Stephen Baker (American football)
| No. 85 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | August 30, 1964 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 160 lb (73 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Hamilton (Los Angeles, California) | ||||||||
| College: | Fresno State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1987 / round: 3 / pick: 83 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Stephen Edward Baker (born August 30, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for six seasons with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs.
Early life
Baker attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California, where he lettered in football, track, and gymnastics.[1][2]
College career
Baker attended college at Fresno State University, where he caught 62 passes for 1,629 yards in two seasons.[2]
Professional career
Drafted by the New York Giants in the third round (83rd overall) of the 1987 NFL draft,[3] Baker played for the Giants his entire career from 1987 to 1992. Also known as Stephen Baker "The Touchdown Maker," he won a championship ring with New York in Super Bowl XXV, when they defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–19. Baker caught two passes for 31 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Hostetler late in the 2nd quarter.
Baker finished his six NFL seasons with 141 receptions for 2,587 yards and 21 touchdowns, along with 21 rushing yards.
In 1992, according to Football Outsiders, Baker had the worst catch rate of any wide receiver from 1991–2011, catching only 28.8% of the passes thrown to him.[4]
In 2008, Baker was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame.[5]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1987 | NYG | 12 | 5 | 15 | 277 | 18.5 | 50 | 2 |
| 1988 | NYG | 16 | 11 | 40 | 656 | 16.4 | 85 | 7 |
| 1989 | NYG | 15 | 4 | 13 | 255 | 19.6 | 39 | 2 |
| 1990 | NYG | 16 | 8 | 26 | 541 | 20.8 | 80 | 4 |
| 1991 | NYG | 15 | 13 | 30 | 525 | 17.5 | 52 | 4 |
| 1992 | NYG | 16 | 11 | 17 | 333 | 19.6 | 46 | 2 |
| 90 | 52 | 141 | 2,587 | 18.3 | 85 | 21 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1989 | NYG | 1 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 27 | 0 |
| 1990 | NYG | 3 | 2 | 7 | 111 | 15.9 | 25 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 | 9 | 157 | 17.4 | 27 | 2 | ||
Personal life
Baker is an enthusiast of radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters.[6][7][8]
References
- ^ "Stephen Baker Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ a b Gelberg, Jon (October 27, 1988). "Baker is growing into his 'big' role with the Giants". Asbury Park Press.
- ^ "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Football Outsiders Almanac 2012 (ISBN 1-4782-0152-5), p.359
- ^ "Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame | Home". Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame | Home. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ "NY Giants' Stephen Baker: an interview on life, football, and video games". GMEN HQ. September 24, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ "Up Close With Stephen Baker: Conversations on Life After The Game and Fatherhood". nfl-pe-stage.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ "Baker, Stephen 'The Touchdown Maker' | The Football Autograph Encyclopedia". June 30, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
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