Falcons’ Baker hopes for continued gains in 2013

Last season, healthy and pain free for the first time in years, things clicked for Baker, and that led to a new contract.

He can pinpoint the genesis of his turnaround. It was the day he took the advice of his mother, Patty, and stopped by Stark Training in Irvine, Calif.

The high-performance gym was recently opened by Brad Davidson, a former Olympic level bobsledder, and a partner.

“I went and checked it out,” Baker said. “They really just saved my life.”

Baker believes he gets his athletic ability and size from his father, Dave, who played basketball at California Irvine and professionally in Europe. But his toughness and guile comes from his mother.

“She’s a breast-cancer survivor,” Baker said. “(Davidson) has dealt with a lot of things like that, so he knows nutritionally what they need to eat and what supplements they need to take as well.”

Over the first four years of his career, Baker did not perform to his capabilities because he was in constant pain.

Baker had back problems that required two surgeries. He also had a botched elbow surgery that left him unable to raise his left arm above his head for much of the 2011 season. With a battered body, he strolled into Stark Training looking for some football salvation.

“When he first came in, he was over-fat and underweight,” Davidson said. “His body composition was up around 23 to 26 percent. The biggest goal was that he needed to get out of pain.

“He felt if he could get out of pain, he could perform at a normal level. But he was always fighting the pain. He didn’t want to get big and strong and still be in a lot of pain. He said, ‘that’s not going to help me.’”

Baker wanted to regain some of the flexibility that he had in his youth as a basketball player. He needed it to contend with the ferocious pass rushers that he faces on a regular basis.

The first order of business was stabilizing Baker’s back and improving his range of motion. Then they focused on the elbow, knees and ankles. In addition to the workouts, Baker saw Stark’s massage therapist and nutritionist regularly.

“We did a test on him to find out what foods were causing the inflammation, and we pulled those out to make sure that he was increasing the right fat intake,” Davidson said. “He would only take carbs after a workout or in the evening time to help him sleep a little better.”

After remaking his body last offseason, Baker started all 16 regular-season games for the second time in his career.

Baker went to a Gluten free diet and added more protein. He reduced his body fat to 13 percent. With the added strength and mobility, he held much better in protection and was able to get downfield on screens to make blocks in the open field.

With his play on the uptick, the Falcons signed Baker to a six-year, $41.1 million deal with $18.25 million guaranteed over the offseason. Baker also received a $10 million signing bonus.

Last season, Baker allowed only 3.5 sacks over 1,058 offensive snaps and had no penalties. It was his lowest total since his rookie year in 2008, when he played in eight games and gave up one sack.

In 2011, he gave up five sacks in 442 snaps. He gave up 11.5 sacks in 2010 and six in 2009.

With the retirement of center Todd McClure, Baker and left guard Justin Blalock will be expected to take on more of a leadership role.

This offseason, Baker focused on getting stronger, which should help his run blocking.

Baker believes that if he hadn’t linked up with Stark his career could have gone in another direction. So, he appears sincere when he contends that Davidson and his staff saved his career.

“That was probably the highlight of my life, of my career so far,” Davidson said. “When he made that statement, that was the highlight of my career.

“When he signed a new contract to continue his career, I think those two things have been the ultimate highlight of my professional career as a strength coach.”