Linebacker
No. 51
Penn State
"Baker captained the Jets defensive unit last year, the second time in a row he was accorded that honor. He was a steadying influence on the Jet defense, which had a variety of new faces in 1974 and put in another steady and reliable season.
Ralph played outstanding games against Los Angeles, Houston and Miami and then capped his year with interceptions in the final two games. Against Buffalo he picked off a Joe Ferguson pass late in the game and raced 67 yards for a touchdown to seal a 20-10 upset over the playoff-bound Bills. A week later he snared a Bert Jones pass and ran it back 20 yards. He suffered a broken finger against the Colts and missed most of the second half.
Baker has played 141 games for the Jets, fourth most in the club's history, and has a streak of 34 straight entering 1975. He had four interceptions in 1973, one of them for a touchdown. Ralph has had two straight years of good health after battling mononucleosis and a broken wrist in 1972.
Signed as a 6th round pick in 1964, Ralph has been the starter at left linebacker since his rookie year and has also seen duty in the middle when the Jets have switched into a 4-4 alignment. He had his finest pro campaign in 1968, topping it off with two fumble recoveries, one each in the AFL Championship game and the Super Bowl. Baker is strong at the point of attack and a good downfield pass defender.
Baker majored in mathematics in college and likes to hunt and fish. He makes his home in Greenlawn, New York and is a salesman for Gilbert Phillips, Inc., a contractor and designer of ceilings and partitions. His hometown is Lewistown, Pennsylvania."
-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook
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