If you’ve been to a Lane football game this year, you’ve seen Michael Baker. He’s on the sidelines, yelling at the players on the field and cheering them on.
Or maybe at the Pep Rally you saw him win homecoming court, and then subsequently, a horde of football players ran forward to congratulate him. Either way, you most likely know about Lane’s newest celebrity: Big Mike.
The person behind the nickname is a member of the Lane football team. Yet, Baker’s been on the sidelines for the past couple of years, taking the role of “Head Player Morale Coach,” as his teammates like to call him.
That status doesn’t stop him from showing up to every single game and practice.
His new title is because of an injury he sustained to his foot. It is standard procedure for injured players to come to all practices. But what differentiates Baker from other injured players is that his foot isn’t going to get better — he hasn’t played a game since sophomore year, his first year on the team. Most injured players come to practices because they know they will eventually heal and need to know the new drills and plays, but Baker will never play high school football again. Most people in his position would’ve left the team.
Noah Verbrick, one of the football team’s captains, said Baker’s role has transformed into a crucial one for the team.
“He’s a great part of the team, I wish he was playing,” Verbrick said. “He brings a lot of energy and a lot of personality to the team.”
Even though Baker isn’t running drills like the other coaches, his ‘coaching’ role brings something different to the team. Dylan Drotts, another player on the team, described Baker’s position as encouraging and impactful — the players want to make a big play just to hear his praise.
“He brings the energy that most of our players cannot bring — he brings the mentality that most of our players can’t bring. Without him, our sideline, our team, would be nothing,” Drotts said. “Whenever we’re feeling down, whenever you just look at the sideline, you see Big Mike going crazy, you always feel much [happier] about yourself. He just lifts up the team with his presence.”
Baker was ready and excited to play football his sophomore year — it was his first year with the team after not playing as a freshman. But his season didn’t last long due to an injury halfway through the season.
“I broke my foot sophomore year, I broke it twice. And so, I didn’t play the rest of my sophomore year,” Baker said.
Foot pains have continued through his junior and senior year, leaving Baker on the sidelines.
“Medically retired is what I like to say,” Baker said.
Baker said his injury is what propelled him to assume his role as Head Player Morale Coach, a name he gave to himself.
“I enjoy my role but nothing beats playing. That’s just some of the most fun I’ve ever had was playing football, even though I only played for half a year,” Baker said.
Verbrick said that Baker’s love for the sport comes out during practice and Verbrick relies on him to do what he does best: motivate the players and bring big energy.
“I try to get on a lot of guys to bring energy at the start of the week in practice and carry that on up until the game,” Verbrick said. “A lot of times it’s really draining when you’re the only one doing it and trying to get other people to do it, so Big Mike has always been that person that we can lean on to help bring that fire to us and get the guys going.”
Baker views his position differently. For him, going the extra mile isn’t an obligation but something he feels entitled to do because of how connected he is to the sport and his team.
“Football — it’s a team and it’s a family. So I think everybody, like a family, just has to do their part,” Baker said. “And I think I’m just somebody doing my part and bringing what I can to help the team win games.”
Coincidentally, the year Baker injured his foot and was no longer able to play was also the year he was given the nickname Big Mike.
“There were probably like nine or ten Michaels across the two teams,” Baker said. “So each one kind of went by a different version so [Big Mike] was just what people started calling me.”
Drotts takes credit for coming up with the nickname and loves how Baker and the team have adopted it.
“We don’t even call him Michael Baker anymore. It’s just Big Mike when we introduce him,” Drotts said. “We’re trying to make him change his name to Big Mike at this point.”
And that is how many Lane students know him. After ripping his shirt in a rush of anger during the football game against Whitney, as well as winning Homecoming Court, Baker has taken on a celebrity status.
“Everybody knows about Big Mike — he’s the tall, crazy guy, yelling on the sidelines, cheering for the team, ripping his shirt open,” Drotts said.
It seems that his place on the team has transitioned to off the field as well with his new popularity status.
“It was kind of strange having kids come up to me and they already know my name and I don’t know theirs. I feel like a celebrity,” Baker said.
But that fame wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the coaches who let Baker continue with his role as an honorary coach.
“I’ve got to be so thankful to Coach Dewalt. You know, not many coaches might’ve allowed me to stay in this capacity,” Baker said.
With the Lane football team making it to their first playoff game in ten years, it’s a question if their newfound positivity with Baker had anything to do with it. One thing is certain: Baker’s love for the game is undeniable and his encouragement brings up player morale. There truly is no one better for Head Player Morale Coach than Michael Baker himself.
“At the end of the day, we have a great football team, with great players, great players are going to make great plays, but I’d like to think that I just bring something extra to help them,” Baker said.
