Who Is Baker Mayfield's Wife, Emily Wilkinson?
Quarterback Baker Mayfield, the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, recently led his team, the Cleveland Browns, on a four-game winning streak. We know it doesn't sound all that impressive, but if you're a Cleveland Browns fan, then it was a major boost for morale. The team has not won so many games in a row since 2009, per Inside the Game.
Mayfield's current hero status on his football team and with the fans got us thinking. We all know that behind most heroes is a woman who has their back. Mayfield may be the man of the moment, but we're curious about the woman standing by his side. Here is what you need to know about Mayfield's wife, Emily Wilkinson.
Legally Emily Mayfield (she goes by her maiden name, Emily Wilkinson, on her social media accounts) was born on April 4, 1991, in Omaha, Nebraska. And, after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she moved out west and started working as a plastic surgery patient coordinator in Los Angeles (via Gossip Cop).
After initial worries disappeared, Emily Wilkinson and Baker Mayfield moved fast
Mr. and Mrs. Mayfield moved through the beginning phases of their relationship faster than you can say "touchdown." After only a week of dating, the pair moved in together. At first, Emily Wilkinson was skeptical of agreeing to go on a date, worrying he was a "punk football player." As she told ESPN, "I was assuming he'd be the typical playboy athlete." But clearly, this football player knew how to play it off the field as well. After months of following and unfollowing her on Instagram to attract her attention, Wilkinson finally agreed to grab lunch together.
The stunning Wilkinson has fully stepped into influencer status with 227,000 followers on Instagram at the time of writing. And when not winning football games and posting on social media, the couple managed to find time to co-star in a Progressive Insurance commercial together. Looks like they both know how to play the exposure game.
Wilkinson is her husband's biggest supporter and is quick to shoot down the haters and "fairweather fans" on social media. "Before critics and fans jump to conclusions after an injury, loss, etc. they should put themselves in the athletes' shoes ... But let's be honest, they never could because they aren't part of the 1.6%, the best in the world," she quipped (via Page Six). We're not sure the Browns will continue their winning streak, but we're convinced that Wilkinson will continue to stay by their quarterback's side either way.
Emily Wilkinson faced the downsides of dating a sports star
Emily Wilkinson is no stranger to the spotlight herself, of course. Wilkinson's successful influencer career has definitely exposed her to the downsides of living in the public eye (her Instagram is currently private), but it doesn't quite compare to the passion that sports stars get from their fans. After a dramatic loss in a game, Wilkinson and Mayfield became aware of death threats made towards him online, per Akron Beacon Journal.
Mayfield opened up about how tough it was to watch his wife deal with the attacks to which he had become numb, admitting, "It's hard when it comes down to somebody that you love, that you care about. She's not able to change some of the outcomes of the game — or any at all." Wilkinson had a hard time quietly accepting the backlash, though. Despite being an influencer herself and having a brother that was a Vine star, the death threats were still chilling to Mayfield's wife, as People noted.
In fact, Wilkinson felt compelled to address the threats on her own social media by sharing an Instagram Story stating: "It's crazy how much negativity is amplified via social media." The influencer added: "I'm still a believer that there's [sic] more good people out there than bad, but WOW does social media make me think otherwise sometimes," (via ESPN). Wilkinson also acknowledged: "The death threats, lies being told about my husband, and blatant DISRESPECT never ceases to amaze me."