Denver Native (Carol)
06-16-2010, 01:06 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=10192
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Toney Baker can't stop smiling. The glint in his teeth matches the sunlight reflected off his smooth shaved head.
But he hasn't always had a reason to grin. Before arriving at Dove Valley as a college free-agent, Baker had a tumultuous history with injuries.
The running back logged only 26 snaps in 2007 at North Carolina State before a knee injury shut him down. In August of 2008 the same injury forced him to endure his second surgery on the same knee and forfeit another football season. Yet he persevered. In 2009 Baker returned to lead the Wolfpack in rushing and earn the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award recognizing the most courageous player in the conference.
"I've always loved the game, but being away from it just brought it to my eyes that I absolutely loved this game," Baker said. "It just tore me up to not be able to play and compete, so when I get on the field I just play like it's my last play."
The tailback's passion for the sport never faltered during his two seasons on the sideline. Baker has a rare personality that led him to regard the positives of his situation.
"I think being away from the game allowed me to study a little more, to be a little more confident in blitzes and to play confidently, so that's what I did," Baker said.
The knee responded to arduous rehabilitation and Baker trotted onto the grass of the football field alongside his teammates after two years toughing out the isolation of injury.
"That was the best part, just being out there and being part of the team. Being away like that is tough," he said.
As a senior, the bruising running style showcased when he twice broke 13 tackles in a game hadn't changed. Baker ended his collegiate career with 4.5 yards-per-carry average and helped beat rival North Carolina by one point in his last game with N.C. State.
"It was phenomenal," Baker said. "It's something you don't forget -- those type of games. I'm happy that we went out on that kind of note."
A strong senior performance propelled Baker back into the notebooks of NFL scouts. An invitation to Broncos minicamp put a permanent smile on his face.
"I was excited. I was very excited," he said. "I knew it was great opportunity. I expected a chance and I got the chance. Now I'm trying to do everything I can to get the job done."
It's been a herky jerky ride for Baker. Once he was one of the highest regarded high school running backs in the country, rushing for more yards than anyone in the history of North Carolina high school football.
"In high school I was a Parade All-American," Baker recalled. "I was in the top three (running backs) in the country with (Carolina Panther Jonathan) Stewart and (Pittsburgh Steeler Rashard) Mendenhall. I went to college and had success early on, but I got a knee injury my junior year, which put me out for two seasons. I had to really be patient and come back from that. When I did I had a good senior year and I'm out here now."
Now he's practicing on the same field Terrell Davis once tore up, the same turf where Knowshon Moreno hones his craft.
Baker relishes the opportunity. He said his knee feels "phenomenal," but the pain and the disappointment of two years without the game still drive him.
"Nothing's guaranteed," Baker said. "Any play can be your last play, so you just have to cherish it and play hard."
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Toney Baker can't stop smiling. The glint in his teeth matches the sunlight reflected off his smooth shaved head.
But he hasn't always had a reason to grin. Before arriving at Dove Valley as a college free-agent, Baker had a tumultuous history with injuries.
The running back logged only 26 snaps in 2007 at North Carolina State before a knee injury shut him down. In August of 2008 the same injury forced him to endure his second surgery on the same knee and forfeit another football season. Yet he persevered. In 2009 Baker returned to lead the Wolfpack in rushing and earn the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award recognizing the most courageous player in the conference.
"I've always loved the game, but being away from it just brought it to my eyes that I absolutely loved this game," Baker said. "It just tore me up to not be able to play and compete, so when I get on the field I just play like it's my last play."
The tailback's passion for the sport never faltered during his two seasons on the sideline. Baker has a rare personality that led him to regard the positives of his situation.
"I think being away from the game allowed me to study a little more, to be a little more confident in blitzes and to play confidently, so that's what I did," Baker said.
The knee responded to arduous rehabilitation and Baker trotted onto the grass of the football field alongside his teammates after two years toughing out the isolation of injury.
"That was the best part, just being out there and being part of the team. Being away like that is tough," he said.
As a senior, the bruising running style showcased when he twice broke 13 tackles in a game hadn't changed. Baker ended his collegiate career with 4.5 yards-per-carry average and helped beat rival North Carolina by one point in his last game with N.C. State.
"It was phenomenal," Baker said. "It's something you don't forget -- those type of games. I'm happy that we went out on that kind of note."
A strong senior performance propelled Baker back into the notebooks of NFL scouts. An invitation to Broncos minicamp put a permanent smile on his face.
"I was excited. I was very excited," he said. "I knew it was great opportunity. I expected a chance and I got the chance. Now I'm trying to do everything I can to get the job done."
It's been a herky jerky ride for Baker. Once he was one of the highest regarded high school running backs in the country, rushing for more yards than anyone in the history of North Carolina high school football.
"In high school I was a Parade All-American," Baker recalled. "I was in the top three (running backs) in the country with (Carolina Panther Jonathan) Stewart and (Pittsburgh Steeler Rashard) Mendenhall. I went to college and had success early on, but I got a knee injury my junior year, which put me out for two seasons. I had to really be patient and come back from that. When I did I had a good senior year and I'm out here now."
Now he's practicing on the same field Terrell Davis once tore up, the same turf where Knowshon Moreno hones his craft.
Baker relishes the opportunity. He said his knee feels "phenomenal," but the pain and the disappointment of two years without the game still drive him.
"Nothing's guaranteed," Baker said. "Any play can be your last play, so you just have to cherish it and play hard."