What Happened to Jerry Baker From the Movie 23 Blast?
In 23 Blast, Bram Hoover portrays Jerry Baker, a pivotal character in this heartbreaking true event. The inspirational drama 23 Blast, which was first aired in 2013, is making a comeback to the public spotlight when it debuts on Netflix in the United States.
The movie, which is based in the actual world of high school football in Kentucky, centers on Travis Freeman, a young man who unexpectedly contracts a rare bacterial infection, loses his sight, and defies all odds to play football again.
Who Is Jerry Baker in 23 Blast?
One of the real characters from Travis Freeman’s life who appears in 23 Blast is Jerry Baker, who plays the character whose startling life story is presented in the film. Both in and out of the movie rendition of the events, Baker (Bram Hoover) played a role in Freeman’s return to the field.
When Travis started to suffer from the bacterial meningitis and headaches that would eventually cause him to lose his sight, he was best friends with Jerry from infancy.
People like Jerry Baker helped pull Freeman out of his melancholy as he struggles with his almost acquired disability and helped him realize that he can return to the field and show his vision impairment to whoever is in charge.
The former football star eventually put on the pads for one final game despite being blind thanks to Baker’s assistance in helping Freeman overcome the obstacles and return to Corbin High School.
Freeman has publicly expressed how much Baker meant to him and still means to him.
Freeman stated in a 15-minute Q&A He “didn’t want any of my friends to come to the hospital to see [him]” after losing his sight, but one day Baker knocked on the door, and he finally “understood that my friends were still going to accept [him]:”
“It was wonderful to grow up in Corbin. God really blessed me with a wonderful family and church life. Growing up, I had a pal named Jerry. I didn’t want any of my friends to visit me at the hospital when I lost my sight.
Jerry was the one who knocked on the door one day. He spent the entire day with me and gave me the reassurance that I would still be accepted by my friends and that everything would work out.
He went on to say that Baker was “instrumental” in helping him come “out of [his] shell,” as the movie 23 Blast portrayed.
How Did Jerry Baker from 23 Blast Die?
Unfortunately, unlike his old closest friend Travis Freeman, Jerry Baker’s story does not end well.
In 2007, Baker passed away suddenly at the age of 26. This resulted from complications following a catastrophic roofing accident that left Baker severely brain damaged and paralyzed from the waist down a few years before his death.
Baker survived numerous hospital stays, infections, leg amputations, and numerous operations following his accident, but it would all ultimately prove to be too much.
Freeman claims that Baker “got wrapped up in drugs and alcohol,” a problem he would battle until his death, soon after the events shown in the movie:
“Jerry started taking a different path after we entered high school. He wasn’t religious, and he became involved with booze and drugs. He was crippled in an accident on the roof a few years ago.
He neglected his health and passed away from the accident’s aftereffects a few years later. In essence, it tells the tale of two friends and how they respond differently to hardship and tragedy. I chose to conquer the obstacle and infirmity that had entered my life, whereas Jerry, regrettably, elected to feel sorry for himself.
Baker’s mother, Vicki, and daughter, Kailee, survived him.
Freeman informed the film’s promotional team that he “think[s] Jerry would be proud of [it]:” in reference to what he believes his boyhood best buddy would have thought of the 23 Blast movie.
“I believe the film would make Jerry proud. Jerry was there for me, I believe. ‘You’re going to be okay,’ he was the friend who reached out when I was feeling low. I’m not giving up on you, even though you’re going to be like everyone else. He would, in my opinion, be honored to play the part he does in the film.
Are you interested in learning more about Jerry Baker’s life and how the film 23 Blast was influenced by his connection with Travis Freeman? For more fascinating information about this touching true story and other must-see movies, visit our website Investrecords. Don’t pass up more compelling stories!