Legendary Cajun kicker inducted into the Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame 

Many collegiate athletes go into their career with certain goals and dreams, that being most plainly, to win. However, it goes deeper than that; they want to contribute to their team and the culture, cement themselves in the history books, make their way to professional sports and have iconic moments. If you’re Ragin’ Cajun’s former kicker Brett Baer, you’ve done every one of those things. 

On Sept. 5, six new members were added to the Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing them for their “significant contributions to their professions and their communities.” Baer was inducted alongside Kevin Brooks, Corey Coles, Richard Ainley, Haley Hayden and Dr. Ed Dugas. 

Baer was born on Jan. 30, 1990, in Brandon, MS, and is an alumnus from Brandon High School. The Brandon Bulldogs are located in Rankin County, to which Baer himself earned two all-county selections over the course of his high school career. 

In 2008, Baer redshirted for his first year with the Cajuns, meaning he sat out from in-game competition to develop further and extend his eligibility. 

For his freshman year in 2009, Baer was the kickoff specialist for all 12 of the Cajuns games that year. The team went 6/6, and Baer totalled 52 kickoffs for 2,895 yards. 

The 2010 season for Baer would present the first set of challenges in his collegiate career as he was demoted to backup kicker for the first four games of the season. Senior Tyler Albrecht started until the fifth game of the season against Oklahoma State University, where Baer would step in as starting kicker, alongside his kickoff responsibilities. 

Baer would go 7/7 on field goals and 23/23 on extra points, and be the only kicker in the Sun Belt Conference to hold the distinction of perfection for the 2010 season. 

The 2011 season would present itself as the most important in Baer’s time with the Ragin’ Cajuns. Going 18/20 on field goals and 46/50 on extra points would earn Baer a semi-finalist spot for the Lou Groza Award, which is given to the best kicker in the nation. Furthermore, Baer led the nation in field goal accuracy at .900 (90%). 

The ending of the 2011 season proved to be the greatest moment in Baer’s career, along with one of the most memorable moments in the program’s history with the Cajuns beating San Diego State University. 

In the 11th annual New Orleans Bowl on Nov. 21, the Ragin’ Cajuns would go up 13–3 at halftime, and at the beginning of the 4th quarter the score was 19–17 in favor of the Cajuns. With 35 seconds left in the game, the Aztecs would go up 30–29 and had virtually snatched victory from the jaws of certain defeat. 

Until the Cajuns managed to get Baer in his range, with the offense marching down to the 45-yard line, it looked to be just too much. Baer had already missed an extra point that game and had one blocked right from under him, the momentum was completely in San Diego State’s favor. 

Baer lined up, began his kicking cadence and … flag on San Diego State for illegal stemming. The ball was now on the 40-yard line and Baer had to make a 50-yard kick to prevent the comeback victory. 

The broadcast team mentioned that Cajun’s head coach Mark Hudspeth had gone on record saying Baer was “the worst practice kicker I’ve ever seen, but he gets the job done in the games.” 

With four seconds left, Baer sent the kick up, it curved left for a second, and went through the uprights. 

Cajuns win 32–30, and Baer is absolutely swarmed by an entire team of grown men who had all of their faith in him. 

A record 42,841 fans celebrated the triumph of the home-state team winning in the Mercedes Benz Super Dome, along with Baer being lifted up on the shoulders of his teammates in an image burned into the hearts of many Cajuns fans. 

It was the team’s first Division 1 bowl-game, and the first post-season in 41 years. Much of what the Cajuns have built today, is off of the rock of Baer’s kick that day. 

A program that had historically come up short proved their mettle that day, and legitimized themselves in the eyes of the college football world. 

Baer ended the 2011 season with 100 points, and certified himself a Ragin’ Cajun legend. 

Baer would end his collegiate career with an extra point accuracy rate of 94.6%, a field goal accuracy rate of 90% and 257 total points, making him third of all time for Cajun kickers. He also leads the NCAA in field goal accuracy. 

After college, Baer would sign with the St. Louis Rams for the NFL preseason, but then he would return to school and earn a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Science in 2017. 

As the members of the Hall of Fame were recognized in the Sept. 6 game against McNeese State University, Baer knocked down one last field goal for the Cajun faithful, reminding everyone in attendance that he is the trailblazer and forever a Cajun.