Baker Mayfield again delivers out of pocket, for a needy high school

TAMPA, Fla. — If Sunday’s win at Detroit is any sign, Baker Mayfield has made a pretty nice career of leading his teams to triumph by sheer force of will.

The Space Coast Junior/Senior High Vipers can attest firsthand to that force — and its philanthropic nature.

Count them as the latest team to be elevated by Mayfield’s heart. The nonprofit foundation run by the Bucs quarterback and his wife, Emily, recently made a $17,900 donation to the Vipers to pay for new helmets and pads. The team responded with a four-minute video in which Vipers coach Jake Owens and several players thanked the couple.

“It’s tough finding money right now, and we had a parent reach out to the Baker and Emily foundation to possibly support our football team here at Space Coast,” Owens said in the video. “And they were generous enough to reach back out to us and tell us that they were going to sponsor the Space Coast Vipers this year.

“So, thank you guys very much. On behalf of the Vipers, we look forward to making you guys proud this year and going out and carrying all of that onto the football field.”

The donation comes in the wake of the foundation’s first event, a tournament and dinner at Topgolf Tampa to benefit early childhood literacy and “level the playing field” for area youth aided by the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County.

“One of our biggest mottos is, level the playing field for everybody,” Mayfield said Wednesday. “And hearing that kids didn’t have a chance to go play football, a game that I’m so in love with, just giving that opportunity is something that was not really a hesitation at all.”

The Vipers, 1-8 last season, are 3-2 this year, with one of the defeats coming in overtime.

“This game teaches you so much about life, the challenges, adversity, time responsibility, accountability, all that,” Mayfield said. “So just to be able to provide equipment so guys get that opportunity, it’s a great feeling.”