The Heisman trophy is one of the most prestigious awards a college football player can receive so how does one top that? How about a statue?
Oklahoma announced the statue dedication ceremony for alum and 2017 Heisman winner Baker Mayfield will occur during half-time of the spring game, something the NFL quarterback approves of.
He tweeted: “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this tremendous honor than alongside my family, teammates and Sooner Nation. It took all of us, so to be back on Owen Field and have this statue unveiled there is incredible. See you at the Spring Game! #PackThePalace”
The spring game is slated for Saturday, April 23 at 4 p.m. ET.
The quarterback became the sixth (of seven) Sooners star to win the Heisman Trophy, passing for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns while leading Oklahoma to a Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff that campaign.
Mayfield was selected as No. 1 in the 2018 NFL draft by the Browns, a franchise he stayed with for four seasons and is on the way out after Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson.
The Watson-Browns blockbuster trade followed days of drama involving Mayfield and the franchise. During their pursuit of the former Texans quarterback, Mayfield posted a letter to social media on March 15 thanking Cleveland and their fans on the same day the franchise met with the former Texans’ quarterback. The next day, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said the Browns were looking for “an adult” to fill the quarterback role, signaling that a breakup was imminent.
But then, the Watson trade talks hit what looked like a snag at the time. Cleveland was told it was out of the running. Mayfield then requested a trade from the Browns, which Cleveland was not willing to accommodate at the time. Then, a day later, news broke about Watson, who still faces 22 active civil lawsuits that detail graphic accounts of sexual harassment and sexual assault, joining the Browns.
It was later reported after the deal that Mayfield had “no intention” on playing with Cleveland in the 2022 campaign, even looking to sit out of minicamp and training camp until he was traded.
The MMQB‘s Albert Breer reported that the franchise is seeking a first round pick in exchange for Mayfield. The quarterback is on a team-friendly fifth-year option, set to earn $18.8 million entering 2022.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the NFL annual meetings Tuesday he regrets how the trade took place. He said he was forthright with Mayfield’s team that they would be looking at other quarterbacks when they spoke at the NFL combine, but didn’t tell him beforehand that the team would be meeting with Watson on March 15.
The organization has still not traded Mayfield to another team, and part of the potential reason why Mayfield hasn’t been traded yet is suspected to be the quarterback’s salary for his fifth year in the league.
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