When Samuel Baker stepped onto campus at Winona State University, a Division II school in Winona, Minnesota, he was taken under the wing of a senior defensive end and captain. During summer workouts, Baker described the senior as the guy every coach hopes for: hardworking, a leader and dominant on the football field.
“The fact that he would take the time to help a little, lowly guy like me shows a lot about us about his character,” Baker said. “He gave me one of the hardest hits I’ve ever had. I couldn’t walk for about a week.”
The senior captain was David Braun, now the defensive coordinator for Northwestern.