Perry Baker
| Date of birth | June 29, 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | Template:Unit weight | ||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Spruce Creek High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Fairmont State University | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Perry Baker (born 29 June 1986) is an American rugby sevens player for the United States national rugby sevens team.
American football
Baker played college football for NCAA Division II Fairmont State University in West Virginia.[1] He graduated from Fairmont State in 2010 with a degree in Criminal Justice.[2]
Baker was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, but he suffered a knee injury that cut short his NFL career.[3] Baker played for two years for the Pittsburgh Power in the Arena Football League during 2012 and 2013.[4]
Rugby career
Baker had dabbled in rugby since 2006, when he was introduced to the sport by Brian Richardson, the coach of Daytona Beach Rugby who was also one of Baker's American football high school coaches. Baker played with the Daytona Beach Coconuts in 2012, leading them to a ninth-place finish at the club sevens national tournament.[5]
Baker took up rugby full time in 2013 and joined the Tiger Rugby Academy in Columbus, Ohio, working under coach Paul Holmes.[6] Baker signed a full-time contract with the U.S. Eagles in July 2014 to join the residency program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in San Diego, California.[7][8] He made his debut at the 2014 Gold Coast Sevens in Australia.[9][10][11]
Baker was involved in an incident at the 2014 South Africa Sevens when the United States were playing against South Africa, a fan invaded the rugby field and tackled him. Baker retaliated by kicking him, he later apologized for his actions on Twitter.[12][13]
Family
Baker's older brother Dallas is a National Football League and Arena Football League player. Perry is the nephew of former NFL player and coach Wes Chandler, who appeared in four Pro Bowls during his 10-year career in the NFL as a wide receiver.[14][15]
References
- ^ gofundme.com (2015). "Perry Baker Team USA Rugby 7s". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Perry Baker, Team USA. Accessed April 11, 2016.
- ^ Martin Pengelly (13 February 2015). "USA sevens rugby star Perry Baker earns Eagles wings in new arena". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ sarugbymag.co.za (14 October 2014). "New USA speedster Perry Baker". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Brent Woronoff (29 July 2014). "Baker keeps Olympic dream alive, joins USA Rugby residency program". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Brent Woronoff (29 July 2014). "Baker keeps Olympic dream alive, joins USA Rugby residency program". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Brent Woronoff (29 July 2014). "Baker keeps Olympic dream alive, joins USA Rugby residency program". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Graham Smeaton (3 May 2015). "USA Eagles Rugby - Perry 'Speedstick' Baker". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Oliver Pickup (13 February 2015). "HSBC Sevens World Series: USA flier Perry Baker ready to set Las Vegas aflame in home competition". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Curtis (thisisamericanrugby.com) (14 October 2014). "Perry Baker Reflects On Eagles Debut". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Pat Clifton (30 September 2014). "Baker Could Complete Deadly Duo". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Snejana Farberov (16 December 2014). "That'll teach him! Moment American rugby player kicked pitch intruder in the stomach in retaliation for tackling him during match". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Ron Dicker (15 December 2014). "Perry Baker, U.S. Rugby Player, Kicks Intruder Who Ran On Field". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ Martin Pengelly (13 February 2015). "USA sevens rugby star Perry Baker earns Eagles wings in new arena". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ "USA rugby sevens team shocks the world, defeats New Zealand", Washington Post, Jake Russell, December 4, 2015.