Had the NFL officially tracked Sacks in the years leading up to 1982, Al “Bubba” Baker might have gained some Hall of Fame traction.

Baker began his professional career with the Detroit Lions and instantly became the heart of Detroit’s Silver Rush Defense.  The former Colorado State Ram led the league (unofficially) in Sacks as a rookie with 23.  He easily won the Defensive Rookie of the Year, was a First Team All-Pro, and was the scariest pass rusher in the league.  He dominated again in 1979 with 16 Sacks and had his second “unofficial” sack crown with 17.5 in 1980.   Yep, 56.5 in his first three years!

Baker remained a potent player, but he ne did not go to another Pro Bowl beyond his first three seasons.  He was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals following a contract dispute, and in his four years under the Arch, he recorded 37.5 Sacks, with three double-digit years.  Baker played four more years, mostly in a reserve capacity, with three years in Cleveland and one in Minnesota.

He retired with 131.0 Sacks, a colossal number that remains unofficial, but those are not disputed metrics.

Stepping out of Colorado State as a second-round pick in 1978, Al "Bubba" Baker unleashed one of the most destructive individual seasons the National Football League has ever witnessed. The 6-foot-8 defensive end combined blinding speed with massive power, anchoring Detroit's legendary "Silver Rush" front four and terrorizing opposing quarterbacks from his very first snap.

Baker's rookie campaign was pure bedlam. He compiled an astounding 23.0 sacks in 1978—a jaw-dropping total that stands as the greatest single-season pass-rushing performance in NFL history. He easily captured AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and earned a consensus First-Team All-Pro nod. Baker proved it was no fluke by leading the league again two years later with 18.0 sacks in 1980, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three professional seasons.

Opposing offenses had no answer for his edge-bending acceleration, but off-field contract disputes eventually shortened his stay in Motown. After five dominant years anchoring the Lions' line, Baker was traded to St. Louis in 1983, later spending time with Cleveland and Minnesota before retiring. Because sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982, his era-defining numbers sat in historical limbo for decades until retroactively compiled and verified.

As a Lion, Baker compiled 75.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in Honolulu blue (131.0 career sacks overall). He was also chosen for both the Lions’ 75th Anniversary and All-Time Teams.