Terry Baker
Encyclopedia
For the Canadian football player of the same name see Terry Baker (Canadian football)
.
Terry Wayne Baker (born May 5, 1941) is a former quarterback
for the Oregon State University
football
team. He played for them through the 1960-1962 seasons. He is most notable for winning the 1962 Heisman Trophy
and playing the Final Four
in the NCAA Basketball Tournament
in the same school year. To date, he is the only person to have both won a Heisman Trophy and played in the Final Four.
Baker was born May 5, 1941 in Pine River, Minnesota
. He attended Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon
and was a standout three-sport athlete for the Democrats.
Baker was a three-year letterwinner in basketball, and led the Democrats to the Portland Interscholastic League
city championship his senior year.
Baker was also a great baseball player. He earned a letter all four years of high school in baseball and led his team to the 1959 Oregon School Activities Association
state championship.
Football, however, was Baker's most dominant sport. Baker played quarterback and tailback for the Democrats. In his junior and senior seasons, the Democrats were 23-0 and won two Oregon State Athletic Association state championships. As a senior, he threw for 1,261 yards and ran for 438 yards.
Baker played as a point guard
on the Oregon State basketball team
.
Baker also chose to play football after coming to Oregon State. He played football for Oregon State
from 1960 through 1962. During that season, he threw for 3,476 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also ran for 1503 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Baker earned a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering
at OSU in 1963.
In addition to winning the Heisman in 1962, he also won the Maxwell Award
and the W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
, was a consensus first team All-American, was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
, was a Helms Foundation Award recipient, and was the winner of 14 player of the year awards, including the AP, UPI, and The Sporting News. He was also part of the All-Star team in the 1963 College All-Star Game
, the last time the All-Star team would ever defeat the reigning NFL champions.
and was the first overall pick, by the Los Angeles Rams. Baker played with the Rams for 3 seasons, and later played for the Edmonton Eskimos
of the CFL
while earning a J.D.
at the University of Southern California Law School
. He is considered the first of many Heisman trophy busts in the NFL, mainly due to his style of play not fitting into the Rams' offensive scheme. This could also be attributed to the fact that the head coach of the LA Rams often had Baker lining up as a running back. It is also widely accepted that Baker was ahead of his time as a dual threat quarterback
in 1982, and the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Oregon State has retired his #11 football jersey.
Baker's 99-yard run against Villanova in the Liberty Bowl remains an NCAA record, and because the ball can never start from the goal line, the record can never be broken, only tied. He is currently a retired lawyer
living in Portland
, Oregon
.
Terry Baker (Canadian football)
Terry Baker is a former punter and placekicker from 1987 to 2002 for four different teams of the Canadian Football League. In 1998 and 2000 he led the league in scoring....
.
Terry Wayne Baker (born May 5, 1941) is a former quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team. He played for them through the 1960-1962 seasons. He is most notable for winning the 1962 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
and playing the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
in the NCAA Basketball Tournament
NCAA Basketball Tournament
NCAA basketball tournament may refer to the following basketball tournaments:In the United States:*NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship*NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship*NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship...
in the same school year. To date, he is the only person to have both won a Heisman Trophy and played in the Final Four.
Baker was born May 5, 1941 in Pine River, Minnesota
Pine River, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 928 people, 438 households, and 216 families residing in the city. The population density was 834.6 people per square mile . There were 464 housing units at an average density of 417.3 per square mile...
. He attended Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and was a standout three-sport athlete for the Democrats.
Baker was a three-year letterwinner in basketball, and led the Democrats to the Portland Interscholastic League
Portland Interscholastic League
The Portland Interscholastic League is a high school athletic conference in Portland, Oregon that is a member of the Oregon School Activities Association . It consists of high schools in the Portland Public Schools district...
city championship his senior year.
Baker was also a great baseball player. He earned a letter all four years of high school in baseball and led his team to the 1959 Oregon School Activities Association
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition among its members, both public and private...
state championship.
Football, however, was Baker's most dominant sport. Baker played quarterback and tailback for the Democrats. In his junior and senior seasons, the Democrats were 23-0 and won two Oregon State Athletic Association state championships. As a senior, he threw for 1,261 yards and ran for 438 yards.
Baker played as a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
on the Oregon State basketball team
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
.
Baker also chose to play football after coming to Oregon State. He played football for Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
from 1960 through 1962. During that season, he threw for 3,476 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also ran for 1503 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Baker earned a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at OSU in 1963.
Heisman Trophy
On November 27, 1962, it was announced that Baker was the winner of the Heisman Trophy for his achievements during the 1962 season. He was the first person to win the Heisman Trophy west of Texas and the only player ever to win from the Pacific Northwest.In addition to winning the Heisman in 1962, he also won the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and the W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. Award recipients include...
, was a consensus first team All-American, was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
, was a Helms Foundation Award recipient, and was the winner of 14 player of the year awards, including the AP, UPI, and The Sporting News. He was also part of the All-Star team in the 1963 College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
, the last time the All-Star team would ever defeat the reigning NFL champions.
Professional career
After graduation, Baker entered the 1963 NFL Draft1963 NFL Draft
The 1963 National Football League Draft was held on December 4, 1962.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
and was the first overall pick, by the Los Angeles Rams. Baker played with the Rams for 3 seasons, and later played for the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
of the CFL
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....
while earning a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
at the University of Southern California Law School
University of Southern California Law School
The University of Southern California Law School , located in Los Angeles, California, is a law school within the University of Southern California...
. He is considered the first of many Heisman trophy busts in the NFL, mainly due to his style of play not fitting into the Rams' offensive scheme. This could also be attributed to the fact that the head coach of the LA Rams often had Baker lining up as a running back. It is also widely accepted that Baker was ahead of his time as a dual threat quarterback
Legacy
Baker was inducted into the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1982, and the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Oregon State has retired his #11 football jersey.
Baker's 99-yard run against Villanova in the Liberty Bowl remains an NCAA record, and because the ball can never start from the goal line, the record can never be broken, only tied. He is currently a retired lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
living in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.