Prior to East Carolina’s final game in 1985, senior tailback Tony Baker had rushed for 2,813 yards, surpassing Theodore Sutton for second place in Pirate rushing history. With one game left, against Louisiana State University, Baker was positioned to surpass record holder Carlester Crumpler’s 2,889 yards. In the preceding game against Tulsa, Baker had rushed for 130 yards, and in the ten games before the LSU (8-1-1) match, he had averaged 93.9 yards per game. All Baker needed was 77 yards to earn the honor of having rushed more than any other Pirate in history.
On another count, Baker only needed 61 yards for entry into an elite group of Pirate rushers who had surpassed 1,000 yards in a single season. The elite included Crumpler, with 1,309 yards in 1972; Butch Colson with 1,135 yards in 1967; Anthony Collins with 1,130 in 1979; and David Alexander with 1,029 in 1965. Finally, Baker only needed just 96 yards beyond his 2,813 yards, to become one of the top five all time Pirate leaders in total offensive gains.
However, Baker was fated to remain on the cusp of top honors. The nationally-ranked, bowl-bound LSU Tigers held Baker to a mere 12 yards, denying him the school’s total rushing record and other honors in the history of Pirate offensive play. Worse still, during the game, Baker suffered a fractured shin. Overall, LSU allowed ECU (2-9) only 109 yards rushing total, and 88 passing. Without Baker’s rushing, the Pirates fell badly to LSU, 35-15. Baker’s career as a Pirate tailback thus ended painfully as one of the greatest, but not the greatest, offensive runners in ECU football history.
Baker had graduated from T. Wingate Andrews High School in High Point. His freshman year at ECU, he was assigned the tailback position due to injuries incurred by the starter. That year, Baker rushed for 827 yards, by any count impressive. From that point, he rose annually as one of the most outstanding ECU players even as the Pirates as a team sank into the doldrums.
After ECU, Baker was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons into the NFL. He later played for the Cleveland Browns (1986-1988), but was hampered by a knee injury. Baker next played with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1989, and then with Frankfurt Galaxy, 1991-1992, in the All-World League. Without doubt, his best years as a tailback were with the Pirates, adding impressive, inspiring runs amid dismal team losing streaks.
Sources
- Dias, Roberto. “Tony Baker, a speedy running back expected to add …” UPI Archives. August 15, 1988. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/15/Tony-Baker-a-speedy-running-back-expected-to-add/1989587620800/
- ECU Sports Information. “Baker, Hilliard Go For Rushing Record.” East Carolinian. Vol. 60, no. 28. December 5, 1985. P. 18. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/57762
- Gantt, Stuart. “Baker and Heath: Four Special Years.” East Carolina vs. Tulsa. November 16, 1985. University Archives UA40.01.02.21.04. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N.C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/27666
More from Digital Collections
Citation Information
Title: Tony Baker
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 7/1/2019