Ryan Baker - 12-30-2009 |
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| Miami Dolphins | |
| Defensive end | |
| Personal information | |
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| Date of birth: November 25, 1984 | |
| Place of birth: Indianapolis, Indiana | |
| Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | Weight: 295 lb (134 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Purdue | |
| Undrafted in 2009 | |
| Debuted in 2009 for the Miami Dolphins | |
| Career history | |
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| Roster status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2011 | |
| Tackles | 7 |
| Sacks | 0.5 |
| Forced fumbles | 0 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Ryan Edward Baker (born November 25, 1984 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American football defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Purdue.
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Baker started off his career at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis, Indiana where he won several awards, including the 2004 Indianapolis Star 'Athlete of the Year'.[1] He was a four year two-way starter and two-time team captain for the Bishop Chatard Trojans. He led the team to three consecutive Indiana high school football class 3A State Championships in the 2001, 2002, and 2003 seasons.[2] He was runner-up 2003 Mr. Indiana Football behind Desmond Tardy of Warren Central High School and participated in the 2004 Indiana All-Star Game.[3] Baker was also a member of the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl East Football team, along with former Dolphins teammate Tedd Ginn and current teammate Chad Henne.[4] Baker was the recipient of the 2004 Doc Blanchard Award for excellence in community service, education, and athletic distinction.[5]
Baker was also a four year starter and member of the 2003 Bishop Chatard Indiana high school basketball 3A state championship team[6] along with his childhood friend Dan Cage. At that time, Bishop Chatard was only the second high school in Indiana history to win both a state championship in football and basketball in the same academic year.
During the 2003-2004 college recruiting season, Baker verbally committed to join the University of Notre Dame football program under head coach Tyrone Willingham. The Notre Dame football program publicly announced the commitment though Baker had not submitted his official commitment papers. About seven weeks following the incident, Baker committed to joining the Purdue University football program, under head coach Joe Tiller, by submitting formal commitment papers to Purdue University.[7]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Baker DE |
Indianapolis, Indiana | Bishop Chatard | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 4.8 | Mar 24, 2004 |
| Scout: Rivals: | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 14 (DE) Rivals: 11 (DE), 2 (IN) | ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:
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Baker, also being an accomplished basketball player, was recruited by Division I basketball programs. He often received scholarship offers from both the Basketball and Football programs of the same university. Though he was a successful multi-sport athlete, Baker chose to focus solely on Football.
"Ryan is the epitome of a Boilermaker student-athlete. No one works harder than he does - in the classroom, the weight room, the playing field. There are high-motor guys, and then there is 'Bakes.' He takes it to another level."
Baker played college football at Purdue University (2004–2008). He was co-captain along with Curtis Painter, and Jermaine Guynn[9] for the 2008 football season and his position of specialty was defensive tackle.[10] During each home game of the 2008 season, "The Boilermaker" statue bore the number 90 jersey in honor of Baker's indomitable spirit and Boilermaker style of football.
Baker graduated from the Purdue University Krannert School of Management with a Bachelor's degree in Management in December 2008.
"He went in the game and did what Ryan does every day...hustled, went a million miles per hour and found the football."
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Baker signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent on April 30, 2009. He was waived by the Dolphins during final cuts on September 5 and subsequently re-signed to the team's practice squad. Baker made his professional debut against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 29, 2009, after being signed to the active roster the previous day, recording a quarterback sack his second play from scrimmage.
“He’s an amoeba. He’s got no bones in his body...I’ll tell you what I love about this guy...If you give him that job, now whatever job you give to Ryan Baker, he’s going to do it 200%."
Baker was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010 and re-signed to the Dolphins' practice squad. He was soon reinstated to the active roster on September 18 after the team waived defensive end Rob Rose.[13]
Baker was released from the team during week four of the season, on September 28, 2011, to make room for running back Steve Slaton.[14] Baker was resigned to the team on November 30, 2011 and Igor Olshansky was subsequently released.[15]
Baker married his high school sweetheart Susanah Fox Acheson at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 16, 2011. Susanah serves as the Vice President for the Ryan Baker Foundation.[16]
During the summer, Baker hosts the annual Ryan Baker Football Camp for youth football players in the Indianapolis area.[17]