'Big John'

They called former Wake County Sheriff John Baker "Big John" for two reasons.

The first was literal. The former NFL player towered over you with his 6 ½ feet and his 300-pound frame.

And the hands – you can't talk about John Baker without talking about the hands. They literally swallowed your hands when you shook his.

But the nickname was not about literal size, it was about the size and power of his infectious personality. It was a personality that influenced people to do things, to make changes, to take action.

The measure of any man is how he is remembered by everyone – his friends and his foes.

No one ever accused Baker of being timid. In fact, today, people called him "mighty" and said he ruled with "an iron fist."

But in the next breath, they talked about how – behind his prominent size, his booming voice and his tough talk – he was a man with a kind and generous heart. He was a man who, many said, "would do anything for you."

I was humbled today, as I have been since his death, by the stories about him. I always respected John Baker and had a special reverence for his unique mixture of strength and compassion.

In many ways, he reminded me of my own father – a lion in the public arena, a lamb in private with a grandchild on his lap.

I am honored to have known him, as a journalist and as a human being.