Entertainment

Browns’ QB Baker Mayfield Pays Special Tribute to Ohio Sailor Killed in Kabul

September 21, 2021Mac Caltrider
Mayfield Cleveland Browns quarterback

The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Baker Mayfield is a vocal supporter of US military members and veterans. Photo from Instagram.

Before leading the Cleveland Browns to a 31-21 home victory over the Houston Texans, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield donned a special set of cleats bearing the image of Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxton “Max” Soviak, one of the 13 US service members killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 26.


A vocal supporter of US military members and veterans, Mayfield wore the custom cleats during pregame warmups to honor the fallen sailor Sunday, Sept. 19. An Ohio native from Berlin Heights, Soviak was serving as a corpsman with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, when an ISIS-K suicide bomber attacked the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport. According to the Navy, Soviak was assisting a mother and her child at the time of the attack.


mayfield, Soviak
Baker Mayfield wore these custom cleats to honor Navy corpsman Max Soviak. Photo from solesbysir/Instagram.

Soviak was a four-sport athlete who’d played football since he was seven, eventually becoming captain of his high school team. According to his obituary, Soviak was “instrumental” in leading his team in the playoffs during his junior and senior years. 


Marcus Rivero, the Soles by Sir artist who famously created a pair of gold cleats for Marshawn Lynch, designed Mayfield’s custom cleats. Because the NFL does not allow players to wear custom footwear during games, Mayfield had to hang up the memorial cleats after warmups. 


After he was injured during the second quarter of Sunday’s game, Mayfield continued to play, finishing the game and helping to secure the win for his team.


Soviak, Mayfield, Kabul
Max Soviak, center, a US Navy Fleet Marine Force corpsman, with his teammates Hunter Lopez, left, and Daegan Page, right, both Marines. All three were killed in the Hamid Karzai International Airport attack. Soviak was the only sailor among the service members killed. Photo courtesy of Max Soviak/Instagram.

A video published to Twitter nine days before Soviak was killed captured Mayfield thanking uniformed service members and veterans at the Browns’ training camp. 


“If there’s any veterans here, thank you as well,” he said, addressing service members in the stands. “I wanted to say thank you on behalf of the Cleveland Browns, and thank you for allowing us to play this game that we love. We appreciate you more than you know.”


Read Next: 17 Years After His Death, Pat Tillman’s Legacy Lives On



Mac Caltrider
Mac Caltrider

Mac Caltrider is a senior staff writer for Coffee or Die Magazine. He served in the US Marine Corps and is a former police officer. Caltrider earned his bachelor’s degree in history and now reads anything he can get his hands on. He is also the creator of Pipes & Pages, a site intended to increase readership among enlisted troops. Caltrider spends most of his time reading, writing, and waging a one-man war against premature hair loss.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
soflete
Soflete: How This Veteran-Led Company is Changing Military Fitness Culture

In 2014, Soflete’s co-founders saw workout overkill hurting their peers as they prepared for selecti...

glock 19
Glock 19: Origin Story of a Legendary Pistol

Get to know the Glock 19 — how it works, who uses it, and why it’s one of the most popular handguns in the US.

afghan soldier asylum
Afghan Soldier Who Helped US Weathers Injuries, Uncertainty in Asylum Bid

Afghan soldier who assisted the U.S. now faces uncertainty in bid for asylum.

The Dirty Dozen
‘The Dirty Dozen’: Meet D-Day’s Real Rogue Commandos

The Dirty Dozen was based on a real team of rule-breaking elite paratroopers who jumped into France ahead of D-Day.

d-day 79th anniversary
Normandy Marks D-Day's 79th Anniversary, Honors World War II Veterans

This year's D-Day tribute to the young soldiers who died in Normandy is not only a chance to honor t...

f-22 raptor
The F-22: The Superiority Fighter That Never Shot Down an Enemy Plane

The F-22 Raptor was designed to fight next-gen Russian fighters. So far its only air-to-air kills are a Chinese balloon and a UFO.

Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway: Where America's March to Victory Began

The US Navy outwitted and outfought the Imperial Japanese Navy to secure victory in the do-or-die Battle of Midway.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved