Falcons’ Baker invigorated for sophomore year

Flowery Branch — Sam Baker wasn’t on the television show, but he feels like a survivor.

After watching quarterback Matt Ryan pick up a slew of rookie-of-the-year awards, the Falcons’ “other” first-round pick last season was elated when the season was over.

Enlarge this image

Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Falcons offensive tackle Sam Baker said of his injuries during his rookie year: ‘It was definitely frustrating because I’d never really had something [that severe].’

RELATED FALCONS LINKS

• Schedule • Beat Blog • Standings
• Pages: Matt Ryan • Michael Turner
• Travel with the Falcons

RELATED STORIES

• Does Vick deserve a second chance in NFL? 
• Falcons' Ryan nominated for ESPY 
• Ex-Falcons Tuggle prepares son for football limelight 

       • More Falcons

Like Ryan, Baker, who the Falcons traded up to select with the 21st overall pick, opened the season as a starter. But there, their seasons parted. Two major injuries and disc surgery disrupted Baker’s first season.

Falcons offensive line coach Paul Boudreau spent the most time with Baker. While Ryan and the rest of the team took flight, Boudreau saw the tackle’s angst up close.

“He told me that last year was the longest year of his life,” Boudreau said.

The experience was so discouraging that Baker even advised his former college teammate Mark Sanchez to stay in school for his senior season. Sanchez came out anyway and was selected by the New York Jets.

“He told him how hard that first year is,” Boudreau said. “If you get a chance to stay in college for one more year, do it.”

But as the Falcons conclude their organized team activities Thursday and break for the rest of the offseason, Baker is rejuvenated and excited about his second season. And who wouldn’t be, with that rookie season behind him.

Baker suffered a concussion in the second game of 2008 when he took a knee to his head. He tried to play the following week but was still a bit groggy and had to leave the game.

After sitting out the fourth game of the season, Baker played two more games before it was discovered that he needed back surgery.

“It was definitely frustrating because I’d never really had something [that severe],” Baker said.

It would be two months before he got back on the field. And while he was able to rejoin the team for the final three games and the season-ending playoff loss at Arizona, the long stretch of inactivity (seven games) and the rehabilitation was more difficult than he had imagined.

“Fortunately I had a lot of good vets who helped me out,” Baker said. “Coach [Mike] Smith and those guys were very encouraging. It was fortunate to have a guy like Todd Weiner, who had an injury similar like that before to deal with. That was very helpful.”

In all, Baker played in nine games and made five starts.

“Last year, his head was spinning,” Boudreau said. “Playing against guys like John Abraham and practicing every day against the speed that we have, he had to learn the pace that we practice at. It’s more up-tempo than what he was used to. He had a lot of issues.”

Nevertheless, being able to compete in those final four games was invaluable.

“Mentally it was good to get in there and get some more reps,” Baker said. “Maybe [I wasn’t] 100 percent and coming back not in the best of shape, but I was really out there fighting my way through it. It was very helpful mentally.”

The fact that Falcons were in the middle of a playoff push made Baker’s rehabilitation a little easier.

“That was something that I wanted to be a part of,” Baker said. “Especially, the playoff game.”

Baker impressed his bosses when worked his way back on to the field although he could have waited until he was fully healthy.

“It showed the toughness that Sam has to come back from that back surgery,” Smith said. “To come back and get in some playing time. … That was big for him and big for his confidence.”

Baker, who won’t have Weiner to lean on this season because he retired, will be expected to carry the full load at left tackle. From his performances in OTAs, he appears to have stepped into his role with ease.

“We are way ahead of where we were last year,” Baker said. “We are able to try some new things and get back to the basics.

“Offensively, I think we look really good right now. We’ve got a lot of the guys back. Because the system has been in for a year, we are able to do more during these OTAs.”

There were several lessons learned through that rocky rookie campaign for Baker.

“What kind of shape that you have to be in,” he said. “How you need to take care of your body. Mentally, the things you need to do to really stay ahead each day and survive.”

In 2009, Baker wants to do more than survive.