John H. Baker Jr.

John Baker Jr.
Baker in 1959
Sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina
In office
December 4, 1978 – 2002
Succeeded byDonnie Harrison
Personal details
Born(1935-06-10)June 10, 1935
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, 2007(2007-10-31) (aged 72)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic

American football career
No. 73, 78
Position:DE / DT
Career information
High school:Raleigh (NC) Washington
College:North Carolina Central
NFL draft:1958 / round: 5 / pick: 56
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games:131
Fumbles recovered:14
Interceptions:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

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.[1]

  1. ^ McDonald, Thomasi (October 31, 2007). "Former Wake Sheriff John Baker dies". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved October 31, 2007.