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{{Short description|American football player (1935–2007)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{other people||John Baker (disambiguation)}}
{{other people||John Baker (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=John Baker Jr.
|name=John Baker Jr.
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|image=John Baker 1959.jpg
|alt=
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|caption = Baker in 1959
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|image= Sheriff John H. Baker Jr.jpg
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|caption = Baker c. 1979
|image_size=
|image_size=
|title=Sheriff of [[Wake County, North Carolina]]
|title=Sheriff of [[Wake County, North Carolina]]
|term_start=1978
|term_start=December 4, 1978
|term_end=2002
|term_end=2002
|successor= [[Donnie Harrison]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1935|6|10|mf=y}}
|birth_date={{birth date|1935|6|10|mf=y}}
|birth_place=[[Raleigh, North Carolina]]
|birth_place=[[Raleigh, North Carolina]], U.S.
|death_date= {{death date and age|2007|10|31|1935|06|10}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|2007|10|31|1935|06|10}}
|death_place=[[Raleigh, North Carolina]]
|death_place=Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
|party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|module=
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}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
{{Infobox NFL biography
| embed = yes
|name= John Baker
| name = John Baker
|image=
|position= [[Defensive end|DE]] / [[Defensive tackle|DT]]
| image =
| position = [[Defensive end|DE]] / [[Defensive tackle|DT]]
|number= 73, 78
| number = 73, 78
|draftyear= 1958
| draftyear = 1958
|draftround= 5
| draftround = 5
|draftpick= 56
| draftpick = 56
|high_school=[[Washington Magnet Elementary School|Raleigh (NC) Washington]]
| high_school = [[Washington Magnet Elementary School|Raleigh (NC) Washington]]
|college= [[North Carolina Central Eagles football|North Carolina Central]]
| college = [[North Carolina Central Eagles football|North Carolina Central]]
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| teams = * [[Los Angeles Rams]] ([[1958 Los Angeles Rams season|1958]]–[[1961 Los Angeles Rams season|1961]])
|teams=
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* [[Philadelphia Eagles]] ([[1962 Philadelphia Eagles season|1962]])
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*[[Los Angeles Rams (1946–94)|Los Angeles Rams]] ([[1958 Los Angeles Rams season|1958]]–[[1961 Los Angeles Rams season|1961]])
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* [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ([[1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1963]]–[[1967 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1967]])
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*[[Philadelphia Eagles]] ([[1962 Philadelphia Eagles season|1962]])
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* [[Detroit Lions]] ([[1968 Detroit Lions season|1968]])
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*[[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ([[1963 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1963]]–[[1967 Pittsburgh Steelers season|1967]])
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| statlabel1 = Games
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*[[Detroit Lions]] ([[1968 Detroit Lions season|1968]])
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| statvalue1 = 131
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|statlabel1= Games
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| statlabel2 = Fumbles recovered
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|statvalue1= 131
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| statvalue2 = 14
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|statlabel2= Fumbles Recovered
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| statlabel3 = Interceptions
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|statvalue2= 14
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| statvalue3 = 2
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|statlabel3= Interceptions
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| pfr = BakeJo20
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|statvalue3= 2
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}}}}
|nfl= BAK296630
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'''John Haywood Baker Jr.''' (June 10, 1935 – October 31, 2007), nicknamed "'''Big John'''", was an American athlete and law enforcement officer. He played as [[defensive lineman]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and was a member of four teams from 1958 to 1968. He served as [[sheriff]] of [[Wake County, North Carolina]], from 1978 to 2002, becoming the first [[African-American]] sheriff in [[North Carolina]] since the [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction era]].<ref name=Mcdonald>{{cite news |first=Thomasi |last=McDonald |title=Former Wake Sheriff John Baker dies |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/755487.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070514111849/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/755487.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 14, 2007 |work=[[The News & Observer]] |date=October 31, 2007 |accessdate=October 31, 2007 }}</ref>
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|pfr= BakeJo20
}}
'''John Haywood Baker Jr.''' (June 10, 1935 – October 31, 2007), nicknamed "Big John", was an American [[defensive lineman]] in the [[National Football League]] who played for four teams from 1958 to 1968.

⚫
He later served as [[sheriff]] of [[Wake County, North Carolina]] from 1978 to 2002, becoming the first [[African-American]] sheriff in [[North Carolina]] since the [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]] era.<ref name=Mcdonald>{{cite news |first=Thomasi |last=McDonald |title=Former Wake Sheriff John Baker dies |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/755487.html |archive-url=https://archive.is/20070514111849/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/755487.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 14, 2007 |work=[[The News & Observer]] |date=October 31, 2007 |accessdate=October 31, 2007 }} </ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Baker was born on June 10, 1935<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Utterback|first1=Bill|title=Former Steeler Baker Still the Enforcer|journal=The Coffin Corner|date=1989|volume=11|issue=1|url=http://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/11-01-361.pdf|accessdate=August 31, 2017|publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association}}</ref> in [[Raleigh, North Carolina]]. He was the son of John H. Baker Sr., the city's first African-American police officer.<ref name=Mcdonald/> Baker grew up in Raleigh's Oberlin neighborhood, attending [[John W. Ligon Middle School|Ligon High School]] and [[North Carolina Central University]], where he graduated in 1958.<ref name= wral>{{cite web| url = http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1987519/| title = Former Sheriff John Baker Dies at 72| date = November 5, 2007| website = WRAL| publisher = Capitol Broadcasting Company| access-date = May 23, 2016}}</ref> There he was a teammate of [[Herman Boone]].
Born in [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], Baker was the son of John H. Baker Sr., the city's first African-American police officer.<ref name=Mcdonald/>

The young Baker attended Raleigh's [[Washington Graded and High School|Washington]] and [[John W. Ligon Middle School|Ligon High School]]s and [[North Carolina Central University]], where he graduated in 1958.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1987519/| title = Former Sheriff John Baker Dies at 72| date = November 5, 2007| website = www.wral.com| publisher = WRAL News| access-date = May 23, 2016}}</ref> There he was a teammate of [[Herman Boone]].


In 1959 Baker married a woman named Juanita. They remained married until his death.<ref>{{cite news| last = Seligson| first = Paula| title = Juanita Baker, 78, trailblazer in NC Department of Correction, dies| newspaper = The News & Observer| date = June 28, 2013| url = https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/midtown-raleigh-news/article10348910.html| access-date = November 3, 2018}}</ref>
In 1959 Baker married a woman named Juanita. They remained married until his death.<ref>{{cite news| last = Seligson| first = Paula| title = Juanita Baker, 78, trailblazer in NC Department of Correction, dies| newspaper = The News & Observer| date = June 28, 2013| url = https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/midtown-raleigh-news/article10348910.html| access-date = November 3, 2018}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
In the fifth round of the [[1958 NFL Draft]], Baker was selected by the [[Los Angeles Rams (1946–94)|Los Angeles Rams]]. Over eleven seasons he played for the Rams (1958–61), [[Philadelphia Eagles]] (1962), [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (1963–67) and [[Detroit Lions]] (1968). With the Steelers, he was famous for his tackle on [[New York Giants]] quarterback [[Y. A. Tittle]] in 1964, which left Tittle bloodied and helmet-less.
In the fifth round of the [[1958 NFL draft]], Baker was selected by the [[Los Angeles Rams]],{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} becoming the first football player from a predominantly black college drafted into the league.<ref name= mcdonald>{{cite news| last = McDonald| first = Thomasi| title = Wake's 'mighty oak': Ex-sheriff eulogized as a big-hearted giant| newspaper = The News & Observer| date = November 6, 2007}}</ref> Over eleven seasons he played for the Rams (1958–61), [[Philadelphia Eagles]] (1962), [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (1963–67) and [[Detroit Lions]] (1968). With the Steelers, he was famous for his tackle on [[New York Giants]] quarterback [[Y. A. Tittle]] in 1964, which left Tittle bloodied and helmet-less.

⚫
After Baker retired from the NFL, he worked as an aide for [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Robert Burren Morgan|Robert Morgan]]. He was also appointed to the state [[Parole]] Commission in 1970, the first black person to do so.<ref>[http://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/john-h-baker-1935-2007/ John H. Baker (1935-2007)]</ref> Baker was a member of the "Oval Table Gang", an informal group of black Raleigh community leaders that met in [[Ralph Campbell Sr.]]'s home to discuss strategies to desegregate Raleigh schools, plan demonstrations, and assist black candidates for public office.<ref>{{cite news| last = Price| first = Jay| title = Ralph Campbell, 64; broke color barrier in state politics| newspaper = The News & Observer| date = January 13, 2011}}</ref> He began speaking to youth in community centers and in prison, trying to help them change their lives for good. In 1976 Baker worked on the state presidential campaign of [[Jimmy Carter]].


⚫
In 1978, Baker ran for sheriff of [[Wake County]] and won.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} He was sworn in on December 4, 1978.<ref>{{cite news| last = Ellsworth| first = Susan| title = John Baker Takes Public Office| newspaper = The Charlotte Post| volume = 6| issue = 14| page = 1| date = December 7, 1978| url = https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn88063138/1978-12-07/ed-1/seq-1}}</ref> He was repeatedly re-elected and held the position for 24 years. He instituted a way for incarcerated youth to continue their education, and was instrumental in founding the John H. Baker Charter School (which was named after him.)
⚫
After Baker retired from the NFL, he worked as an aide for then-[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Robert Burren Morgan|Robert Morgan]]. He was also appointed to the state [[Parole]] Commission in 1970, the first black to do so.<ref>[http://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/john-h-baker-1935-2007/ John H. Baker (1935-2007)]</ref> Baker was a member of the "Oval Table Gang", an informal group of community leaders that met in [[Ralph Campbell Jr.]]'s home to discuss strategies to desegregate Raleigh schools, plan demonstrations, and assist black candidates for public office.<ref>{{cite news| last = Price| first = Jay| title = Ralph Campbell, 64; broke color barrier in state politics| newspaper = The News & Observer| date = January 13, 2011}}</ref> He began speaking to youth in community centers and in prison, trying to help them change their lives for good. In 1976 Baker worked on the state presidential campaign of [[Jimmy Carter]].


⚫
In 2002 Baker was defeated for re-election as sheriff by [[Donnie Harrison]]. He was unsuccessful in a 2006 campaign to regain the office.
⚫
In 1978, Baker ran for sheriff of [[Wake County]] and won. He was repeatedly re-elected and held the position for 24 years. He instituted a way for incarcerated youth to continue their education, and was instrumental in founding the John H. Baker Charter School (which was named after him.)


== Later life ==
⚫
In 2002 Baker was defeated for re-election as sheriff by [[Donnie Harrison]]. He was unsuccessful in a 2006 campaign to regain the office.
In September 2007 Baker and his father were inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. Baker died on October 31, 2007, at his home in Raleigh.<ref name= wral/> A funeral was held at St. Matthew AME Church in Raleigh and he was buried at the Carolina Biblical Gardens.<ref name= mcdonald/>


==Legacy and honors==
==Legacy and honors==
[[File:Wake County Public Safety Center.jpg|thumb|Wake County Public Safety Center bearing Baker's name]]
[[File:Wake County Public Safety Center.jpg|thumb|Wake County Public Safety Center bearing Baker's name]]
* 1972 – He was inducted into the [[North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame]].
* 1972 – He was inducted into the [[North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame]].
* 1999 - The Football Stadium at [[Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School]] is renamed the John H. Baker Jr. Stadium on October 29.<ref>[https://carolinapreps.smugmug.com/StadiumProject/SE-Raleigh/ Carolina Preps Stadium Project- Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School]</ref>
* 2007 – both Baker Jr. and his father Baker Sr. were inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame.<ref name=Mcdonald/>
* 2007 – both Baker Jr. and his father Baker Sr. were inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame.<ref name=Mcdonald/>
* 2008 – The Wake Country Public Safety Center was renamed after John H. Baker Jr. to honor his long service as sheriff.<ref>[http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1219061.html News & Observer: Building to get longtime sheriff's name today]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved on September 15, 2008.</ref>
* 2008 – The Wake County Public Safety Center was renamed after John H. Baker Jr. to honor his long service as sheriff.<ref>[http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1219061.html News & Observer: Building to get longtime sheriff's name today]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved on September 15, 2008.</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*[https://archive.is/20070514111849/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/756491.html News & Observer: Law enforcement pioneer dies at 72]
*[https://archive.today/20070514111849/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/756491.html News & Observer: Law enforcement pioneer dies at 72]


{{Los Angeles Rams 1958 draft navbox}}
{{Los Angeles Rams 1958 draft navbox}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, John}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, John H. Jr.}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century North Carolina politicians]]
[[Category:African-American people in North Carolina politics]]
[[Category:African-American people in North Carolina politics]]
[[Category:African-American players of American football]]
[[Category:African-American sheriffs]]
[[Category:African-American sheriffs]]
[[Category:American athlete-politicians]]
[[Category:American athlete-politicians]]
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[[Category:Los Angeles Rams players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Rams players]]
[[Category:North Carolina Central Eagles football players]]
[[Category:North Carolina Central Eagles football players]]
[[Category:North Carolina sheriffs]]
[[Category:Sheriffs of Wake County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Eagles players]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Eagles players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Raleigh, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Raleigh, North Carolina]]

Latest revision as of 15:42, 13 September 2024

For other people with the same name, see John Baker (disambiguation).

John Baker Jr.
Baker in 1959
Sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina
In office
December 4, 1978 – 2002
Succeeded byDonnie Harrison
Personal details
Born(1935-06-10)June 10, 1935
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, 2007(2007-10-31) (aged 72)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
American football career
No. 73, 78
Position:DE / DT
Career information
High school:Raleigh (NC) Washington
College:North Carolina Central
NFL draft:1958 / round: 5 / pick: 56
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games:131
Fumbles recovered:14
Interceptions:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

John Haywood Baker Jr. (June 10, 1935 – October 31, 2007), nicknamed "Big John", was an American athlete and law enforcement officer. He played as defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) and was a member of four teams from 1958 to 1968. He served as sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2002, becoming the first African-American sheriff in North Carolina since the Reconstruction era.[1]

Early life and education

[edit]

Baker was born on June 10, 1935[2] in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was the son of John H. Baker Sr., the city's first African-American police officer.[1] Baker grew up in Raleigh's Oberlin neighborhood, attending Ligon High School and North Carolina Central University, where he graduated in 1958.[3] There he was a teammate of Herman Boone.

In 1959 Baker married a woman named Juanita. They remained married until his death.[4]

Career

[edit]

In the fifth round of the 1958 NFL draft, Baker was selected by the Los Angeles Rams,[citation needed] becoming the first football player from a predominantly black college drafted into the league.[5] Over eleven seasons he played for the Rams (1958–61), Philadelphia Eagles (1962), Pittsburgh Steelers (1963–67) and Detroit Lions (1968). With the Steelers, he was famous for his tackle on New York Giants quarterback Y. A. Tittle in 1964, which left Tittle bloodied and helmet-less.

After Baker retired from the NFL, he worked as an aide for U.S. Senator Robert Morgan. He was also appointed to the state Parole Commission in 1970, the first black person to do so.[6] Baker was a member of the "Oval Table Gang", an informal group of black Raleigh community leaders that met in Ralph Campbell Sr.'s home to discuss strategies to desegregate Raleigh schools, plan demonstrations, and assist black candidates for public office.[7] He began speaking to youth in community centers and in prison, trying to help them change their lives for good. In 1976 Baker worked on the state presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter.

In 1978, Baker ran for sheriff of Wake County and won.[citation needed] He was sworn in on December 4, 1978.[8] He was repeatedly re-elected and held the position for 24 years. He instituted a way for incarcerated youth to continue their education, and was instrumental in founding the John H. Baker Charter School (which was named after him.)

In 2002 Baker was defeated for re-election as sheriff by Donnie Harrison. He was unsuccessful in a 2006 campaign to regain the office.

Later life

[edit]

In September 2007 Baker and his father were inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. Baker died on October 31, 2007, at his home in Raleigh.[3] A funeral was held at St. Matthew AME Church in Raleigh and he was buried at the Carolina Biblical Gardens.[5]

Legacy and honors

[edit]
Wake County Public Safety Center bearing Baker's name
  • 1972 – He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
  • 1999 - The Football Stadium at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School is renamed the John H. Baker Jr. Stadium on October 29.[9]
  • 2007 – both Baker Jr. and his father Baker Sr. were inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame.[1]
  • 2008 – The Wake County Public Safety Center was renamed after John H. Baker Jr. to honor his long service as sheriff.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c McDonald, Thomasi (October 31, 2007). "Former Wake Sheriff John Baker dies". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved October 31, 2007.
  2. ^ Utterback, Bill (1989). "Former Steeler Baker Still the Enforcer" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. 11 (1). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Former Sheriff John Baker Dies at 72". WRAL. Capitol Broadcasting Company. November 5, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  4. ^ Seligson, Paula (June 28, 2013). "Juanita Baker, 78, trailblazer in NC Department of Correction, dies". The News & Observer. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  5. ^ a b McDonald, Thomasi (November 6, 2007). "Wake's 'mighty oak': Ex-sheriff eulogized as a big-hearted giant". The News & Observer.
  6. ^ John H. Baker (1935-2007)
  7. ^ Price, Jay (January 13, 2011). "Ralph Campbell, 64; broke color barrier in state politics". The News & Observer.
  8. ^ Ellsworth, Susan (December 7, 1978). "John Baker Takes Public Office". The Charlotte Post. Vol. 6, no. 14. p. 1.
  9. ^ Carolina Preps Stadium Project- Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School
  10. ^ News & Observer: Building to get longtime sheriff's name today[permanent dead link]. Retrieved on September 15, 2008.
[edit]
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