As expected, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield was named the winner of the 2017 Heisman Trophy signifying college football’s best player. Because of his on and off-field behavior, Mayfield is one of the more controversial winners of the award.
Quarterbacks are over-valued in the NFL draft process and many general managers and coaches are desperate for a quality signal caller. Therefore, despite size and character concerns, I feel Mayfield will be a first round selection.
https://youtu.be/qBL9iKC5H8c
The following are 10 Leadership Quotes From Baker Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy Speech I captured from ESPN’s telecast. Comments from others are included as well as additional leadership quotes from ESPN College Gameday and Sports Illustrated features on Mayfield..
- “Stat wise Lamar Jackson will go down as the best football all-around quarterback, player to ever play the game. Ever.” – Lee Corso
- “I don’t know if I’ve seen a player where the defense, the coaches, the entire offense feed off his energy… Watch how he wills his team.” – Kirk Herbstreit on Mayfield
- “I just try to stay humble.” – Jackson
- “I see myself as a quarterback (in the NFL)… I’ve always been a quarterback. I’ve never played another position.” – Jackson
- “That is what I do is play football but I feel like just being able to contribute to the world and being there to take care of others would be amazing.” – Stanford running back Bryce Love
- “It takes a village to raise a young man like this… We really tried to keep it positive with him and he was great at setting goals.” – Chris Love, Bryce’s father
- “Injuries are part of the game and you ultimately have to push through them.” – Love
- “No one who has ever won the Heisman Trophy began his career as a walk-on.” – Chris Fowler referring to Mayfield
- “There something’s to be said for having to earn it.” – Mayfield
- “I’ve apologized for mistakes and learned from it. I’m moving forward.” – Mayfield
- “I don’t have it all figured out.” – Mayfield
- “God has put me in a position to be so blessed.” -Mayfield
- “The thing I’m most thankful for is you hiring Coach (Lincoln) Riley.” – Mayfield to former head coach Bob Stoops
- “To the kids out there, don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” – Mayfield
ESPN College Gameday, December 4th
- Leaders Do Not Always Determine The Type Of Legacy They Will Leave – “I want my legacy to be inspirational, motivating for kids… keep on fighting. Never give up on your dreams.” – Mayfield
Sports Illustrated, December 4th
- Successful Leaders Must Thrive In Hostile Environments – “I think I was truly born to thrive in hostile environments. I find it fun to have a little back-and-forth conversation with the opposing fan base.” – Mayfield
- The First Responsibility Of Leadership Is To Properly Evaluate Reality – “That’s who I am, an emotional guy, a fiery guy, always played with an edge. The coaches that are here with me, they love it, cause they know that’s when I’m at my best. I would never say I take it over the top.” – Mayfield
- Most Successful Leaders Always Feel They Have Something To Prove – “They (Texas A&M) saw that I was the size I was, and I could tell that they were not interested at all. They looked at me like I didn’t deserve to be there. It was a slap in the face.” – Mayfield
- Successful Leaders Have Strong People Skills – “He’s made real friends with almost everyone here.” – Sooners teammate Jaxon Uhles
- Successful Leaders Have Proper Perspective – “He’s hardheaded in a lot of ways. And he’s very comfortable in his own skin. And sometimes that can lead you to not having perspective, not really looking at a situation, and maybe not handling it the best way.” – Oklahoma Sooners head coach Mike Riley
- Successful Leaders Are Special – “No matter how long I go on coaching, whatever the rest of my career ends up being like, I don’t know that I’ll ever have a player that’s as special to me as he is… He’s the best football player in America. He’s got a great heart that a lot of people don’t get to see like I do, and I’m proud as hell to be his coach.” – Coach Riley
What is one lesson you can learn from Baker Mayfield which will make you a better leader?
To receive more leadership insights from Head Coach Nick Saban, click HERE or on the image to the left for my new ebook The Leadership Of Nick Saban: Timeless Truths From The Incomparable Head Coach Of The Alabama Crimson Tide. Enjoy!