After a three-year NFL career, Stedman Bailey is going back to his roots and returning to West Virginia University as a Student Assistant Coach for the 2016 season. West Virginia University Football Coach Dana Holgorsen announced the news Sunday.
Bailey was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft after his All-American and record-setting career at WVU. The wideout had a rough three years in the league. In 2014, he was suspended for the first four games due to performance-enhancing drugs.
Then on November 24th, 2015, Bailey was shot multiple times while sitting with family members in his car in Florida. The unknown shooters pulled up next to them before shooting Bailey and driving away. The wideout survived two gunshot wounds to the head and was in critical but stable condition. Bailey was serving another four-game suspension at the time and was to be reinstated on December 7th. The WVU alum is currently on the Rams’ reserved list with a non-football injury.
“I know Stedman is very disappointed that he isn’t able to play football at this time. However, I am glad that he is going to turn an unfortunate situation into a positive one by coming back to WVU as a student assistant coach and more importantly finishing his degree,” Holgorsen said. “He was an important part of our football program as a player, and I look forward to him being with us once again. Like we say here – once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer.”
Bailey will was working towards a degree in multidisciplinary studies before he was drafted, and will enroll in the program as a part-time student once again in order to coach.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Los Angeles Rams organization, my teammates, coach Jeff Fisher, general manager Les Snead and the ownership for the way they have taken care of me and my family since they drafted me. They’re a first-class organization and made me feel like part of the family, especially during the past few months, which have been a tough time,” Bailey said.
“Moving forward, I would like to thank West Virginia University, especially coach Dana Holgorsen and athletic director Shane Lyons for making this opportunity available. Even though my playing career isn’t over yet, this gives me more time to heal so I can make a return. However, It is important to me to finish my degree. I loved my time as a Mountaineer football player and I look forward to working with coach Holgorsen and the Mountaineer football program.”
While Bailey won’t be able to play for Fisher and the Rams, his head coach in Los Angeles is happy to let Bailey continue to be involved in the game.
“We couldn’t be happier for Stedman and this opportunity he has to complete his degree and join West Virginia’s coaching staff,” Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher said. “His presence during our offseason program meant a great deal to his teammates, and his mentorship was invaluable to our young rookies. Stedman’s ability to teach, and his remarkable drive and determination will serve him well at West Virginia, and we wish him and his family the best as they step into the next chapter of their lives.”
During his record-setting career at WVU, Bailey played in 39 career games, starting 34. He finished with 3,218 receiving yards, second most in school history, on 210 catches and scored 41 touchdowns. Bailey’s 41 receiving touchdowns were the most in school history and he finished sixth in scoring with 246 points.
Bailey finished with a school-record tying 114 catches for a school-record 1,622 yards and 25 touchdowns his Junior year . The receiving touchdowns tied for the second-most all-time in a season nationally. Bailey was named first team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, CBSSports.com, Phil Steele and SI.com and second-team by the Associated Press, Walter Camp and FoxSports.com. The wideout was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, the award for the top receiver in college football.
Bailey also holds the school single-game receiving marks and three of the top five, including a school record 303 yards on 13 catches against Baylor.
“West Virginia University is a class institution and I commend Head Coach Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers’ Athletic Director Shane Lyons and associate athletic director of football operation Alex Hammond for reaching out to Stedman and offering him the chance to return to school and contribute to their football program as a student assistant coach,” Rams General Manager Les Snead said. “Stedman has been working extremely hard to get back into football condition, and he has come a long way in a short period of time. This opportunity at West Virginia will allow him to be even more productive during this year of rehabilitation by finishing something that will pay dividends for a lifetime.”
[West Virginia University Athletics]
