Baker Mayfield Fires Back at Noted Critic Mark Schlereth
By Erik Lambert
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has likely made himself a lot of money with his 2017 performace to this point, and he’s earned it.
The guy has endured a lot of criticism over the past couple years but now he’s in the running for the Heisman trophy, the best quarterback in college football and has his team in position to play for a national championship. What else does the guy have to do to get respect? He’s thrown for over 14,000 yards, 129 touchdowns and just 29 interceptions for one of the top programs in the country. It can’t be just because he plays in a spread offense, right?
Well it seems certain NFL traditionalists are just aching to take their shots at him. Some target the offense, others his size and raw footwork within the pocket. They believe he’s another Johnny Manziel. An athletic kid with plenty of confidence who will never learn to play the game the “right” way. Among those outspoken critics is former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Mark Schlereth. Few are more vicious when it comes to QBs than him and Mayfield was a favorite target with a recent comment on Twitter.
Schlereth believes Mayfield is another college star with few NFL hopes
The Heisman? Please that’s a garbage award. Who was the last Heisman QB to be worth a 💩in the NFL? Get lost OU fan boy. https://t.co/Lu5iEvnvj5
— Mark Schlereth (@markschlereth) December 29, 2017
Of course people tend to forget that Mayfield never backs down from his critics. If anything he’s ready and willing to take them on. Few players in the game carry a bigger chip on their shoulder than he does. True to form he caught wind of what Schlereth said, no doubt tipped off by angry OU fans. His response was equal parts subtle and brilliant.
You got it big fella! At least tag me in all your stuff.
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) December 29, 2017
Next: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Needless to say the response on Twitter was explosive from fans. The fact that Schlereth never responded to the rebuke from Mayfield spoke volumes about his character in this situation. Will Mayfield end up being a success in the NFL? That’s impossible to know at this point. Yet to say he’ll be a failure because he won the Heisman trophy? That’s the epitome of short-sighted stupidity. Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Cam Newton, and Carson Palmer all won it. They’ve had success at the pro level.
Why can’t he?