claims his first love was baseball. He also says that if he wasn't so busy as a student and quarterback, he might look to try out with the Texas Rangers.
14. If you could go back and observe any sporting event ever, which would you pick?
"That is a tough, tough question. Man. I would like to have seen Nolan Ryan beat up Robin Ventura when Ventura charged the mound. I used to have a plaque that had a picture of Nolan punching Ventura while he had him in a headlock, and another picture of him pitching afterward with his jersey all bloody.
Follow-up: Wait. Of all the sporting events that have taken place, that's the one you pick?
"Hey, you don't see a pitcher beat somebody up every day. That was impressive. I think the message there is, 'Don't bite off more than you can chew.'
"That, and being able to witness Cal-Stanford would have been cool."
15. What about a non-sporting event?
"Hmmm. I'm still dying to go to a Justin Timberlake concert. Probably from his last album, 'The 20/20 Experience.' I'm dead serious. I mean, you're catching me off guard with these on the spot, and that's the No. 1 thing that immediately comes to mind. If I had to think about it a little more, I might go with something like watching the first person climb Mount Everest or the moon mission when we stepped on it the first time."
16. OK, back to football. What's your favorite attribute about Coach Stoops?
"It's tough to put an exact word on it, but just his leadership and the way he carries himself. When he walks into a room, or into a huddle or to the middle of the team, you sense it even before he says anything. You'll notice the guys get quiet and start acting right if they weren't doing so before. It's a matter of respect in the way he carries himself. But he's also a guy you can talk to about anything. He's a big-time head coach but he does a great job of relating to his players and talking to us."
17. The most common name among the media and public for Lincoln's Riley's offense has been 'Air Raid.' Is that appropriate? If not, what name would you give it?
"People call it 'Air Raid,' but that's not really appropriate. It probably was when he was at Texas Tech and East Carolina. He had a four- and five-wide set every play. That's not the case now, and that's why he's such a good coordinator; he's adapted to his personnel. When you have the running backs like we do, and bigger guys like Mark Andrews and Dimitri Flowers who are also athletic, I mean he does a great job of changing the formation and changing the offensive scheme week to week based on how we're playing.
"As far as a name? I'd probably go with 'Exciting and Explosive,' especially with the athletes we have. You get the ball in their hands and they're capable of breaking a quick one and making a big play out of it, even if it's just a five-yard completion.
"What I like most about his offense is that it's very quarterback-friendly. He gives me all the freedom in the world to check and put us in the best spot. I like that, because I'm the one out there who sees it. He tells me that all the time: 'If you don't like something, check out of it.' That probably happens about 10 times a game or so."
18. Last year's seniors got to design the team's Big 12 championship rings. How do you grade their work?
"Hey, I was involved in that process too, you know. Obviously they had the final say with minor details, and I think they did a great job. My favorite part is on one of the sides where it has your name, your number and the state of Oklahoma; there's a red diamond where Norman is. That was the big thing for us and the best decision we made."
19. Is there a game on next year's schedule that you are most looking forward to?
"Our schedule is pretty exciting. Both of my parents went to the University of Houston, so it'll be fun to play the Cougars. Growing up, I heard my mom and dad do the fight song I don't know how many times. Not recently, thankfully. That'll be fun. Playing a program the caliber of Ohio State will be really fun here in Norman. And Texas. That's one I have marked on my schedule after not playing the way we should have against them last year. The Red River game is always exciting and it's got a little more on it this year."
20. You're cooking dinner for three teammates. What are you making and who are you inviting?
"I think the best thing I cook is breakfast, because it's the easiest. But I might have to go with my mom's recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. It's REALLY good. Who would I invite? Well, I have to start with Jaxon (Uhles), my roommate; I have to stay loyal and true. Then I'm going to feed Dede (Westbrook) so he gains some weight and can catch more passes. And then I've got to bring Jordan Evans over to get him motivated to play some more defense for me next season."
21. How many times a year do you get your hair cut?
"Last year I got it cut maybe four times. The last time I got it cut last year was in April and then I didn't get it cut again until after the Orange Bowl. By that time I just felt like I needed something new. I was kind of annoyed with it by then, but it was more of just a mojo thing. The Orange Bowl was the final straw. After that, I had to cut it off. I don't know when I'll get it cut again. We've been looking good as a team, so you never know — I might just keep it going."
Follow-up: Any plans for breaking out the Fu Manchu mustache again next season with the other QBs?
"Oh, of course. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'm saving that just for Bedlam again. My problem now is I have to get Austin Kendall to grow one. I don't know if he or Kyler can do it. I know Reece (Clark) and Connor (McGinnis) can't. It's just going to be a struggle. I'll have to get somebody else to do it with me. Connor Knight grows a fantastic beard. Some of our guys can probably grow a beard or a mustache, but they have problems getting them to connect. I would say Jaxon, but he can't connect it. He'd just have to rock the mustache. I would like to see Alvarez grow it out. That could be special."
Mayfield and his fellow OU quarterbacks donned elegant mustaches for last year's Bedlam game in Stillwater, a 58-23 Big 12-clinching Sooners victory.
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