Baker’s mom gets to watch him play

DAVIE — Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker had a ticket reserved for his mother, Theodora, at Hard Rock Stadium before Miami’s first win of the season over the New York Jets last Sunday.

But he didn’t know if would actually come to game.

Baker’s internal struggle, in the midst of totaling seven tackles during Miami’s win, was playfully captured in a video clip shared by NFL Films and Showtime’s Inside the NFL on social media and went viral among Dolphins fans this week.

Baker clamored several times in the video while standing on the sidelines, sitting on the bench, and even between plays on the field looking for his mother. At one point in the clip, Baker abruptly stopped singing the Miami Dolphins fight song to ask himself:

“Where the mama?”

Baker said he was “dying laughing” while watching the video clip on Twitter on Tuesday night, even forgetting that he was wearing the microphone during the game, before he finally found his mother in the stands.

“It was just funny,” Baker said. “You don’t realize how many times I was saying it, but I was saying it so much. The video made it funnier.

“If you look at the video, I was clean at one point. Then later on, I had a little bit of dirt on me. Then later on, I was full of dirt.

“It was like the whole game, I was saying, ‘Where’s my mom? Where’s my mom?’ It was just a funny moment I didn’t realize, but I was definitely looking for my mom a lot.”

Baker’s mother flew to South Florida from their hometown of Cleveland for the weekend, for just the second time during the regular season. She previously attended the season opener for Miami’s blowout lost to the Baltimore [heck] is she the my

Ravens.

She was staying at his home, so he saw her before the game. But he had no idea if she made it to the stadium.

So for three quarters and the first four minutes of the fourth quarter in Sunday’s game, Baker could not stop looking into the stands. He searched for her while standing on the Dolphins sidelines and sitting on the bench.

He even looked into the crowd between plays on the field, trying to survey the stands for as long as he could.

“We were winning — that’s why I hoped she was there,” Baker said.

Baker spotted his cousin, who has a similar hairstyle as him, and thought the search would be over because his mother would be nearby.

But when Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham shouted out an instruction on the sideline, Baker lost his cousin in the stands.

Baker knew exactly where to look too.

“I rarely ever look before the game to see where they’re sitting,” Baker said. “But this game I looked. It was section 103, row 10. I knew she was in this particular section so it’d be easier. I’d definitely find her now.”

“So I’m looking, looking the whole game. I tried to count up [the rows], but there were too many people. So I looked again, I couldn’t find her. I couldn’t find her. So finally, toward the end of the game, I just stood there until I found her. And it was weird because she was wearing this big orange shirt, and I should’ve found her sooner than that. But it all worked out.”

Baker was unable to lock eyes with his mother until one key play in the game: It was after Dolphins newcomer Nik Needham sacked Jets quarterback Sam Darnold with 11:01 left in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins were holding the Jets offense inside the 5-yard line, so close to the sidelines where his mother’s seat was located.

“I celebrated a little bit, but I just stood there and was really looking like ‘I know she’s around this area,’ ” Baker said after the sack. “I was so close, so I could see peoples’ faces. When I found her, she was waving at me, and I waved back.

“I finally found her. worked out.”

It worked out for Baker the game too.

The reason why he didn’t know if she was going to make it to the stadium? She was busy preparing a home-cooked meal for her son.

“When I didn’t see her, I was like I really hope she didn’t stay home,” Baker said with a smile.

“My mom, she’s older, she’s about to retire. So I figured she cooked. She got tired. ‘Oh, I’ll just watch the game at home.’ And I don’t ever get mad at her for that.

“But this one, we’re

I hoped she was here.”

Waiting for Baker when he got home were turkey chops, mashed potatoes, spinach and cornbread — a postgame meal worth celebrating the occasion.

“When I got home, I pigged out and that was it. Honestly after I ate, I don’t really remember much before going to sleep,” Baker said.

Baker said he had not spoken to his mother about the video since it released Tuesday night.

He hopes she doesn’t notice how many curse words were censored out.

But he knows she would enjoy knowing how much he wanted her to be there for Miami’s first win this season.

“It’s a sense of comfort. I’m a momma’s boy. I love my family. So anytime they get to see me play live, it’s a different feeling,” Baker said.

“I know she’s probably loving it, knowing how many times I acknowledged [her in the video]. It’s just a sense of comfort for me.”

Everything after winning.