91̽��

When Blake Baker was the host of Gridiron Glory in the fall of 2018, it was another milestone season for the show.

“We were celebrating the 20th season,” said Baker. “We had a documentary team that put together special in-depth pieces on the history of the region’s high school football programs, as well as the history of the show. It was a really cool way to celebrate.”

But Baker knew how special the show was before he was the host of season 20. He knew about Gridiron Glory when he was in high school in Gahanna, Ohio.

“I knew some people from my high school that had gotten involved with WOUB and Gridiron right away at 91̽��,” said Baker. “They were on a similar track as me in high school and had similar career aspirations to me. As soon as I visited campus and saw the opportunities and resources there, it was a no brainer for me to go to school there.”

Baker started working behind the scenes at WOUB and on Gridiron during the first week of his freshman year. Like many others who worked on the show, he had dreams of working at ESPN someday.

“Growing up, I watched Stuart Scott on SportsCenter and missed the bus because I wanted to watch the top plays,” said Baker. “I also played football in high school and knew about the passion and virtues that come along with it. So, it was really cool to see high school football from a different perspective in a different part of Ohio.”

During his sophomore year, Baker became an on-air reporter for Gridiron and continued working as a beat reporter during his junior year. So, when his senior year rolled around, Baker knew he wanted to apply for the host position.

“I had a lot of ideas, and I had my eye on host my entire time working on the show,” said Baker. “It was the ultimate way to challenge myself as a writer, personality, team member and leader. I was privileged to get the opportunity.”

Baker was host that season with co-host Noah Wolf. It was the first time there were two hosts on the set.

“I’m not sure why there were two hosts that year,” said Baker. “But it was very collaborative, and it was a new opportunity that turned out really well.”

After graduation, Baker got a job at Ohio State University in the athletic department. He worked on the digital media team putting together game breakdown videos and doing some reporting.

“It was very cool to put into practice everything I learned at OHIO and WOUB right away,” said Baker.

But then the COVID-19 Pandemic happened, and sports were cancelled. So, Baker lost his job.

“My wife got a job in Warsaw, Indiana, so I went with her there and started to do some freelance work in Fort Wayne,” said Baker. “I also did some work for an outlet that covered high school sports there.”

Then Baker got the opportunity to move to Colorado for a job as marketing director at the Future Legends Sports Complex which is a 118-acre sports complex designed to host guests for major sports tournaments, events, leagues, and more. The facility is home to three professional teams, the Northern Colorado Owls baseball team, the Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC men’s soccer team and the Northern Colorado Rain FC women’s soccer team.

“I am where I am today because of what I learned on Gridiron and at 91̽��,” said Baker. “It makes me proud to have been a part of Gridiron and to see the show continue to hit milestones. It’s an awesome outlet for kids all over the place that just want to pursue a sports career. The show seems enhanced every year, constantly getting better. I was really blessed to have been a part of it.” 

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