Sam Baker
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Career Summary
Sam Baker was a USC offensive tackle who played for the Atlanta Falcons.
Baker played left offensive tackle at USC before Atlanta selected him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The Falcons paired him with fellow first-round rookie Matt Ryan as a prospective blindside protector.
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Early Life
Baker is from Tustin, California.
USC listed Baker's hometown as Tustin, California.
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High School
Baker was a decorated two-way lineman at Tustin High School.
Baker earned numerous national, regional and all-state honors at Tustin High School. As a senior, he made 34 tackles and 2.5 sacks on defense while Tustin reached the CIF Division VI semifinals.
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College Career
Baker was a four-year USC starter and three-time first-team All-American.
Baker started at left tackle for four USC seasons after redshirting in 2003. USC identified him as its third three-time first-team All-American and a three-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection.
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Path to the NFL
Atlanta drafted Baker in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, 21st overall.
Falcons draft history lists Baker as a first-round selection, 21st overall, in 2008.
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NFL Career
Baker played left tackle for Atlanta after joining the club's 2008 draft class.
Atlanta selected Baker to protect rookie quarterback Matt Ryan's blind side. Falcons coverage reported that Baker made 14 starts in 2009 and later returned to the starting left-tackle role in 2012.
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Career Accomplishments
Baker was a three-time first-team All-American and a USC team captain.
As a USC senior, Baker earned first-team All-America recognition from Walter Camp and Phil Steele and first-team All-Pac-10 honors for a third straight year. He also served as a team captain and won USC's Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year Award.
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Playing Style
Baker was a technically sound, tenacious left tackle and a trusted blindside protector.
USC coach Pete Carroll praised Baker's leadership, tenacity and savvy. Falcons coverage said Baker had played well when healthy and noted he had allowed only one sack and four quarterback hits through Week 11 of the 2009 season.
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Legacy
Baker is remembered as part of the Falcons' 2008 draft class that helped reshape the franchise.
Falcons coverage placed Baker among the core members of Atlanta's 2008 draft class, alongside Matt Ryan and Curtis Lofton, and later included him among the franchise's top players of that decade.
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21946, 00-0026161, 1985-05-30, Sam Baker, Samuel, Baker
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