Chris Baker (defensive lineman)

Last updated

Chris Baker
Chris Baker (29116379155).jpg
Baker with the Washington Redskins in 2016
No. 75, 95, 92, 90
Position: Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1987-10-08) October 8, 1987 (age 36)
Windsor, Connecticut, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:320 lb (145 kg)
Career information
High school: Windsor (CT)
College:
Undrafted: 2009
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-MEAC (2008)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:214
Sacks:12.0
Forced fumbles:5
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:7
Player stats at PFR

Christopher Isaiah Baker (born October 8, 1987), nicknamed "Swaggy", [1] is a former American football defensive tackle who played nine seasons in National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Hampton University and signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Baker was also a member of the Miami Dolphins, Hartford Colonials, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Cincinnati Bengals.

Contents

College career

Baker originally played football collegiately at Pennsylvania State University. Before the 2007 season, he was involved in two separate off-campus fights along with nine of his Penn State teammates. On June 26, 2007, Penn State temporarily expelled all ten involved players from July 1 through the end of the summer semester in mid-August. [2] His expulsion was later made permanent. [3] Baker transferred to Hampton University to continue playing football in 2008. [4]

Professional career

Denver Broncos

Baker signed with the Denver Broncos on April 27, 2009. [5] He played one game for the Broncos for the 2009 season. On September 3, 2010, the Broncos released Baker. [6]

Miami Dolphins

On October 7, 2010, Baker was signed to the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins. [7] He was promoted to the active 53-man roster on November 26, 2010. [8] He played one game for the Dolphins in the 2010 season. The Dolphins released him on July 31, 2011. [9]

Washington Redskins

On September 5, 2011, the Washington Redskins signed Baker to its practice squad. [10] On December 6, 2011, Baker was promoted from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster. [11] Without even playing a game for the Redskins, he was placed on injured reserve due to a quad injury on December 13, 2011. [12]

By the start of 2012 training camp, Baker was fully healed and was expected to compete with Chris Neild for the backup nose tackle position. [13] [14] After Neild was placed on injured reserve in the preseason, Baker made the final 53-man roster in his place. [15]

Baker with the Redskins in 2013 Chris Baker (defensive lineman).JPG
Baker with the Redskins in 2013

Originally set to become a restricted free agent, the Redskins tendered a restricted free-agent right-of-first-refusal qualifying offer to Baker on March 11, 2013. [16] Baker officially accepted and signed the team's tender on April 10. [17] He recorded his first career sack on Jay Cutler in the Week 7 win against the Chicago Bears. [18] [19]

Set to become a restricted free agent again for the 2014 season, the Redskins announced they had re-signed Baker to a three-year deal worth $12 million, with $4 million guaranteed. [20] He would switch from the starting left defensive end position to the nose tackle position after starter Barry Cofield was placed on short-term injured reserve. [21] During a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 21, 2014, Baker hit Eagles quarterback Nick Foles following an interception (which eventually was reversed) by Foles. Foles was jogging towards the player who had intercepted his pass when Baker made a hard block on Foles. Following the hit, a brawl broke out on the sidelines between both teams. Baker was confronted by Eagles offensive tackle Jason Peters with Baker clamping the face mask of Peters in retaliation and with Peters taking a swing at Baker which resulted in both players getting ejected in the scuffle. After the game, Baker responded to the incident saying, "I didn't even really hit him hard. I just hit him with my shoulder and he happened to fall. He's the quarterback and I guess that's why there was an ejection." Despite conflicting opinions on whether on the block was legal or not, [22] he was fined $8,268 for the fight with Peters. [23] On October 17, 2014, Baker was fined $10,000 for dragging down Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer by the face mask during the Week 6 loss. [24]

Baker's gameplay in the 2015 season surprisingly progressed so much that he beat out new free agent acquisition, Stephen Paea, for the starting left defensive end position. [25] [26] In the Week 4 win against the Eagles, he recorded two sacks on quarterback Sam Bradford, which was his first multi-sack game. [27] At the end of the regular season, he recorded a new career-high of six sacks, which earned him the $280,000 bonus in his contract. [25]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On March 9, 2017, Baker signed a three-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. [28] His contract was worth $15.75 million with $9 million guaranteed. [29] In his lone season with the Buccaneers, Baker recorded 33 tackles and 0.5 sacks. [30] On February 20, 2018, he was released by the Buccaneers after one season. [31]

Cincinnati Bengals

On March 7, 2018, Baker signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. [32] He was released on August 24, 2018. [33]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2009 DEN 100000.00000000000
2010 MIA 100000.00000000000
2012 WAS 14015870.00000010000
2013 WAS 1532716111.05000010000
2014 WAS 15123924151.04000000000
2015 WAS 16105326276.010000013200
2016 WAS 16164729183.57000022000
2017 TAM 1514332490.52000020000
93552141278712.028000075200

Playoffs

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2012 WAS 101010.00000000000
2015 WAS 112200.00000000000
213210.00000000000

Personal life

Baker has been childhood friends with nose tackle Terrance Knighton and Damik Scafe since high school, where the three of them were teammates. [34] Knighton was Baker's best man in his wedding to ESPN talent producer, Jamila Phillips, on March 14, 2015. [35]

On January 7, 2016, Baker's first child, Aria, was born. [36]

He suffered a stroke in January 2023, but survived. [37]

While attending Penn State, Baker was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty two cases of assault on May 16, 2008. [38]

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References

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  2. Armas, Genaro (June 26, 2007). "Penn State disciplines 10 players for off-campus fight" . Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  3. Jones, Mike (October 27, 2013). "Game day Q&A: Chris Baker on a football career that almost didn't happen". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  4. Friedman, Vicki (October 4, 2008). "NSU, Hampton give players a second chance". HamptonRoads.com. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  5. Bear, Doc (April 30, 2009). "Team Building and the Denver Broncos". Mile High Report. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
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  34. Herting, Chris (March 22, 2013). "Friends' Pact Turns Dream Come True". Redskins.com. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
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  37. "Former NFL Player Revealed He Suffered Stroke This Week". MSN. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  38. "Penn State tackle pleads guilty, gets two years probation". ESPN.com. May 16, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2014.