Al ‘Bubba’ Baker – Motivational Speaker
Al Bakers Bio:
Al graduated from Colorado State University where he majored in Sociology. He was a also a two letter athlete in football and basketball for four years. On his way to professional sports, Al believed in competing in the class room as well as in sports. He was All W.A.C and was invited to several All Star games as a senior.
In 1978 he was drafted in the N.F.L. as the Detroit Lions 1st pick of the second round. As a rookie, he amassed 23 quarterback sacks. He was voted Rookie of the Year, All Pro and Defensive Lineman of the Year. He played 13 seasons with St. Louis Cardinals 83′, Minnesota Vikings 88′ and the Cleveland Browns 87′, 89′, 90 where he retired.
He played in 3 Pro Bowls, 3 AfC and 1 NFC Championship games and yet says his greatest achievement is in being awarded the gift of parenthood. Having been elected team captain by his peers from little league baseball through the NFL and now in business, has prepared Al in the team concept and being a leader by example. As a pro athlete Al has been speaking to corporations, fund raisers, churches and schools since 1979. Al and his family have been entrepreneurs since the early 1980’s when Al started his own catering company and most of his clients were his teammates. Al and his family were successful franchisees in Mail Boxes ETC.. (now UPS Stores) where his company was number 1 in sales and service 90-93 in Northeast Ohio.
He then sold the company and moved on to the restaurant business opening Bubba’s-Q American Cuisine and Ribs. Today he owns Bubba’s-Q World Famous Bar-B-Q & Catering an award winning restaurant, that owns the patent to the De-Boned Baby Back Rib Steak. He recently partnered with Heinen’s a local grocery store chain to rent it’s processing plant to make and market the De-Boned Rib Steak.
Al lives in Avon, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland with his wife Sabrina.