‘There’s nothing like it’: Jerome Baker reflects on Benedictine, Ohio State and his football journey

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For at least one day every summer Jerome Baker finds himself on Cleveland’s Martin Luther King Jr. drive in the same place his football career took off.

On July 5, the newest Seattle Seahawks linebacker was back at Benedictine High School for his annual youth sports camp.

Alongside some current and former Bengals athletes and coaches, Baker hosted more than 60 campers, putting them through a series of different drills before splitting up into age groups to finish the day with a flag football competition.

Baker also took a few minutes for a question and answer session with cleveland.com to discuss topics ranging from his days as a student at Benedictine to what it’s like playing in The Game at Ohio State, and what the biggest lesson he’s learned from six seasons in the NFL.

Cleveland.com’s Jonathan X. Simmons: We’re coming up on the 10-year anniversary of the state championship Benedictine won your senior year. What good memories do you have from playing here?

Jerome Baker: I was just telling the kids earlier, my best memories come from playing here. I’ve played in a lot of different great places, Ohio State, Miami Dolphins, even now in Seattle. I think the one thing about here is it’s truly like that we’re playing just to play because we love it here. I played with my friends, even now to this day they’re like family. To win something like a state championship at a place like this where history means everything, there was truly nothing like it.

I truly miss those long bus rides. Coming home after the game and we all ride together, and we’re either all sad together or all happy together, but whatever it is we just did it together. That’s some of the things that when you go to the next level you kind of miss those things. It’s just football, school and that’s your life. I truly do miss playing here.

JXS: There were a number of guys from that era of Benedictine football that went on to play both pro and college football. Can you just talk about how loaded those teams were?

JB: We had some real ballers, but I think the one thing about that team is that we all helped each other get better. It didn’t matter if you were younger or older we truly wanted us all to succeed. Of course I get all of the fame and the glory, but I wouldn’t be who I am today without Justin Layne, Warren Saba, Lamar Davis. I could go on and on and on about the guys that pushed me to be better.

We knew growing up that we had the talent to go places, but the one thing about this school is that they push you to be the best person, the best athlete that you can be no matter if you’re the best player or worst player on the team. That’s why I have these long-term friendships even to this day and I do different business ventures with my friends that went here. It’s all about that ‘I don’t care that you’re Jerome Baker the football player. You’re Rome to me and I want you to be better. I’m gonna push you to do more.’ I just cherish those relationships I have and it all started here.

JXS: Can you talk about what you accomplished at Ohio State and how that prepared you for the NFL?

JB: We accomplished some great things there. We won a Big Ten championship, we went to a few bowl games. I think the main thing was I played under Urban Meyer and I played with some guys that I never dreamed that I’d play with.

Growing up in high school, Braxton Miller is only a few years older than me, but it felt like this guy was on another planet. To go there and to compete against him, even to this day like he called me a few years ago to come to this camp, just to have that respect of guys, it truly means a lot.

I still talk to Cardale Jones a little bit. You think that these guys are so far off and away, but it all started here at their high schools. They went to the next level and kept going and kept pushing themselves.

But, man, Ohio State is one place where when I say it’s an NFL factory it truly is. Everyday I always tell people the practices were way harder than the games. You’re playing against, if I was just to rattle off some of the guys on the defense, Denzel Ward, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley. These are all first-rounders. Darron Lee, Raekwon McMillan, these are like NFL guys that every single day you gotta go up against.

When guys are third on the depth chart you would think like ‘Oh I’m gonna go against little Johnny.’ No, you’re going against a first-rounder. Just that competing, it truly helps guys be their best and that’s why Ohio State keeps producing guys. No matter who you are they push you to your max.

JXS: What are your best Ohio State vs. Michigan memories?

JB: I think the cool thing about that rivalry is how important it was to everybody, no matter if it’s present day or 80 years ago. That pride of this is where you become a legend at Ohio State, that was a big thing. Urban Meyer preached it all the time. If you want to be a legend at Ohio State play well against that team up north.

I think for me that just resonated. I’m one of those people where if it’s a big game I wanna show up. I don’t want to be that guy scoring five touchdowns but we’re playing against a weak team. Nah, this is best on best. Let’s see who shows up. I had some really good games there. I never lost, so that was a cool thing. I had interceptions, sacks, but most importantly we just won. I think that’s what it’s all about. Even now to hear guys say it’s just another game or whatever, it’s not. It’s THE game. This is college football at its best. It truly means something at Ohio State to win that game.

JXS: A bunch of those guys you named earlier also happen to come from this area. Can you speak to the depth of talent from Northeast Ohio?

JB: I always tell people, man, there’s something about Ohio because we just produce football players. True football players not the Hollywood football players. Guys that would play in the snow, the rain, the sleet. We played in the most tradition-filled rivalries. Just that feeling of playing true football. It’s not 90 degrees everyday like Florida or sunshine all day like California. You have to be a real football player to play in Ohio and this is where they breed them at.

JXS: What was that jump to the NFL like after Ohio State and was there ever a moment to appreciate how far football had taken you?

JB: No. I always try to harp on like, relatively speaking it’s easy to get to the NFL. It’s so much harder to stay there because when you first get there you’re just competing against the guys that are coming out with you. But when you get there you’re competing against the guys that are there, guys that are trying to get back into the league, guys that are trying to get into the league, so it’s much harder to stay on top of your A-game year after year after year.

I always say Ohio State trained me for that. I had guys, when I was at Ohio State, coming behind me that are five-star recruits man. He’s built like a tank already and he’s ready to play right now, so how can I evolve my game, how can I get better and continue to play at a high level and continue to be on top. And Ohio State, man they just train you for that. So when I got to the league it was like, ‘This is it?’

There is a good drop off sometimes. It could be a great receiver and then, ehh, I don’t know buddy, but it’s one of those things where Ohio State trained me for no matter who’s out there, no matter who’s with you go and be great, and I truly appreciate that.

JXS: What’s the biggest lesson football has taught you?

JB: It’s all about balance man. I always try to tell guys that. It’s all about balance. I never want to be that guy that I’m so invested in football that when football is done I don’t know who I am. I always try to harp on guys that yes, football, if you work at football you can go to great places, you can do great things, you can meet great people. But you don’t want to look back and you were so involved with football that you missed out on little simple things. I’m not saying you’re not going to have to sacrifice, but you have to enjoy this journey. It’s not about getting to the NFL. It’s not about getting that next check. It’s about the journey that life throws you through to get to it.

I loved it when I won the state championship here, but that’s not what I remember here. I truly remember those days when none of us wanted to work out but we’re all here together so all of us did it together. I miss those long bus rides and those things where the journey was truly the best part, that’s what I miss. You just gotta keep a good balance. Balance life out. Don’t be all in, don’t be all out. Kinda have that balance of what you want to do and enjoy the journey.

That’s the best part, that’s the part you’re gonna remember. You’re not gonna remember just that one game, you’re gonna remember all of those little rivalry games. You’re gonna remember that they changed the schedule and we play on Saturday now. It’s all of the little things you’re gonna remember, so appreciate that.

JXS: Is there anything else you want to add?

JB: I’m just happy to be back at Benedictine man. Even now I have my son with me and he don’t have a clue about his school, but he can feel the love, the energy from former coaches, my friends, my family. Benedictine, there’s nothing like it. It’s truly a generational school. It’s not just, oh your dad went here, no. His dad, I went here, my son is gonna go here and keeping that tradition is what it’s about. I just got nothing but and great things to say about Benedictine.