In a move that was long past due, Trigg County High School’s Al Baker will be inducted into the 2022 class of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
Baker was a two-sport record holder at Trigg County from 1981-85. Al’s 5,396 rushing yards still rank as the top total in school history and 25th most in Kentucky history. That total was fourth-most in state history when Al graduated in 1986. He was a three-time 1,000-yard rusher, including 1,567 yards as a sophomore.
Al still holds the school record for rushing yards (306) and career 100-yard rushing games (33). His 92-yard run against Murray in 1983 is the second-longest in school history, and his 731 career rushing attempts are the second-most in school history and 18th most in state history. When Al graduated, it was the second-most in state history.
He was First Team Courier-Journal All-State and First Team Associated Press All-State in both 1984 and 1985. Al was also the Associated Press Kentucky Player of the Year in 1984 and 1985. Al’s honors his senior year included Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year; Parade First Team All-American; and Bally First Team All-American.
On the track, Al was a two-time winner in both the 100 and 200 meters and finished runner-up in the shot put his junior year. His winning time of 10.7 seconds in the 100-yard in 1985 remains a Class 1A state record to this day.
Al was recruited nationally to play college football. He played at the University of Kentucky where he was a second-team All-SEC selection at running back his senior year. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the tenth round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
Al is married with three children and lives in Ashland where he is the director of cultural diversity at Ashland Community and Technical College.
The KHSAA will induct its Class of 2022 into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame presented by Roberts Insurance on Sunday, May 15, in the Central Bank Center Ballroom in Lexington. Because of issues surrounding the pandemic, a class was not selected for 2021. The class of 2022 combines two years’ worth of consideration.
A complete list of people in the 2021 and 2022 classes can be found HERE.
