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Philly's Rasheed Bailey a D-III receiver who caught NFL scouts' eyes

Delaware Valley wide receiver had a huge senior season, will graduate and is looking forward to getting an NFL opportunity.

Wide receiver Rasheed Bailey, a Roxborough graduate,
celebrates during a game with Del-Val college. (Photo courtesy of Delaware Valley College)
Wide receiver Rasheed Bailey, a Roxborough graduate, celebrates during a game with Del-Val college. (Photo courtesy of Delaware Valley College)Read more

LIKE ANY PLAYER on a high school football field, Rasheed Bailey used to harbor those big thoughts. He'd catch himself daydreaming about playing in large, loud college football stadiums at Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Notre Dame. Then the bubble would burst, reality would seep in and he'd look around to find no one knocking.

Bailey played for Roxborough High School, in the tough-and-tumble Philadelphia Public League on Friday afternoons. As a tight end. In a Wing-T offense that primarily ran the ball. No one showed overwhelming interest - no one but Division III Delaware Valley College.

At Del Val, Bailey found himself. And so, apparently, have a number of NFL teams found the 6-2, 205-pound receiver. Bailey, who smashed almost every receiving record in Del Val history, may be a later third-day draft choice this weekend; if not, it's likely that he'll be getting free-agent invites, probably more than a few, for NFL training-camp tryouts.

It's taken a little time, but the attention Bailey has always craved has finally arrived.

The month of May will mark a life-changing time for Bailey, who will graduate Del Val on May 16 with a degree in business and marketing. With the three-day draft fast appraoching later this week, Bailey is hoping all of his accomplishments last fall will pay dividends. He worked out at Villanova for numerous NFL scouts and had a private workout for the Eagles, among others, like the Colts, Browns, Chiefs and Bills.

"It is a crazy, chaotic time, but a good chaotic," said Bailey, who developed into one of the most dangerous receivers in Division III football, earning a pile of awards this past season, from Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Offensive Player of the Year, to first-team all-conference, to Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southeast Offensive Player of the Year to D3football.com first-team All-American, to being named to the Associated Press first team Little All-America Squad.

Bailey is also aware, if that chance arises, his football life will start again from the bottom.

"It doesn't matter to me, I'm excited," Bailey said. "I spoke with some teams about special teams a little bit, and I know it's probably going to be my role. I blocked a couple of punts in my college career and it's something that I take pride in. Back in high school, I played defensive end, so I know how to get around the edge and attack the football.

"When I visited the Eagles, coach [Chip] Kelly was telling me what routes to run, and he explained what they do a little. A three-step slant, a slant, or a dig, basic stuff like that. It was very structured. They had us take a balance test and they measure your hands. Afterward, they kept me, about 10 of us, to talk about Eagles football and their philosophy. I would love to play home, but any opportunity right now, I'll take it."

Last season, Bailey had 80 receptions for 1,707 yards and 19 touchdowns - setting school single-season records in all three categories. Bailey led all of Division III in receiving yardage, yards per game (155.2 average) and receiving touchdowns. His 11 catches tied a single-game school record in the Aggies' season-opening win at Montclair State.

He set a single-game record with 252 receiving yards in a win over Albright, tied a single-game mark with four receiving touchdowns in back-to-back wins over Lebanon Valley and Albright, and was the heart and soul of a team that began 9-0 and finished 9-2, which included a berth in the Division III playoffs.

"I know what the talk is going to be; I'm from a small school and I did it against Division III players, but at the end of of the day, I'm a competitor," Bailey said. "I've shown what I can do when I'm given the chance. And that's all I'm asking for is a chance."

Del Val coach Duke Greco doesn't have to be sold on Bailey. He entered Del Val as one version of a football player, and left as someone completely different, on and off the field.

"Graduating for Rasheed right now is different than for most students, because he wants to walk in graduation, and he's going on interviews to play in the NFL with Chip Kelly," Greco said. "It speaks of his character. He's still going to school, and going to these NFL workouts. Above everythng else, Rasheed is graduating with a college degree, and that's a big deal to him. I spoke to every NFL team, except San Francisco, and every NFL team told me that they would take Rasheed as a free agent. Think about where and how far this kid came. We had to teach him basic routes when he got here, and he's leaving with a trail of NFL teams calling about him, wanting to take a real look. If the team he goes to gives him that chance, he's going to make it. Rasheed is a character kid. It's a quality you can't coach. You either have it, or you don't. Rasheed does."