Background
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Baker was the son of John H. Baker, Senior, the city"s first African-American police officer
sheriff American football player
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Baker was the son of John H. Baker, Senior, the city"s first African-American police officer
The younger Baker attended Raleigh"s Washington and Ligon High Schools and North Carolina Central University.
He later served as sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina from 1978 to 2002, becoming the first African-American sheriff in North Carolina since the Reconstruction era. Baker, Senior served at one time as sergeant-at-arms for the city council. There he was a teammate of Herman Boone.
In the fifth round of the 1958 NFL Draft, Baker was selected by the Los Angeles Rams.
Over eleven seasons he played for the Rams (1958-1961), Philadelphia Eagles (1962), Pittsburgh Steelers (1963-1967) and Detroit Lions (1968). After Baker retired from the NFL, he worked as an aide for then-United States. Senator Robert Morgan.
He was also appointed to the state Parole Commission. He began speaking to youth in community centers and in prison, trying to help them change their lives for good.
In 1976 Baker worked on the state presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter.
He was repeatedly re-elected and held the position for 24 years. He instituted a way for incarcerated youth to continue their education, and was instrumental in founding the John H. Baker Charter School (which was named after him) In 2002 Baker was defeated for re-election as sheriff by Donnie Harrison. He was unsuccessful in a 2006 campaign to regain the office.
1972 - He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.