DANIELE FRANCESCHI – ARGOS ADMIRALS INSIDER
TORONTO – This is the moment that CFL top prospect Devon Bailey has been waiting for. Nearly five years after leaving his childhood home in Mississauga, Ontario, the highly touted wide receiver returns to the GTA as a participant in the Canadian Football League’s annual draft Combine.
As a high school student attending Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School, Bailey was a talented two-sport athlete, excelling in both football and volleyball. Following the conclusion of his high school career, Bailey elected to depart from the Toronto area, venturing over 1,800 kilometers to St. Francis Xavier University (StFX). While many of Bailey’s peers were surprised by the decision, the highly recruited wideout was confident that he would succeed as a member of the X-Men football program.
“I knew that I would flourish at St. Francis Xavier”, commented Bailey in an exclusive interview with Argonauts.ca. “I knew that I had to get away from home and stand on my own two feet.”
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In four seasons as a member of the X-Men, Bailey appeared in 29 out of a possible 32 regular season games, registering 87 receptions for 1,160 yards and six touchdowns. As a senior, Bailey finished second in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Conference in both yards per game (66.5) and average yards per reception (14.8).
An AUS All-Star, Bailey attributes a majority of his on-field success to an elevated level of commitment off the football field, placing greater emphasis on film study and the basic fundamentals of the game.
“I have always been the guy to stop my entire football career. I could rely on my athleticism to outperform competitors,” stated Bailey. “Only within the last two years have I become more committed to off-field preparation.”
Evidently, hard work does indeed pay off as Bailey enters this weekend’s combine ranked fourth overall on the Canadian Football League’s Top 15 prospect list.
As the lone AUS participant ranked within the top 15, Bailey understands the importance of this weekend’s combine in relation to the success of the Atlantic University Sport Conference.
“It is really inexplicable,” declared Bailey, attempting to articulate the strong bond shared between the AUS and its surrounding communities. “There is a lot of pride and with that comes a substantial amount of responsibility. Although I already feel motivated to succeed at the next level, coming from StFX and AUS fraternity certainly adds pressure.”
At six-foot-five, 190 pounds, Bailey possesses the necessary tangible skills in order to play at the next level. His well-rounded physique presents a daunting task for any opposing defensive back. One CFL scout, who wished to remain anonymous, has gone on record comparing Bailey to current B.C. Lions wide receiver Akeem Foster. When asked to provide a brief report on the X-Men’s star receiver, the scout promptly responded, “Kind of an Akeem Foster clone, but probably runs and moves a littler bit better at the same time. He moves well, runs well and runs good routes for a kid his size.”
In preparation for the 2014 CFL Combine, Bailey adopted a rigorous training program in hopes of increasing muscle mass and improving his horizontal/vertical quickness.
“My training regimen has been exceptional,” said Bailey. “I have been working out three times per day for over three months. During the CIS season, I made the decision to maintain a less intense training program. However, at this point, it’s all about creating a workout schedule that best prepares you for the physically demanding testing process.”
While Bailey is very grateful for his time at St. Francis Xavier University, the 22-year-old Mississauga native is thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase his skills on a national stage in Toronto.
“I am looking forward to the pageantry. Nine CFL teams evaluating the best of the best, it simply does not get much better than that,” remarked Bailey. “I have been training for this since the end of the CIS season. As for everything else, I will leave that up to the Lord.”
INSIDER EXTRA – Cream of the Crop
Despite sliding two spots from No. 2 to No. 4 in the Canadian Football League’s season-ending prospect rankings, Bailey appears to be more confident than ever before. The two-time AUS All-Star was the only wide receiver to crack the top 15 list, thus making him a primary target for CFL teams in search of some explosiveness on the offensive side of the football. This is certainly quite the accomplishment for a young man who spent a majority of his collegiate football career playing on a sub-.500 squad. While many scouts, coaches, and general managers agree that he is the top receiver in this year’s draft class, Bailey himself has taken things one step further, declaring that he is, without question, the best all-around prospect available in this year’s draft.
“It has always been clear to me that my God given gifts like size, intelligence, speed, and hand-eye coordination would make me a top CFLer,” proclaimed Bailey. “If I can stay healthy and keep my body right, I cannot help but be successful. I consider myself to be, pound-for-pound, the number one prospect in this year’s CFL Draft.”