Baker signs with German football team

Barry Faulkner

Brett Baker, who followed a sterling football career at Newport

Harbor High by starting three seasons and threatening the school

career tackles record at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, will strap on his

helmet one last time with the Hannover Musketeers, an American

Football Club based in Hannover, Germany.

Baker, who had the finest all-around season in recent Newport-Mesa

prep annals en route to earning Newport-Mesa MVP honors in 1997,

completed his college eligibility in 2001 at Cal Poly, from which he

graduated in December of 2002.

After considering but not pursuing opportunities in the Arena

Football League and the Canadian Football League, Baker was resigned

to hanging up his shoulder pads. But, after graduation, he said he

was contacted by a Cal Poly assistant who coaches in Germany and the

Musketeers eventually extended an invitation he was happy to accept.

“It was really a random thing,” said Baker, before he left March

25 for a four-day preseason training camp completed Sunday. “I was

originally guaranteed a contract in February, but that fell through.

I heard from them again [in late March] and I decided to go give it a

try. I had planned on doing some traveling anyway, before settling

down and taking a job. This is really like a paid vacation for me.”

The Musketeers, among six teams who play a 10-game schedule from

May through September, open their season May 18 against the

Langenfeld Longhorns. Other teams in the league included the Hamburg

Wild Huskies, the Wolfsburg Blue Wings, the Lubeck Cougars and

Dusseldorf Panther.

Baker, who starred at tailback, cornerback, kicker, punter and

kick returner for the Sailors, then played at safety at Cal Poly,

said he is expected to be utilized at safety by the Musketeers.

“You can’t go both ways, because they can play two Americans on

each side of the ball and they want to bring on four guys, rather

than just two or three,” Baker said.