Baker Mayfield misses Rose Bowl media session but attends practice

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield was once again absent at a media function leading up to Monday's Rose Bowl against Georgia. The Heisman Trophy winner is dealing with what head coach Lincoln Riley previously described as an illness, which has kept him from attending these team functions.

Mayfield was present for practice Thursday, however, and was able to participate Friday too. Mayfield did sit out one drill to hydrate, indicating he is still getting over his illness.

Regardless of how he is only three days before the Rose Bowl, tight end Mark Andrews believes Mayfield will be good to go by New Year's Day.

"He'll be all right," Andrews said.

Mayfield has thrown for 4,340 yards, 41 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide and is usually a fixture at team media obligations. Mayfield has his own media tour earlier in December when he won the Davey O'Brien Award, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Football Player of the Year.

He attended the College Football Awards Show in Atlanta and, obviously, the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York. His Oklahoma teammates mentioned that it was weird for Mayfield not to be in attendance for any media opportunities.

It was first learned that Mayfield was under the weather when he didn't show up to the team's visit to Disneyland on Wednesday. Considering Mayfield was spotted at practice is a sign that he will do everything in his power to play this game. But the fact that he is still ill enough to sit out the media obligations he normally attends is a cause for concern.

Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator Cale Gundy deferred three questions in a row regarding Mayfield's status for the game. After the first two, which had to do with Mayfield's health and whether he would practice Friday, Gundy was asked if three million Oklahomans should be worried about the Sooners' starting quarterback.

"You should talk to Lincoln," he said with a sly smile.

This story was originally published December 29, 2017 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Baker Mayfield misses Rose Bowl media session but attends practice."