James Randall Bailey (born June 9, 1948) is an American former

gridiron football Gridiron football ( ),"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' ...

player. After attending the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

, he played nine seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) as a

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

during the 1970s.

Career

Bailey spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

; he and his team won

Super Bowl V Super Bowl V was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1970 Baltimore Colts season, Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1970 Dallas Cowboys season, Dallas Cowboys ...

in January 1971. Bailey spent the 1975 season with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

. On September 7, 1976, the 28-year old Bailey, who had previously been in camp with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

, was signed as a free agent by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

.Al Thomy
"Hilton Waived, Bailey Signed,"
''Atlanta Constitution,'' Sept. 8, 1976, p. 1-D. Former Colts starting left defensive end

Roy Hilton Roy Lee Hilton (March 23, 1943 – January 6, 2019) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 through 1975. Biography Early life Roy Hilton was born March 23, 1943, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, a to ...

was cut to make room for Bailey on the Falcons' roster. Bailey ended his NFL career with the Falcons, last playing in 1978. After ending his gridiron football career, Bailey worked in gas and real estate.

References

1948 births Living people Players of American football from Kansas City, Missouri American football defensive linemen Kansas Jayhawks football players Baltimore Colts players New York Jets players Atlanta Falcons players 20th-century American sportsmen {{defensive-lineman-1940s-stub