Shepard vouches for ex-teammate Mayfield
Sterling Shepard won’t be at the Heisman Trophy ceremony Saturday, but he has no doubt who will come away with the award: former Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield.
“He’s gonna win,” the Giants wide receiver said Friday. “Ain’t no ifs ands or buts about it. He’d better win. If he doesn’t, something’s rigged.”
The controversial quarterback almost certainly has had the best season, but he has drawn unwanted attention both on and off the field.
In February, he was arrested on public intoxication charges in Arkansas. Last month, he gained notoriety when he was caught on camera during a win over Kansas making an obscene gesture toward the opposing sideline. The incident came after several Jayhawks players refused to shake his hand before the game then hit with him with a cheap shot during the game.
Shepard said despite the criti- cism, Mayfield’s on-field demeanor is part of what makes him successful.
“That’s how he’s always been and to be honest,” Shepard said. “I wouldn’t want to play with him if he wasn’t like that. That’s what gets everybody else excited. It shows that he has passion, and it affects everyone around him. If he doesn’t have that, then people are robbing him of what he his. That’s a huge part of him, and he’s got to keep doing what he’s got to do to keep that fire. People hate on it, but I love it.”
Shepard, in his second year out of Oklahoma, also has been impressed with the strides Mayfield has made as a quarterback.
“I haven’t been gone that long, and to see how far he’s come is unbelievable,” Shepard said. “The things he said he wanted to work on, he’s worked on, and it’s made him even better. He wanted to become a better pocket passer, and he’s done just that. He can still make plays with his feet.”
Shepard said that combination will make Mayfield a good quarterback in the NFL.
The 22-year-old Mayfield is considered by many to be the fourthbest quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft, behind UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.