Germantown WR Cameron Baker excels after switching from cross country

Freshman year was a football sabbatical for Germantown wide receiver Cameron Baker, who stepped away from the game to focus on running cross country.

In fact, he didn't even pay much attention to the football team while Chris Smith was leading a sub-.500 squad in his first year with the program. Baker would casually drop by a few games on Friday nights and hang out, but he didn't really keep up with the team outside of that. 

Back then he had no idea that the Red Devils (7-0) would be on their current 18-game regular-season winning streak or that he would join the team and earn his pick of offers from schools such as Indiana, Air Force and Howard.

Inspired by Odell Beckham Jr.

Ironically, Baker's journey back to football began on an ordinary afternoon in front of the television. 

"I was at home one day watching Odell Beckham play and he had a really good game against the Steelers one time, and I was like 'OK, cross country is just not for me. I want to go back and play football,'" said Baker. "I missed the feeling of scoring. I wanted the feeling that he had. You feel like you're on top of the world when everyone in the stadium is paying attention to you." 

Baker thrives in the clutch. His philosophy is that because the coaches trust him enough to put him in those situations he trusts himself enough to get the job done. That led to the moment that defined his season so far.

"I knew it was going to be my ball even before he called the play," said Baker.

Trailing 7-0 in the first half last week at undefeated Henry County, the Germantown offense was under pressure to get on the scoreboard. The Red Devils marched down into the Patriots' red zone, but the drive began to stall around the 15.

Faced with a third and 10, Smith called for a fade route to the back corner of the end zone. Quarterback Ethan Payne launched a play-action pass high and running underneath it was Baker, who had just exploited his one-on-one match-up on the left side.

As the ball spiraled through the air, Baker had just one thought on his mind. 

"I knew I had to go up and get it," said Baker. He leapt, grabbed the ball and crashed into the end zone with a game-tying, one-handed touchdown catch, swinging the momentum in favor of Germantown, which went on to win 31-21. 

"If he doesn’t make that catch it could’ve easily been 14-0 and we might not have come out of that game with a win," said Smith. "Those are the kind of plays you’ve got to make to be a championship team."

The culture shift at Germantown

While talk of championships and double-digit regular-season win streaks make sense for Germantown right now, a very different conversation was being had when Smith first took over the program. He inherited a team that was ranked 31st out of the then-32 6A programs.

With 31 playoff appearances, six state championship game appearances and titles in 1983 and 2003, Germantown is traditionally one of the better teams in the area. However, Germantown was having a tough time putting together a winning football team. 

"The tradition was here, but there was an apathy toward working hard and lifting weights. I think it was something they did just to do it," said Smith. "They were just surviving, they weren’t really striving to get better in those days. They were just going through the motions."

Fortunately for Germantown, a young, talented and disciplined core emerged. Ethan Payne stepped up at quarterback. Connor Richardson, a 6-foot-6 Tulane commitment, became a big receiving target at tight end. Duke Hill and Trey Boyd began to anchor the defensive line. B.J. Gardener started making plays and Marshall Ware started hitting field goals. 

And then there was Baker and defensive back Jaylon Grier, who are visiting Eastern Kentucky together this weekend, battling each other every day in practice. 

"The toughest part about defending him is his feet," said Grier. "He helped me get better and grow as a DB." 

The hard work and competition in practice has resulted in a winning formula for the Red Devils. Germantown finished 3-8 during Baker's sophomore year and is a combined 18-1 ever since. 

"They fought through, they flipped the program, and they did it the right way," said Smith. "That adds a little bit of extra satisfaction into the equation."

The secret weapon

As a receiver, Baker can play both outside and in the slot. He also returns kicks and punts. But, his secret weapon is his ability to throw the ball. Baker grew up playing quarterback and didn't switch to receiver until 10th-grade tryouts. 

"For a lot of teams, he could be a full-time quarterback and be really good," said Smith. "He throws the football really well, he knows all the reads, and he understands the system." 

Don't be surprised if you see Germantown break out the Wildcat formation every once in a while. Baker can make the throws. Just like he can make the catches.