25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time

Terry Baker was the first and so far only Heisman Trophy winner at Oregon State, as he led the Beavers to a 9-2 finish as an independent. Throwing for more than 1,700 yards and rushing for 500 more yards, Baker accounted for 24 total touchdowns against five interceptions on the road to Manhattan. In a 6-0 victory over Villanova in the Liberty Bowl, Baker accounted for all the points, as he jetted on a 99-yard run for the lone touchdown in the contest.

Just under 800 miles south of Corvallis, the situation was far more grim. After finishing the year 1-12-1 with Zeke Bratkowski, Roman Gabriel and Ron Miller taking a chance at the starting quarterback gig, the Los Angeles Rams were in desperate need of a solid quarterback.

There was little question that they would turn to the Heisman and Maxwell Award winner as their best hope of remedying their marginal quarterback play.

Baker was the clear choice to go No. 1 overall in the 1963 NFL Draft, and the Rams did not overthink the decision. But a lack of arm strength doomed Baker, who saw limited action over the next three years in the NFL.

Asked to throw downfield more often, Baker was exposed as unsuited for the NFL game. At Oregon State, he enjoyed the benefit of a gameplan tailored to his strengths and built to downplay his weaknesses.

Getting limited action in 18 games over three seasons, Baker threw for just 154 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions on 12-of-21 passing. He added 210 rushing yards and caught 30 passes for 302 yards, scoring three total touchdowns in the league.

Baker ended his career in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos, hanging up his cleats after the 1967 season after completing his J.D. from the USC Law School and going into legal practice in Portland.