Pro Football Hall of Fame president and executive director David Baker announced his retirement on Saturday, saying it "is time for someone else to have the best job in the world." He held the role since January 2014.
"Few people combine vision, passion and dedication as completely as David Baker," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "In seven years as president and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, David expanded the Hall’s brand nationally and footprint locally in Canton, Ohio. The growth he envisioned led to the expansion of the Hall of Fame, spread to downtown Canton and will continue to have a tremendous impact on the future of the Hall for decades to come."
The day-to-day business operations have been turned over to Jim Porter, the Hall of Fame's chief marketing and communications officer who has been named Baker's successor. Baker will continue to represent the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Ring of Excellence Ceremonies at NFL stadiums for the remainder of the presentation schedule.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
What is Baker's legacy as president?
Mike Sando, NFL senior writer: Everything about David Baker is larger than life, from his 6-foot-9, 400-pound frame to his booming voice to the big dreams for the Hall that he enunciated constantly. Baker turned a simple knock on a hotel-room door into one of the most poignant and dramatic moments in sports. That is his most visible legacy.
Baker also oversaw the growth of the Hall. Time will tell whether Baker put the Hall on a sustainable path from a business standpoint. There is some uncertainty about that, and some unanswered questions about why his tenure is ending now, and what the future holds for what had previously been more of a mom-and-pop operation. From that standpoint, Baker’s full legacy is not yet defined.