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Baker Mayfield’s story is well-known. He wasn’t a highly touted prospect in Texas, and he finished his high school career with offers from Washington State, New Mexico, Rice and Florida Atlantic.
Mayfield chose not to sign with any of them and decided to go to Texas Tech and walk-on. This led to his transferring to Oklahoma, where he would go on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2017. While a national championship always eluded him, he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. After Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson, Mayfield was traded to the Panthers. He then had a brief stint with the Rams before landing long-term in Tampa Bay.
Throughout his career, the quarterback has been supported by his family, namely his wife and mom. Here is more on Mayfield’s family, including his wife, daughter and parents.
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Baker Mayfield wife: Emily Wilkinson
Mayfield met his wife for the first time in 2017, when they were introduced by a mutual friend. Although they had only been together for six months, they got engaged. They married in California on July 6, 2019.
Wilkinson was born in Nebraska in 1991. Similar to her husband, she stayed local while growing up and attended college in-state, specifically at the University of Nebraska. Wilkinson graduated with a degree in business administration in 2013. She moved to L.A. and worked in a plastic surgeon’s office. She left her job in 2018 and moved to Cleveland when Mayfield was drafted first overall by the Browns.
Wilkinson is one of four children in her family. She has two brothers and a sister. Her brother Sammy, was a star on the social media platform Vine. After going viral and gaining a following, he launched a music career and clothing line in 2016. He still has over 1.5 million followers on his Instagram.
When Mayfield did those iconic commercials for Progressive, where he was pretending to live at the stadium, Wilkinson also got to make some appearances.
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Emily Wilkinson on social media
After moving to Cleveland, Wilkinson started growing her social media following. She began to document her travels, workouts and life with Mayfield. Wilkinson has over 200,000 followers on her Instagram alone.
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Baker Mayfield daughter: Kova Jade Mayfield
Mayfield and Wilkinson welcomed their first child on April 9, 2024. The quarterback took a step back from his normal tough exterior and opened up about what it’s like being a girl dad. “I’ve always had a softer, more sensitive side. I was really close to my mom growing up. But, you know, when you get into football culture, you’re trying to be the tough guy. You try to bury that part of yourself down. It’s just the man’s ego. As soon as I saw her, I was like, ‘Oh, she’s got me wrapped around her finger.”
He added, “the first time I saw her, I was like — okay, now I understand it. This is what that pure love is. It just turned our world upside down. It’s so special.”
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Baker Mayfield dad: James Mayfield
Baker’s father, James, is also from Texas. He worked as a private equity consultant. James also has a football background, playing for the University of Houston in college. He didn’t have the same caliber of a career and didn’t end up going pro. James fell on hard financial times when Baker was in high school, and they had to sell their house while moving between rentals.
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Baker Mayfield sues dad’s company
Mayfield sued his father’s company, Camwood Capital Management Group in November 2024. The quarterback alleged that the company had taken and used $12 million without authorization and had failed to repay it. This occurred from 2018 to 2021, but in the three years since, Camwood hadn’t paid back the money.
In January 2024, Mayfield and Camwood entered an agreement that would have the company repay Mayfield the $11.7 million plus interest starting by the end of September. By November, Camwood hadn’t begun any payments back to Mayfield, so he took legal action and filed a lawsuit, per NBC News.
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Baker Mayfield mom: Gina Mayfield
Gina was a homemaker, focused on raising Baker and his brother Matt. Not much is known about her other than that she is also from Austin.
Surviving tragic car accident
Gina was involved in a horrific car accident in 2015. She was with her sister when a Lincoln Town Car collided with their vehicle. Three people lost their lives, but Gina and her sister Kristi suffered internal injuries and had to go to the hospital. Luckily, both Baker’s mother and aunt were able to make full recoveries.
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Baker Mayfield brother: Matt Mayfield
Baker only has one sibling: his older brother, Matt. He didn’t follow in his brother’s or father’s footsteps onto the gridiron. Instead, Matt went to Texas A&M and walked on to their baseball team. He is married to Kennedy Mayfield, who is a yoga instructor. While he and Baker have had a good relationship in the past, like his father, Matt also works for Camwood, the company that Baker and his wife are suing.
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Where is Baker Mayfield from?
Mayfield was born in Austin, Texas. He stayed local, growing up around the Austin area. He attended Lake Travis High School in Austin before initially choosing to walk on at Texas Tech in Lubbock, approximately six hours northwest.
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