Baker's Exceptional MNF Outing Brings Added Reward — to Him, Maybe UW
Budda Baker probably thought he was just doing his job for the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, which was to make the host Dallas Cowboys as uncomfortable as he possibly could from his safety position.
The way his University of Washington football coaches viewed it, Baker did a good job of recruiting for them.
The coast-to-coast message promoted: Come to the UW, learn the position and do what Budda does, which is be groomed in Seattle to become an exemplary pro football player.
"We want to continue to recruit guys like that and continue to develop them," said Will Harris, UW defensive-backs coach. "That's what it's all about — is we want guys who want to go to the NFL."
Whether or not he got any super talented teenaged defensive back to suddenly consider the Huskies as a destination, Baker made everyone sit up and take notice of his command effort.
On Wednesday, for leading the Cardinals to a crushing 38-10 victory over Dallas, Baker was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week and taking bows. He finished with 7 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.
"When he's out there," Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury said, "we're a different team."
Replay Baker's MNF highlights in this Twitter video.
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