Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was one of several high-profile athletes to speak out in support of Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones.
Jones, who spent nearly 20 years on death row after being sentenced for the murder of Paul Howell in 1999, was granted clemency on Thursday, just hours before he was scheduled to be executed. Mayfield reacted to the news on Twitter
“God is GREAT!!! Thank you to everybody that prayed and continued to pray!” he wrote.
God is GREAT!!! Thank you to everybody that prayed and continued to pray! @JuliusOklahoma
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) November 18, 2021
Mayfield had spoken out in favor of Jones, along with fellow athletes such as Russell Westbrook, Trae Young and Buddy Hield and celebrities Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington and Mandy Patinkin. Mayfield even wore Jones’ name on the back of his helmet last season.
“Yeah, that is pretty rough to be honest with you,” Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday, via ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “That’s not something that’s easy to talk about. I’ve been trying to get the facts stated and the truth to be told for a while, but it is tough to think about. Tried and tried. It is a shame that it has gotten this far. We are 24 hours away. So, it’s tough. You know, hopefully, God can intervene, and handle it correctly and do the things he needs to do.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to recommend clemency for the 41-year-old Jones earlier this month, according to CNN. Now that it has been granted, the next step would be for him to continue to try and get his conviction overturned.
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