| Beau Baker |
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Offensive Guard/Center
6-5 · 280
Houston, Texas (Clear Lake)
#74
A versatile five-year offensive lineman who worked his way into the starting lineup as a senior ... started eight games at guard as a senior and nine during his career ... played in 43 career games (21 at guard/22 at center), including two bowl games (2000 Holiday Bowl; 2003 Cotton Bowl) ... helped pave the way for three consecutive 1,000-yard rushers to close out his career (1,293, Cedric Benson, 2002; 1,053, Benson, 2001; 1,118, Hodges Mitchell, 2000) ... saw significant action as the backup to starting center Matthew Anderson in 2000 ... played in all 12 games that year ... saw his first game action in 1999 at center as a redshirt freshman.
SENIOR (2002)
Saw action in 11 games at guard, including eight starts (six at RG, two at LG) ... missed the Iowa State and Nebraska games due to a knee injury ... shared UT's Most Improved Offensive Player Award ... a key member of UT offense that ranked fifth in the Big 12 and 16th in the NCAA in scoring offense (33.8 ppg.) ... helped open holes for UT's eighth consecutive 1,000-yard rusher sophomore Cedric Benson (1,293 yards) ... shared UT's Darrell K Royal Offensive Player of the Game award at North Carolina ... helped the offense post 450 total yards against Baylor and 437 yards at Texas Tech ... helped open holes for Benson's ninth career 100-yard rushing game (199 yards on 30 carries) against No. 17 Iowa State ... helped the offense net 412 total yards against Oklahoma State ... helped open holes for Benson's back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts at North Carolina (31-208) and against Houston (37-160) ... helped the offense post 477 total yards and 39:43 in time of possession against Houston ... helped the offense pile up a season-high 569 total yards at North Carolina ... helped the offense post 382 total yards in a 35-20 Cotton Bowl victory over LSU.
JUNIOR (2001)
Played in 10 games before sustaining a season-ending knee injury against Kansas ... made his first career start against Kansas ... helped UT score a Big 12-best 39.2 points per game (sixth NCAA) and tally 162.3 rushing, 250.3 passing and 412.6 total yards per contest ... a key member of an offensive line that opened holes for UT's seventh consecutive 1,000-yard rusher (Cedric Benson, 1,053 yards) ... also helped clear the way for Benson's five straight 100-yard rushing games from Oct. 13-Nov. 10 ... also served on UT's FG/PAT units.
SOPHOMORE (2000)
Played in all 12 games, including the Holiday Bowl, as starting center Matthew Anderson's primary backup ... helped pave the way for a Longhorn offense that averaged 38.6 points per game (eighth NCAA), 439.0 yards per contest (14th NCAA/was No. 6 on UT's all-time list) and 293.5 passing yards per game (14th NCAA) ... a key member of a young offensive line that opened holes for UT's sixth consecutive 1,000-yard rusher (Hodges Mitchell/1,118 yards/T-No. 9 on UT's single-season list) ... helped lead the way for UT's 637 yards of total offense (fourth in school history) and 396 rushing yards at Kansas ... also served on UT's FG/PAT units.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (1999)
Played in 10 games, primarily on special teams ... also a member of the field goal and extra point units ... was in on 24 snaps at center at Baylor ... saw action on 11 plays against Texas Tech ... redshirted in 1998.
HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by Troy Aduddell at Clear Lake High ... offensive lineman who also played defensive tackle in goal-line situations ... earned honorable mention 5A all-state honors at offensive tackle as a senior ... was tabbed his team's outstanding offensive lineman and did not allow a sack that year ... also was a first-team all-district choice as a senior and earned honorable mention all-district honors as a junior ... lettered two years at Clear Lake and one year at Thibodaux (La.) High ... earned all-district honors as a sophomore at Thibodaux ... also threw the shot put in track & field.
PERSONAL
Born 4/28/80 in Austin, Texas ... full name is Beau Wayland Baker ... also has lived in Burnet, Texas; Jackson, Miss.; Thibodaux, La.; and Houston ... majored in corporate communications ... was very active in UT's community service efforts ... a prep honor roll student ... volunteered time at a local nursing home in Thibodaux ... served as a student ambassador to Russia ... was listed on the Who's Who Among American High School Students list ... mother, Kyla, is a UT grad ... father, Byron, played football at Howard Payne.
