NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – When University of Oklahoma alumna Stephenie Starkey saw her son’s high school football team struggle year after year, she often thought of one name: Baker Mayfield. Like her son’s team, the Space Coast Vipers, Mayfield – a 2017 OU alum – had faced constant doubt about his football abilities.
Starkey felt she had to do something. The Vipers were in rough shape: outdated equipment, low morale and little support. Inspired by Mayfield’s resilience, she contacted the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation – a move that changed everything.
In November, the Port St. John, Florida, Vipers won their first-ever state championship at the Sunshine State Athletic Association Atlantic 1A football playoffs, a dramatic turnaround for a team with only three wins in the past three years. The catalysts for success? A new head coach returning to his hometown after years away, the determination of 60 players – and a $17,900 donation from the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation, which provided 70 new Riddell SpeedFlex helmets and shoulder pads before the Fall 2024 season. The support helped drive the Vipers to a 10-3 record.
“This team’s story reminds me so much of Baker Mayfield’s,” said Starkey, a three-degree alumna of OU and a graduate of Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Oklahoma. “Baker’s career has been defined by overcoming doubt. Whether it was walking on at OU, winning the Heisman Trophy or proving himself in the NFL, he has always risen to the occasion. That is what our kids did. They faced ridicule yet kept playing. They believed in themselves and proved everyone wrong.”
In a viral video, Mayfield, now leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a standout 2024 NFL season, talked about the Viper’s achievements. “Every time I think about it, I get chills,” he said. “I have an unbelievable platform able to give back. They (Space Coast Vipers) were in a predicament of not having a season … all we did was get some helmets. They did the rest and they turned it around. They believed in it.
“That’s what football is all about. It will teach you life lessons, how to handle adversity and how to push forward,” Mayfield said.
The journey began with Starkey, one of only two members of the Vipers’ booster club, taking a chance. In June 2024, she wrote to the Mayfield Foundation hoping to support the team where her son Jacob, then a sophomore and starting outside linebacker, played.
“I thought, maybe there’s a connection here and maybe we could get some help,” Starkey said. “I have followed Baker’s career everywhere. I am a big fan. I was just hopeful that the Foundation might see the potential in these kids the same way Baker always believed in himself.”
Starkey’s gamble paid off. With new equipment boosting morale and performance, the Vipers went from underdogs to state champs. The team’s success galvanized the entire Port St. John community, with packed stands at “The Snake Pit” and local businesses displaying signs of support.
“This was the perfect storm,” Starkey said. “A new coach, incredible support from the Mayfield Foundation and kids who refused to give up. They proved that belief and determination can change everything.”
The story of the Vipers’ turnaround mirrors Mayfield’s journey. From being doubted as a walk-on at OU to becoming the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner and now a driving force in the NFL, Mayfield has consistently silenced critics.
“Baker’s support gave these kids credibility,” Starkey said. “If he believes in them, how can they not believe in themselves?”
Starkey finds herself thinking about the power of taking a chance. “This team was like the Bad News Bears of football,” she said. “But with the right support and belief, they proved anything is possible. And for that, we have Baker Mayfield to thank.”
About the alumni
Stephenie Starkey, J.D., earned a bachelor’s degree in both political science and Spanish from the University of Oklahoma in 1999. In 2003, she earned a law degree from OU. A native of Lawton, Oklahoma, she resides in Port St. John, Florida.
Baker Mayfield is an NFL quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a former University of Oklahoma standout. He led the Sooners to three consecutive Big 12 championships and set a school record with a 598-yard passing game against Oklahoma State in 2017. That same year, Mayfield became the first walk-on player to win the Heisman Trophy.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
When University of Oklahoma alumna Stephenie Starkey saw her son’s high school football team struggle year after year, she often thought of one name: Baker Mayfield. Like her son’s team, the Space Coast Vipers, Mayfield – a 2017 OU alum – had faced constant doubt about his football abilities.
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