He’s a three-time Rugby Olympian!
Perry Baker got his start as a football player, becoming a star at Fairmont State in West Virginia before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, the NCAA reports. However, a torn meniscus would dash his football dreams, and Baker would spend some time in arena football before deciding to rebrand altogether.
“I never thought anything about anything else but football. I knew I could play in the NFL. I knew that was all I ever wanted. I never had a Plan B, backup, any of that,” Baker previously told reporters.
It was during that time that rugby became an option. The sport had some similarities, and Baker had built a solid foundation in football, building up his speed, agility, and strength. With the support of the Tiger Rugby Academy in Columbus, Ohio, Baker was able to learn the nuances of the sport and became a viable player, reemerging in 2014 at the Olympic Training Center’s residency program.
Now, Baker is a three-time Rugby Olympian, the NY Times reports. The Florida native recently made history as the all-time leading men’s scorer in Olympic rugby sevens. Baker showed up for Team USA at their recent match against Ireland at the Paris Olympics. Baker also became the first man to score four tries in an Olympic game, giving the USA an edge to victory in their match against Uruguay the day before.
Despite Team USA losing to Ireland 17-14, Baker’s fight made the game so close, proof that it’s never too late to carve a new path. As he closed out his time at the Paris Olympics, Baker said he was humbled and honored.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about the team. If you look at those tries, every one came from someone doing their job. My job is just trying to finish for those guys, that’s what it’s about. It’s a team effort all the way around. It comes from the whole team and those guys always trying to find a way to free me away,” said Baker.
Cover photo: Perry Baker Makes History as All-Time Leading Men’s Scorer in Olympic Rugby Sevens/Photo credit: Perry Baker/Instagram