Tampa Bay Buccaneers players give back by raising money, starting scholarships for students
TAMPA, Fla. - Quarterback Baker Mayfield started the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation to help parents afford early education for their children.
Off the field, Mayfield has been known to sling the golf clubs around so in August, he hosted a charity event at Tampa's Top Golf.
"For us it’s about trying to level the playing field that’s the motto of our foundation is level the playing field," Mayfield said.
Early education helps level the playing field. The event helped raise $56,000 for the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County, plus that donation will be matched by the state, totaling $112,000 ensuring help for hundreds of additional kids.
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The Early Learning Coalition is non-profit that provides education opportunities and childcare access to parents in need.
"It sounds incredible for an initial donation from any foundation literally pre-school age children getting into our school readiness program based on those dollars when we know 45% don’t have the necessary dollars to meet their basic obligations, rent food and childcare," said Dr. Fred Hicks, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition in Hillsborough County.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield started Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation.
Mayfield isn't the only player dedicated to giving back. Several of his teammates have also been putting up big numbers off the field. Including super-star wide-receiver Mike Evans, through the Mike Evans Family Foundation.
"He always says, he's been blessed, so he wants to be a blessing to others," said Courtney Foss, Executive Director of the Mike Evans Family Foundation.
Evans, who attended Texas A&M on a football scholarship is passionate about affording others the same opportunity. Founded in 2017, his foundation has already awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships. It also focuses on survivors of domestic violence, an issue close to Evans.
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"We’ve awarded over $400,000 in college scholarships just the past few years this year were able to award $150,000 in college scholarships which is just amazing," Foss shared.
Cody Szelc is a junior and football player at Monmouth College in Illinois. He earned a $5,000 per semester scholarship through the Evans foundations. Without it, he couldn't attend.
"I was getting ready to email the coach saying couldn’t go, but then I saw the email that I got this scholarship," Szelc said. "It was an emotional moment, a little bit. I’m not a big emotional guy, that did stir up some things because I wanted to come here, it meant the world to me," he added.
They make big plays on the field and perhaps even bigger ones off it, that's a winning formula.
"It is in our hearts, it’s the right thing to do, we're blessed and so to be able to give back it’s a blessing, and we're blessed to do it," Mayfield told FOX 13.