If you were sitting in front of a TV in late January 1991, you saw it. The New York Giants were trailing the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. The "Greatest Show on Turf" wasn't a thing yet, but the Bills' K-Gun offense felt like it. Then came the second quarter. Jeff Hostetler dropped back and lofted a 14-yard beauty to the back of the end zone. A small, wiry guy wearing number 85 snatched it out of the air. That was Stephen Baker NY Giants legend, and that catch basically saved the game.
He was only 5'8". In an era of physical, punishing NFL secondaries, he looked like he belonged on a gymnastics mat rather than a football field. Actually, he was a gymnast in high school. That body control mattered. People called him "The Touchdown Maker," a nickname that followed him from his junior college days in Los Angeles to the bright lights of Giants Stadium.
Honestly, his stats don't tell the full story. He only played six seasons. He never had a 1,000-yard year. But if you ask any Giants fan from that era about the deep threat that kept defenses honest for Ottis Anderson, they’ll tell you it was Baker.
The Scrawny Kid from South Central
Growing up in South Central L.A., Stephen Baker wasn't supposed to be a pro football player. He was too small. At 160 pounds soaking wet, he was frequently the smallest guy on the field. But he had this explosive vertical and a 4.6-second 40-yard dash that played much faster in pads. He spent two years at West Los Angeles Community College, where he scored an absurd 31 touchdowns. That’s where the "Touchdown Maker" moniker was born.
He eventually landed at Fresno State. Playing for Jim Sweeney, he averaged over 26 yards per catch. Think about that for a second. Every time he caught the ball, it was a massive chunk of yardage. The Giants saw that big-play ability and grabbed him in the third round of the 1987 draft.
It was a weird time to join the Giants. They were coming off their first Super Bowl win, and Bill Parcells wasn't exactly known for being easy on rookies. Baker had to prove he wasn't just a track star in a helmet. He had to show he could take a hit from a linebacker twice his size and get back up.
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Why Stephen Baker NY Giants Fans Still Remember 1990
1990 was the peak. The Giants were a ball-control, defensive-minded machine. They didn't throw it 50 times a game. When they did go deep, it was usually for one reason: to let Baker run a post or a fly route. He averaged 20.8 yards per reception that season.
That Super Bowl XXV touchdown against the Bills changed everything. Before that catch, the Giants were down 12-3. They were struggling. Baker's 14-yard score cut the lead to 12-10 right before halftime. It shifted the momentum. Without that play, the Giants probably don't have the confidence to execute that legendary nearly 10-minute drive in the third quarter.
The Career by the Numbers
- Total Receptions: 141
- Receiving Yards: 2,587
- Average per Catch: 18.3 yards
- Career Touchdowns: 21
You've gotta look at that 18.3 average. That is a massive number. In 2026, we see receivers with huge volume, but few guys are consistently hauling in nearly 20 yards every time they touch the leather. He was a specialist. He was the Giants' designated "take the top off" guy.
The Weird Stats and the Decline
Sports is a cruel business. By 1992, things started to fall apart for Baker. Football Outsiders later pointed out a pretty grim stat: in '92, Baker had one of the worst catch rates of any receiver in decades, catching only about 28.8% of the passes thrown his way.
Was it the quarterback play? Maybe. Was it the back injury that eventually forced him into retirement? Likely.
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He walked away from the game in 1993. A back injury is no joke for a guy whose entire game relies on twitchy movements and high-pointing the ball. He spent his entire six-year career with the Giants. In a league where players jump teams for an extra million, there's something respectable about a guy who wore only one jersey.
Life After the Big Blue
What does a Super Bowl hero do when the cheering stops? For Baker, it was about going back to his roots. He didn't disappear into the sunset. He became a teacher.
He worked at James J. Flynn Elementary School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Imagine being a fifth-grader and your gym teacher has a Super Bowl ring. That’s kinda cool. He also spent years as a mentor and a community leader, working with the Giants' alumni department to visit schools and camps.
He also has some pretty specific hobbies. He’s a huge radio-controlled (RC) plane and helicopter enthusiast. He builds them, flies them, and spends hours on the technical side of the hobby. It makes sense if you think about it—the same precision and focus he needed to track a ball in the air now goes into keeping a model heli from smashing into the dirt.
What Most People Get Wrong About Him
People think he was just a fast guy. They forget he lettered in gymnastics. That background gave him a "body awareness" that allowed him to make catches along the sidelines that guys six inches taller couldn't manage.
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He was also a father during his playing days, which wasn't as common to talk about back then. He once mentioned in an interview how nervous he was being a dad right after the Super Bowl, worrying he wouldn't get enough sleep to perform at practice. He even used to drive his daughter around in a red Corvette with a baby seat.
The Legacy of Number 85
The Stephen Baker NY Giants story is a reminder that you don't need a 15-year career to be a legend. You just need to show up when the stakes are highest. He was the perfect weapon for the Parcells era. He didn't need 10 targets a game; he just needed one or two deep shots to keep the defense from stacking eight in the box against Ottis Anderson.
If you’re a younger fan looking to understand Giants history, don't just look at the Hall of Famers. Look at the role players who came up big in the Super Bowl. Baker was the quintessential "right guy, right time" player.
Practical Steps for Giants Fans:
- Watch the highlights: Go find the Super Bowl XXV full game on YouTube. Watch how Baker uses his hands on that second-quarter TD.
- Check the stats: Compare his career yards-per-catch (18.3) to modern receivers. It’ll give you a new appreciation for how he stretched the field.
- Support the Alumni: Baker is still active in New Jersey community events. If you see a Giants alumni signing nearby, there's a good chance "The Touchdown Maker" is there with a smile and a story.