The Cleveland Browns lost one of their most passionate fans on Saturday when Tom Seipel died, and the news had a big impact on Baker Mayfield and his family.
Mayfield and his wife Emily developed a close relationship with Seipel, who had been battling kidney cancer. Mayfield paid tribute to Seipel on Twitter after receiving the bad news.
Rest In Peace Tom. Your pure heart will never be forgotten. https://t.co/VEUeo77NXu
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) February 13, 2021
Emily Mayfield first learned of Seipel’s story late last year and shared it with Baker. When Seipel was in hospice care in December, Mayfield sent him an encouraging video. The Mayfield family then invited Seipel and his family to use their suite for Cleveland’s Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which sent the Browns to the playoffs. Seipel’s family alluded to the experience in an Instagram post on Saturday.
“Thanks to loyal Browns supporters, including quarterback, Baker Mayfield and his wife, Emily, Tommy and his dad attended the final regular season game where the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to gain a playoff spot for the first time in years,” the family’s statement read. “It was a magical weekend that provided him with a tremendous boost at the end of his life.”
Before he died, Seipel gushed about Emily Mayfield and the effort she made to keep in contact with him.
“You don’t understand how much she kept in touch,” Seipel said. “She would literally send me a message every night, ‘How are you feeling today? You haven’t sent me your blog yet.’”
Mayfield may have been hard on himself for a mistake he made in Cleveland’s playoff loss, but what he and his wife did off the field toward the end of the season was more important than the on-field result.
H/T 247 Sports
