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Sam Baker

Baker walking with the USC Trojans
No. 72     Atlanta Falcons
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: May 30, 1985 (1985-05-30) (age 24)
Place of birth: Tustin, California
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	Weight: 312 lb (142 kg)
Career information
College: Southern California
NFL Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21
Debuted in 2008 for the Atlanta Falcons
Career history
As player: Atlanta Falcons (2008–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
SN Freshman All-Pac-10 (2004) SN Freshman All-American (2004) 3× First-team All-Pac-10 (2005–2007) 3× AP All-American (2005–2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
Games played	8
Games started	5
Stats at NFL.com

Samuel Baker (born May 30, 1985 in Tustin, California) is an American football offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons 21st overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California. He is the son of former Arena Football League commissioner C. David Baker.

Early years

He graduated from Tustin High School in Tustin, California where Frostee Rucker, Matt McCoy, Chris Chester, and DeShaun Foster went. He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

College career

Baker (#79) in the huddle during a 2006 game

Baker was a 2005 All-American offensive tackle for the University of Southern California Trojans as a redshirt sophomore.

He was on the official 2006 watch list for the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy for the best lineman and an Athlon 2006 preseason All-American. In his collegiate career Baker has blocked for Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart and most recently blocked for John David Booty at USC. He was named to the 2005 and 2006 coaches and rivals.com All Pac-10 team First Teams^[1]. He was a 2006 CBS Sportsline and FWAA first-team All-American, rivals.com second team All-American and SI All-American honorable mention.

Going into his fourth year as a starter, Baker was a 2007 Athlon, Sporting News, Street & Smith, Lindy's, Phil Steele's, CBS SportsLine.com, Scout, Blue Ribbon and NationalChamps.net preseason All-American and on the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy watch lists. He was ranked as one of the "Top 20 Players Heading Into 2007" by Sports Illustrated.^[2] Before his final season in 2007, Baker was already regarded by most NFL scouts as a certain top-five player in the 2008 NFL Draft.^[3]

During the 2007 season, Baker took on a leadership role in the offensive line, taking over the reins from departed senior Ryan Kalil and providing motivation as well as helping teach younger players.^[4]

Despite suffering from injuries that held him out of games, Baker was again selected for the All-Pacific-10 Conference first team, his third consecutive year.^[5] Baker was also named Walter Camp First Team All-American in 2007, and the SI.com All-American Second Team.

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons

Sam Baker was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round (21st overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft after the Falcons traded two of their second-round picks (No. 34 and No. 48) and a fourth round pick (No. 103) with the Washington Redskins to move to No. 21 overall. On July 25, he signed a multi-year contract. In his rookie year, 2008, Baker started 5 games.

Personal

In his youth, Baker was an all-sport athlete and played on the vaunted Tustin All-Net team The Scream Team.

He and wife Antoinette married in 2008

References

External links

• Atlanta Falcons bio
• USC Trojans bio