This past winter, L.A. Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey was in the ICU for about a month after being shot twice in the head. One of the most troubling NFL storylines in a long time, it wasn’t immediately clear whether he would survive.
Now, less than five months later, Bailey is back on the football field. Bailey posted a video to his Instagram Tuesday of him running routes. The video is layered with the word “WORK,” and Drake and Future’s “30 for 30 Freestyle” plays in the background.
Yesterday, Bailey posted another video – this one of ESPN’s NFL Live discussing Bailey’s potential of returning to the league. He captioned it: “I haven't been recording every single thing that I'm able to do but I'm back on my grind heavy. Rock w/ me through this journey. God is good. Won't he do it????? They ain't seen nothing yet??? It's only the beginning”.
It’s clear Bailey wants to return to the league. Rams coach Jeff Fisher has made it clear that Bailey’s recovery will take precedence over getting back to the NFL.
The former West Virginia star was a third-round pick in 2013. In his junior year, he had 114 receptions for 1,622 yards and 25 touchdowns – jaw-dropping numbers. He had 46 receptions his second year in the NFL, and 25 in eight games his third year (before the injury ended his season).
It’s very inspiring to see Bailey grinding to get back, but it is a little bit troubling that a guy who was shot twice in the head could get back on an NFL field, where concussions are prevalent.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
[viaNFL.com]
