Russellville High School senior Neyland Baker was one of 74 players in the state of Alabama to be selected to participate in the 66th annual AHSAA North/South All-Star Football Game in Mobile next month. Although Baker’s football career with the Golden Tigers is over following Russellville’s playoff exit, the standout offensive lineman will have one more opportunity to represent the black and gold at the all-star event.
“It’s special, man,” said Baker, who also represented RHS in the North/South All-Star Baseball Game as a designated hitter this past summer. “I’ve been blessed to play in both (games). I think it just shows how hard I’ve worked the last three years to be able to get the opportunity to do something like this.
“This past year’s been a blessing,” he added.
Russellville head coach Dustin Goodwin said Baker has been an invaluable member of the Golden Tiger football team this season, and his selection to the all-star game in two sports highlights Baker’s versatility, something Goodwin likes to see in high school student-athletes.
“He’s one of our main guys, for sure. He’s a really good leader, does everything you want him to do, vocal when he needs to be, and definitely a guy you can count on. We’re grateful to have him,” the first-year RHS head coach said.
“He’s sort of what we’d like to want all our student-athletes to be, honestly. He’s a multi-sport guy, and we want our guys to have the opportunity to play multiple sports and excel at everything they want to do,” Goodwin added. “He’s been in the all-star game as a DH in baseball, and now he’s getting to go as a big man up front playing offensive line in football. That’s just a testament to his ability and the work he puts in in season and out of season, how much his coaches think of him and how much his teammates need him.”
The leadership ability that Goodwin mentioned is one of the traits that Baker said he honed his senior season with the Golden Tigers.
“I learned how to lead a lot more this year,” he said. “Seeing as I was a three-year guy, coming into this season a lot of kids looked up to me, and I learned how to be more of a vocal leader this year. I tried to show it through my actions and everything.”
Baker said his technique and technical ability has also improved over the last couple seasons under a former all-state offensive lineman and Russellville alumnus.
“I’ve learned a lot over the last two years with Austin Stidham being my coach,” he said. “He’s shown me everything I need to know.
“I wanna thank Coach Goodwin for everything he’s done for us this year, and I wanna thank Coach Stidham and Coach (Ches) Dye for everything they’ve done for me,” Baker added.
Heading into the all-star football game, Baker, who will be one of 37 players representing the North team and the first Golden Tiger to play in the game since Nathan Brockway in 2021, will be armed with knowledge acquired from his previous experience in the North/South All-Star Baseball Game. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound lineman know he’ll have to be keyed in going into the contest.
“I need to be better prepared for this one,” Baker said. “The baseball (all-star game) was in the middle of the summer, and I was really focused on football and the upcoming season. I should be prepared a little bit better for this one, seeing that I’m just now coming out of football. I’m looking forward to it.”
Committed to joining the University of North Alabama football program next fall, Baker believes the North/South All-Star Game will be an opportunity to get a small taste of what he can expect at the collegiate level.
“Obviously I’ll be seeing some of the best competition in Alabama, and I’m sure that’ll prepare me for college,” he said. “The speed of the game should pick up a lot in this game, and it should get my mind about where it needs to be. It’s not gonna be college level, but there’ll be some of the best players in Alabama there and the speed of the game will pick up, for sure.”
Goodwin believes Baker will put forth the effort in the game and can prove he’s among the top players in Alabama.
“The talent level, it’s supposed to be the best of the best,” Goodwin said. “There’s a lot of good football players in the state, and he’s gonna go in there and work hard and show that he belongs and it’ll set him up for his future.”
The 66th annual AHSAA North/South All-Star Football Game will be played at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile on Friday, December 13th.
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