Baker, a graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark, New Jersey and Colorado State University, was selected in the second round of the 1978 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

[2][3][4][5] He was one of the anchors of the "Silver Rush", Detroit's defensive line from 1978 to 1982, which consisted of Baker, Doug English, William Gay, and Dave Pureifory; the group set the franchise record for sacks.

He appeared on the ABC-TV show Shark Tank on December 6, 2013, in which investor and entrepreneur Daymond John agreed to invest $300,000 for a 30 percent share in Queen Ann Inc., the food company he and his children, Brittani and James, started.

[10] Bubba's-Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs have been sold at stores, online, and on QVC, and were featured on Good Morning America.

In 2023, he spoke out about his perceived unfair treatment in the Shark Tank deal, for which he said he received only $659,653 in total, versus over $16 million in revenue, which had been promoted as one of the show's biggest successes.

[11] In a response, Daymond John stated that the Bakers' take, approximately 4% of revenue, came from the very thin profit margins of the food industry, and claimed that he had suffered a net loss on their arrangement.