John H. Baker Jr.
John Baker Jr. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baker in 1959 | |||||||||
| Sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina | |||||||||
| In office December 4, 1978 – 2002 | |||||||||
| Succeeded by | Donnie Harrison | ||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||
| Born | June 10, 1935 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | October 31, 2007 (aged 72) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Party | Democratic | ||||||||
| Football career | |||||||||
| No. 73, 78 | |||||||||
| Position | DE / DT | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Raleigh (NC) Washington | ||||||||
| College | North Carolina Central | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1958: 5th round, 56th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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John Haywood Baker Jr. (June 10, 1935 – October 31, 2007), nicknamed "Big John", was an American athlete and law enforcement officer. He played as defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) and was a member of four teams from 1958 to 1968. He 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.