When people talk about some of the greatest wide receivers to come out of Western Pennsylvania, the name Eugene Baker deserves to be part of the conversation.
A standout athlete at Shady Side Academy, Baker developed into one of the most productive receivers in college football during his time at Kent State Golden Flashes. His impact was so significant that he remains Kent State’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches.
During his collegiate career, Baker rewrote the Kent State record books, finishing with 229 receptions, 3,513 receiving yards, and 35 touchdown catches. His 1997 season was one of the greatest ever by a MAC receiver, as he hauled in 103 catches for 1,549 yards and 18 touchdowns while earning All-American recognition.
His success earned him selection in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Baker would go on to spend time with several NFL organizations, including the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers, while also continuing his professional career in NFL Europe and Canada.
While many fans remember the NFL stops, Baker’s legacy goes beyond statistics. His journey represents what is possible for young athletes from Western Pennsylvania who are willing to put in the work and bet on themselves.
Today, his story remains one of perseverance, consistency, and excellence. Long before social media highlights and recruiting rankings became common, Eugene Baker built his reputation the old-fashioned way, through production, dedication, and results.
For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we salute one of Western Pennsylvania’s most accomplished football players.
Q: Growing up in Monroeville, what first made you fall in love with football?
Eugene Baker: As a kid, I actually grew up in Wilkinsburg, and my grandmother lived on the North Side, so I split my time between the two. In both neighborhoods, we played street football from telephone pole to telephone pole. I was also the ball boy for the North Side Express, which was a semi-pro team at the time. They played teams from other Pittsburgh neighborhoods, like the Homewood Raiders. Those were the years I first fell in love with football. I didn’t move to Monroeville until I was in middle school.
Q: What was it like competing at Shady Side Academy during your high school years?
Eugene Baker: During my years at Shady Side Academy, we weren’t allowed to compete in the WPIAL. We played in the Interstate Prep School League (IPSL), which consisted of private schools from Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan, including University School, Sewickley Academy, Linsly, Western Reserve Academy, and Detroit Country Day. Most of the schools in that league had fifth-year seniors, which was probably the main reason we had our own league. During my senior year, Shady Side Academy was admitted into the WPIAL for basketball and baseball, but football wasn’t admitted until the following year. Because of that, I never had the opportunity to play WPIAL football or compete for a PIAA championship.
Q: Why did you choose Kent State over other opportunities?
Eugene Baker: During my junior year at Shady Side Academy, I led the state in receptions and receiving yards, and that’s what really put me on the map. Early on, I was recruited by many of the top college football programs in the country. At the time, Notre Dame and Florida State were among the best programs in the nation, and I wanted to attend either Notre Dame or Michigan. Michigan appealed to me because my cousin, Ty Law, was there, and Notre Dame because Ray Zellars, a guy from my neighborhood on the North Side, was their starting fullback. As signing day got closer after my senior season, most of the major schools told me I was too small to play Division I football. That always stuck with me and gave me extra motivation to prove them wrong. In the end, Pitt and Kent State were the last two schools recruiting me. When it came time to decide, Pitt told me they were only signing two freshman wide receivers and had already filled those spots. That made my decision easy. Kent State was the only school that truly believed in me and gave me an opportunity.
Q: At what point did you realize you had the ability to play in the NFL?
Eugene Baker: It might sound silly to some people, but I was telling everyone when I was 8 years old that I was going to play in the NFL. I just knew it. It was always my dream. There was nothing else I wanted to do. The moment I realized that dream could become reality came early in my first season as a starter at Kent State. We played the University of Nevada in either the third or fourth game of the season, and I had 10 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns. It was my breakout game in college. After that performance, I felt like I could play at that level every week, and from that point on, that’s exactly what I set out to do.
Q: Your 1997 season at Kent State was legendary. What made that year so special?
Eugene Baker: After the 1996 season, I felt like I had not only proved my doubters wrong, but I had also proved to myself that I could do everything I believed I was capable of doing. I entered the 1997 season with a tremendous amount of confidence and simply wanted to build on what I had accomplished the year before. I remember telling my mom during the summer before the 1997 season, “I’m going to lead the nation in receiving.” She didn’t really say anything, but I still remember the look on her face. She looked at me like, “Boy, you’re crazy.” I must have known something, because that’s exactly what happened. I led the nation in receiving.
Q: What is your favorite memory from your college football career?
Eugene Baker: My favorite college football memory was playing in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii. The Hula Bowl was a college football all-star game where many of the nation’s top seniors had the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of NFL scouts. We spent a week in Hawaii practicing before the game, which was televised nationally on ESPN. At the end of it all, I was named the North Team’s MVP, while Ricky Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner that year, was named the South Team’s MVP. That’s a memory I’ll never forget.
Q: What did it mean to become Kent State’s all-time leading receiver?
Eugene Baker: I have a funny story about that, and my friend and teammate Joe Miller still tells people about it. When I came to Kent State on my recruiting visit as a high school senior, Joe and I were roommates. Joe was a fullback from New Jersey. He always laughs when he tells people about the first conversation we ever had. He says we shook hands, and I looked at him and said, “I don’t know what you’re going to do up here, big man, but I’m about to break every wide receiver record they’ve got at this school.” Joe says he looked at me and thought to himself, This dude is 155 pounds soaking wet…yeah, okay, whatever, buddy. Being able to become Kent State’s all-time leading receiver means a lot because of all the great players who came before and after me. I know how much hard work I put in to accomplish that goal. At the same time, I still wonder what those records would have looked like if I hadn’t broken my collarbone during my senior season and missed the final six games.
Q: What was draft day like when the Falcons selected you in 1999?
Eugene Baker: Draft day was bittersweet for me. Before my senior season, most NFL projections had me being selected in the second or third round. But that was before my injury. After breaking my collarbone in the fifth game of my senior year, I felt like everything I had worked so hard for was in jeopardy. I already felt like I had to go above and beyond because I played at Kent State, a smaller Division I-A school in the MAC that didn’t receive the same exposure as the bigger programs. Back then, the NFL Draft lasted two days. Rounds 1 through 3 were held on the first day and Rounds 4 through 7 were on the second. After Day 1 passed, my phone never rang. Then came Day 2. I’ll never forget it. The Pittsburgh Steelers called during the fifth round and told me they planned to select me with their next pick. As soon as I hung up the phone, it rang again. This time it was the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Dan Reeves was on the line, and he told me they were selecting me with the 164th overall pick in the fifth round. It was a dream come true, and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity.
Q: Who were some of the best players you competed against in college and the NFL?
Eugene Baker: In college, it was future NFL Hall of Famers Champ Bailey and Randy Moss. In the NFL, I had the opportunity to compete against two of my childhood idols, Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson.
Q: What was the biggest adjustment from college football to the NFL?
Eugene Baker: The biggest adjustment was getting used to the speed of the game. Everything is much faster in the NFL, and everyone is elite. You have to adjust quickly if you want to survive.
Q: Which NFL organization had the biggest impact on your career?
Eugene Baker: The Atlanta Falcons. They were the organization that drafted me, believed in me, and gave me my first opportunity to live out my dream of playing in the NFL. I’ll always be grateful for that.
Q: What lessons did professional football teach you about life?
Eugene Baker: Not only professional football, but football in general teaches you so many valuable life lessons. It teaches discipline, hard work, sacrifice, accountability, selflessness, how to compete, how to finish what you start, and the mindset to control only what you can control. Those are lessons that carry over far beyond football and can be applied to everyday life.
Q: How do you think today’s athletes differ from when you were coming up?
Eugene Baker: When I was growing up, most athletes played multiple sports. You don’t see that nearly as much today. A lot of young athletes specialize in one sport at an early age, and I don’t think that’s always a good thing. If you’re fortunate enough to earn a college scholarship, you’ll have plenty of time to dedicate yourself to one sport. I also think the landscape has changed dramatically. Social media, NIL, the recruiting process, and the transfer portal have all changed the mindset of today’s athletes.
Q: What advice would you give Western Pennsylvania athletes chasing college scholarships?
Eugene Baker: Believe in yourself, work hard, chase your dreams, and never let someone tell you that you can’t accomplish something you’ve set your mind to.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of when you look back on your football journey?
Eugene Baker: What I’m most proud of is the fact that I was able to live out my childhood dream. I earned a college scholarship, broke records, got drafted into the NFL, and even played in a Super Bowl. Those were all things I dreamed about as a kid, and I’m thankful I was able to make them a reality.
Q: What are you doing today, and how has life been after football?
Eugene Baker: Today, I’m back home in Pittsburgh working in construction and real estate. After I retired from football, I spent some time coaching at Kent State, and I hope to get back into the game someday. Whether it’s NFL scouting, coaching in the NFL, or coaching at the college level, I’d love the opportunity to be involved with football again in some capacity.