Sam Baker (November 12, 1930 – June 5, 2007) played halfback at Oregon State and then found his niche as place-kicker in the National Football League.
Baker grew up playing multiple sports first in Tacoma, WA then during his senior year at Corvallis High School when his father moved the family for a job at Oregon State. Sam played four sports: baseball, basketball and track and field. He competed in multiple field events and could have become a decathlete. The Spartans won the 1948 state championship in basketball, needing three close games at McArthur close to wrap up a 27-4 record.
Baker stayed close to his new home and played three seasons (1950-52) at Oregon State for coach Kip Taylor. Baker was a fullback, safety and kicker/punter for the Beavers. And kicker for the varsity team as both a halfback and kicker. He graduated from the team as the record-holder in carries (487) and yards gained (1,947). He scored 23 touchdowns including the final one at Bell Field. Sam's best single-game performance was 159 yards and 1 score in the 1950 Civil War game
Then came the position shift that led to success in the pros. After two years as a backup running back and two years in the Army, Baker returned to the NFL with the Washington Redskins. in1956. He was given the jobs of kicker and punter and went on to play fourteen more seasons for the Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
That first year with Washington, he led the league with 17 field goals and made the first of his four appearances in the Pro Bowl. Baker led the league in numerous kicking categories throughout his career. In 1958, he averaged a league-best 45.4 yards per punt, made a league-best in PATs in both 1960 and ’62, and a league-best 18 of 25 field-goal attempts in 1966.
In his career, Baker made 179 of 316 field-goal attempts (56 percent) and averaged 42.6 yards on 703 punts. He missed just 16 attempts on 444 extra points (96 percent).
Sam Baker was inducted into the Oregon State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991. He is also a member of the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame for his performance for Stadium High School in Tacoma before his move to Corvallis.