Johnny Lee Bailey (March 17, 1967 – August 20, 2010) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

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). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the Texas A&I Javelinas, earning first-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors in 1989.

Early life

Bailey was also a part of Houston's

Yates High School Jack Yates Senior High School is a public high school located at 3650 Alabama Street, very near Texas Southern University, in the historic Third Ward in Houston, Texas. Yates High School handles grades nine through twelve and is part of the Hous ...

football team when it won the 1985 5A state championship.

Career

Bailey was drafted in the ninth round out of Texas A&I University (now named

Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a Public university, public research university in Kingsville, Texas, United States. It is the southernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System. The university developed the nation's first doctoral degr ...

) in the 1990 NFL draft by the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

. While at Texas A&I, Bailey was the first, and so far only, player to be a three-time winner of the

Harlon Hill Trophy The Harlon Hill Trophy is an award in American college football given to the individual selected as the most valuable player in NCAA Division II. The award is named for former University of North Alabama and National Football League player Harl ...

, which is given to the best player in Division II

. He played for the Bears for two years before going on to the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

for two years, as well as playing for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams. During his

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a 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 Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

career he played in 81 games and scored nine touchdowns.

Death

Bailey died on August 20, 2010, of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

. He is buried at the Houston Memorial Gardens in

Pearland, Texas Pearland ( ) is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend County, Texas, Fort Bend and Harris County, Texas, Harris counties, in Texas, United States. The city of Pearland is a principal city wit ...

References

External links

* * 1967 births 2010 deaths American football return specialists American football running backs Chicago Bears players Iowa Barnstormers players Los Angeles Rams players Phoenix Cardinals players St. Louis Rams players Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees National Conference Pro Bowl players Players of American football from Houston Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Texas 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen {{Runningback-1960s-stub