Perry Baker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Perry Baker

Baker in 2014
Date of birth	June 29, 1986 (1986-06-29) (age 39)
Place of birth	New Smyrna Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
School	Spruce Creek High School
University	Fairmont State University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2013–2014 Tiger Rugby (Ohio) () – 1823 (Ohio) () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2025– Kalinga Black Tigers () Correct as of October 24, 2024

Perry Baker (born June 29, 1986) is a famous American rugby union player. He used to play for the United States national rugby sevens team. Perry Baker is known for being one of the best rugby sevens players in the world. He won the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award twice!

When he first retired, Perry Baker had scored 293 tries, which was the most by any American player. It was also the second-highest number of tries scored by any international player ever. He also scored 1,467 points in total, placing him seventh on the all-time scoring list.

Perry Baker's Journey to Rugby

Playing College Football

Before rugby, Perry Baker played college football at Fairmont State University in West Virginia. He studied Criminal Justice and finished his degree in 2010.

NFL Dreams and Arena Football

In July 2011, Perry Baker signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, a team in the National Football League (NFL). However, a knee injury stopped his NFL career early. After that, he played two seasons of Arena Football League for the Pittsburgh Power from 2012 to 2013.

Perry Baker's Rugby Career

How Perry Baker Started Rugby

Perry Baker first learned about rugby in 2006 from one of his old high school football coaches. In 2012, he played with a team called the Daytona Beach Coconuts. They finished ninth in a national club tournament.

In 2013, Perry Baker decided to play rugby full-time. He joined the Tiger Rugby Academy in Ohio, where he trained with coach Paul Holmes.

Playing for the U.S. National Team

Joining the U.S. Eagles (2014–2016)

In July 2014, Perry Baker signed a full-time contract with the U.S. Eagles. This meant he joined their special training program in San Diego, California.

He played his first game at the 2014 Gold Coast Sevens in Australia. He scored his first try and even his first three tries (a hat-trick) in that same tournament!

Perry Baker helped the U.S. team beat New Zealand for the very first time at the 2015 Dubai Sevens. He scored both tries in their 14–12 win. During the 2015-16 season, he scored 48 tries, which was a record for a U.S. player. He was the second-highest try scorer in the world that season and was named to the World Rugby dream team.

Perry Baker also played for the U.S. men's rugby team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He scored a try in a game against Fiji, but the team did not move past the first round.

Becoming a Star Player (2016–2020)

The 2016–17 season was amazing for Perry Baker. He even became the U.S. team captain for a tournament when the regular captain was away. At the 2017 Singapore Sevens, he scored an incredible try, running 100 meters across the field! He also set up another great try for a teammate.

He finished the 2016-17 World Series with 57 tries, more than any other player that season. Because of his great performance, he was named to the 2017 World Series Dream Team. He also won the 2017 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award, which is a huge honor!

Perry Baker had a strong start to the 2017–18 season, even though he missed some games due to an injury. He was a key player in the U.S. team's first-ever win on home soil at the 2018 USA Sevens. He scored all three tries in their quarterfinal win and two more in the semifinal comeback. In the final, he scored the first try, helping the team win 28–0. He was leading in tries scored that season before another injury.

On February 29, 2020, Perry Baker reached a big milestone. He became the second U.S. player to score 200 tries in a game against Scotland in Los Angeles.

The 2024 Summer Olympics

Perry Baker played a big role at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was the team's top scorer in the first round of games. He scored four tries in a win against Uruguay national rugby sevens team, which helped the U.S. team reach the quarterfinals for the first time ever! Perry Baker led all players at the Paris Olympics with six tries and 30 points scored.

Retirement and Return

Perry Baker announced in March 2024 that he planned to retire after the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, he later decided to come out of retirement to play for the Kalinga Black Tigers in the Rugby Premier League.

Perry Baker's Season Stats

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Perry Baker's Family

Perry Baker's older brother, Dallas Baker, also played professional football in the National Football League, Arena Football League, and Canadian Football League. Perry is also the nephew of Wes Chandler, who was a former NFL player and coach.