Remembering when the Rams made the worst NFL Draft pick in history

The NFL Draft has evolved over the years, but there are some picks from the pre-merger stages that were so bad they stand the test of time. The Los Angeles Rams, unfortunately, made one of those choices way back in the early years of the Roman Gabriel era.

Imagine you take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Now, imagine that quarterback becomes one of the worst busts in NFL history. It's a stinging mistake, but not uncommon. Imagine again that this quarterback never even threw a touchdown pass in the NFL.

The Rams created that exact situation way back in the 1963 NFL Draft. Meet Terry Baker, a player who went from someone who was going to single-handedly change the Rams' fortunes to someone who has been consigned to the graveyard of NFL history as arguably the worst NFL Draft pick ever.

Terry Baker is the Los Angeles Rams' worst NFL Draft pick ever

Baker remains one of the greatest athletes in Oregon State history. Baker was not only the starting point guard on the Beavers basketball team (whom he captained to the Final Four in 1963), but he was also the Heisman Trophy winner in 1962. Baker, who led the country with 1,738 yards and 15 touchdown passes, became the first player ever to play west of Texas and win the Heisman.

Baker was also named Sports Illustrated's 1962 Sportsman of the Year. SI called him “James Bond in shoulder pads.” Is it possible to win at life more in your early 20s than Baker did?

Unfortunately, Baker didn't have the tools needed to succeed in the NFL despite a skinny 6-3 frame. At the time, scouting was nowhere near as thorough or advanced as it is now. The Rams were unable to put Baker through the same level of rigorous pre-screening and workouts that prospects go through now, leaning on strong testimonials from Heisman voters.

Armed with the No. 1 pick in the 1963 NFL Draft, the Rams selected Baker. This pick would have been laughed out of the room in the modern NFL. Los Angeles had taken Gabriel with the No. 2 pick in the 1962 Draft the year prior and veteran Zeke Bratkowski was still in town. Still, they chose not to pass on the Heisman winner.

Still, reports from the time say Baker (who played a bit of running back in college as well) was such an impressive prospect that he would have gone No. 1 overall regardless of who had the top pick.

Terry Baker was a major bust for the Los Angeles Rams

Baker managed to start off hot, leading a collegiate All-Star team to a victory in an exhibition game against the defending champion Green Bay Packers. Baker became a training camp star, but the standards for success seem to be exceedingly low.

Baker was reportedly heralded for being able to effectively call put signals and play-calls while handing the ball off nicely and throwing impressive warm-up lobs. That was unironically considered impressive in those days.

Unfortunately, as coach Harland Svare noted, Baker's arm was so comically weak that it made John Wolford look like Brett Favre. Svare soon realized that the Rams made a huge mistake with Baker.

"When Terry came to camp," Svare told the Los Angeles Times, "he was very impressive, barking out signals, whipping around and handing the ball off. Then we got into pass warm-ups, when most quarterbacks lob the ball...after he’d been in camp a couple of weeks, we started regular passing practice. He dropped back to throw and he’s still lobbing the ball around. I called [backfield coach Don Heinrich] over and said, ‘Don, go tell Terry to put something on the ball.’

“He trots over and I see ‘em whispering to each other, then he trots back to me and says, ‘He is.’”

Baker was unable to throw down the field, as film analysis would have revealed that most of his passes at Oregon State came on shorter throws when he was rolling out, which helped mask that deficiency. Svare was already out on Baker, and he didn't give him a very long leash.

Baker started in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, losing 23-2 while completing just six passes and getting intercepted three times. Svare went back to Bratkowski and Gabriel after that, and he never looked back.

"Maybe I was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Baker said. "The Rams were so unorganized when I joined them that the coaches didn't know what was going on. I started my first game, and I was no more prepared to do that than the man in the moon. I threw three interceptions, and I think Svare lost confidence in me right there."

Baker claims that his arm was "sore" after just one NFL game. Svare was so concerned about that that he sent Baker to a psychologist. After that, in his rookie year, Baker was converted to halfback.

Terry Baker never threw a touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams

Baker ended his rookie year with 11 pass completions out of 19 with zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Baker would amass 512 yards from scrimmage in his final two seasons with the Rams before George Allen cut him. After a year with Edmonton in the CFL, Baker hung up his cleats and became a lawyer.

Baker's career with the Rams will live in infamy, as will perhaps the most backhanded compliment ever uttered by an NFL coach.

“He was a great athlete and a tremendous person,” Svare said. "Had he been able to throw the ball, he would have been one of the great quarterbacks of all time.”