Jesse Lewis Baker (July 10, 1957 – January 16, 1999) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

and the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

. Baker played

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

for the Rockdale County High School Bulldogs in

Conyers, Georgia Conyers is a city and the county seat of Rockdale County, Georgia, United States. The city is 24 miles (38.6 km) east of downtown Atlanta and is a part of the Metro Atlanta, Atlanta metropolitan area. As of 2020 United States census, 202 ...

in 1973 and 1974, where he earned all-state first-team honors both years. He was also a stand-out in track and field. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's degree, bachelor's, mas ...

(JSU); while he was there, he was defensive MVP of the 1977 Grantland Rice Bowl, and was inducted to the JSU Hall of Fame in 1989. Baker was selected in the second round of the

1979 NFL draft The 1979 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979, at the Waldorf Astoria ...

. Baker played nine seasons in the NFL with the Oilers. He recorded 15.5 quarterback sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown in his rookie season in 1979, despite starting only two of 16 games. He recorded 6.5 sacks in 1980 and 10 more in 1981 as a part-timer before becoming a starter in the strike shortened 1982 season. Baker started 57 consecutive games and recorded 29.5 more sacks. He died from an enlarged heart when he was 41.

References

1957 births 1999 deaths Players of American football from Conyers, Georgia American football defensive ends Jacksonville State Gamecocks football players Houston Oilers players Dallas Cowboys players NFL replacement players Track and field athletes from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American sportsmen {{defensive-lineman-1950s-stub