NFL agent in Indianapolis loses both parents to COVID-19
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — At the heart of the rough and tumble world of professional sports are the deal makers.
Agents connect players to teams. Buddy Baker and other agents find a knack for helping long shots become fan favorites.
Baker’s NFL roster includes a proud list of former undrafted rookies who made their names in Indianapolis: two-time pro bowl tight end Jack Doyle, top cornerback Kenny Moore and former Super Bowl XLI champions Aaron Moorehead and Joe Reitz. They all are clients of Bakers at his Exclusive Sports Group in Indianapolis.
On the collegiate side, Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter is a special client for this former New Yorker. Baker visited Purdue as a perspective student with his dad.
“When I was visiting Purdue (University) we were walking through campus on a Friday night,” Baker said. “We had never been to another Big Ten school or university like that. My dad looked at me and I said, ‘What do you think?’ He said, “I wish I could go here.”
Since that all-important campus tour, Baker’s two proudest fans never changed. Adrian and Stu Baker, parents of Buddy and his sister Sheri, loved to visit with their grandchildren in Indianapolis and vice versa for trips to Florida.
This spring, the lovely couple that wed over a half century ago were healthy and happy until Buddy shared an inconceivable nightmare on social media.
“My parents recently contracted COVID-19 and passed away this past Sunday due to complications,” Baker said on a recorded Twitter video on March 31. “They were married for 51 years and passed away six minutes apart.”
In an instant, the news spread. Baker sat outside of his parents Florida home, trying to comprehend the tragic chain of events.
“That thought runs through my head all day every day,” Baker said. “Three weeks ago, my parents were completely fine. I don’t want any other family to endure this pain.”
The Baker family is already fighting back. A GoFundMe that benefits a foundation in Adrian and Stu’s memory has raised tens of thousands of dollars. On Monday, came another ray of hope: Those former long shots were back to back up Buddy Baker.
“Hey buddy it is Kenny (Moore),” Moore said. “I am truly sorry for your loss that you and your family have been going through. Thank you for being my second family, always being there for me, and I going to do the same for you.”
“Buddy (Baker) I love you,” Reitz said. “Jill (Reitz) the kids and I are continuing to pray for you during this tough time.”
“The Moorehead family is thinking about you, praying for you guys,” Moorehead said. “What you talked about at your parents funeral, it was awesome, it was inspiring and I hope that the world was listening.”
Nothing will wipe away the Baker family’s pain. But with professional athletes and complete strangers listening and changing their ways — Buddy — is willing to make a deal.