Stephen Baker (American football)

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.

Stephen Baker
No. 85
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1964-08-30) August 30, 1964 (age 60)
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
Receptions:141
Receiving yards:2,587
Touchdowns:21
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Baker attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California, where he lettered in football, track, and gymnastics.[1][2]

College career

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Baker attended college at Fresno State University, where he caught 62 passes for 1,629 yards in two seasons.[2]

Professional career

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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 19912011, 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

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high

Regular season

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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

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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

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Baker is an enthusiast of radio-controlled airplanes and helicopters.[6][7][8]

References

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  1. ^ "Stephen Baker Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. ^ a b Gelberg, Jon (October 27, 1988). "Baker is growing into his 'big' role with the Giants". Asbury Park Press.
  3. ^ "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Football Outsiders Almanac 2012 (ISBN 1-4782-0152-5), p.359
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "NY Giants' Stephen Baker: an interview on life, football, and video games". GMEN HQ. September 24, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  7. ^ "Up Close With Stephen Baker: Conversations on Life After The Game and Fatherhood". nfl-pe-stage.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  8. ^ "Baker, Stephen 'The Touchdown Maker' | The Football Autograph Encyclopedia". June 30, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2024.