Robert Baker (football player)
Encyclopedia
Robert Cedrick Baker, III (born March 14, 1976 in Gainesville, Florida
) is a former professional gridiron football
player, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
from 2004
to 2006
as a slotback and wide receiver
. He is the older brother of the late Dante Anderson.
with the Auburn Tigers football
team from 1995 to 1996, but was declared academically ineligible to play in 1997. His college career is most remembered by a first quarter touchdown
pass he caught against Georgia
in 1996. After the touchdown, Baker began celebrating near Georgia mascot, Uga V
. The dog lunged at Baker, with the incident now captured in a famous picture.
In 1998, Baker began his life as a drug dealer. He was later arrested by police in Florida
in an undercover drug sting, subsequently getting sentenced to 15 years in prison with a $50,000 fine. Baker spent the next five months in a Lee County, Florida
jail, then transferred to the state penetentiary. Eleven months after the transfer, Baker got his early release.
of the National Football League
, spending equal time on the active roster, injured reserve, the practice squad or even being cut from the team before getting re-signed a year later. Baker has also played with the Frankfurt Galaxy
of NFL Europe
in 2003.
in his first year with the team, scoring a 23-yard touchdown reception. Despite those achievements, Baker was also known for his inconsistent performances that featured either untimely dropped passes or fumbles after making his receptions. Baker also developed a reputation as an undisciplined player with a rough attitude, most notably fights with two of his teammates. In 2004, Baker and linebacker Chuck Winters
got involved in two separate fights which were later resolved with a handshake. In 2005, a sideline fight between Baker and kicker Noel Prefontaine
ensued on the sidelines during a game in Calgary
. On August 3, 2006, coach Pinball Clemons
kept Baker from entering a game in the first half against the Montreal Alouettes
for disciplinary reasons. He was later released by the Argonauts on August 8, 2006. He was claimed off waivers by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
on August 11, 2006 but did not report to the team. On August 22, 2006, Baker announced his retirement from professional football to pursue a career in rap music under the recording name Shake Severs.http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2006/08/22/1769593-sun.html
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
) is a former professional gridiron football
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
player, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
from 2004
2004 CFL season
The 2004 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2004:...
to 2006
2006 CFL season
-2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions...
as a slotback and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. He is the older brother of the late Dante Anderson.
Early life
Baker played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
with the Auburn Tigers football
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
team from 1995 to 1996, but was declared academically ineligible to play in 1997. His college career is most remembered by a first quarter touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass he caught against Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
in 1996. After the touchdown, Baker began celebrating near Georgia mascot, Uga V
Uga (mascot)
Uga is the name of a lineage of English Bulldogs owned by Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler, which have served as the mascot of the University of Georgia since 1956...
. The dog lunged at Baker, with the incident now captured in a famous picture.
In 1998, Baker began his life as a drug dealer. He was later arrested by police in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in an undercover drug sting, subsequently getting sentenced to 15 years in prison with a $50,000 fine. Baker spent the next five months in a Lee County, Florida
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
jail, then transferred to the state penetentiary. Eleven months after the transfer, Baker got his early release.
National Football League
Between 1999 and 2003, Baker was a member of the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, spending equal time on the active roster, injured reserve, the practice squad or even being cut from the team before getting re-signed a year later. Baker has also played with the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
in 2003.
Canadian Football League
On March 16, 2004, Baker signed with the Argonauts. In each of his first two seasons with the Argonauts, he had amassed over 1,000 receiving yards each time. Baker also won a Grey Cup championship92nd Grey Cup
The 92nd Grey Cup game took place on November 21, 2004, at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. The game decided the championship of the 2004 Canadian Football League season...
in his first year with the team, scoring a 23-yard touchdown reception. Despite those achievements, Baker was also known for his inconsistent performances that featured either untimely dropped passes or fumbles after making his receptions. Baker also developed a reputation as an undisciplined player with a rough attitude, most notably fights with two of his teammates. In 2004, Baker and linebacker Chuck Winters
Chuck Winters
Charles "Chuck" Winters is a former Canadian Football League linebacker and defensive back who played for the Toronto Argonauts....
got involved in two separate fights which were later resolved with a handshake. In 2005, a sideline fight between Baker and kicker Noel Prefontaine
Noel Prefontaine
Noel Prefontaine is a professional Canadian football punter / kicker with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.- Early years :...
ensued on the sidelines during a game in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. On August 3, 2006, coach Pinball Clemons
Pinball Clemons
Michael Lutrell "Pinball" Clemons, O.Ont is the current Vice-Chair for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Clemons also played with the Argos for twelve seasons, and twice served as their head coach. His No. 31 jersey is one of only four that has been retired by the Argos...
kept Baker from entering a game in the first half against the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
for disciplinary reasons. He was later released by the Argonauts on August 8, 2006. He was claimed off waivers by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
on August 11, 2006 but did not report to the team. On August 22, 2006, Baker announced his retirement from professional football to pursue a career in rap music under the recording name Shake Severs.http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2006/08/22/1769593-sun.html