Brayden Bailey, son of Champ Bailey, has himself a day for Holy Innocents’
Everyone plays for something on Friday nights.
On this particular Friday (it was actually in the afternoon) on the leafy Sandy Springs campus of Holy Innocents’, Bears cornerback Brayden Bailey did not have to look far for his personal motivation.
Lined up directly across the line of scrimmage from the junior for most of the game was one of the top wide receivers in the state, Mount Vernon senior and Georgia commit Taurean Rawlins.
“Obviously, No. 11 (Rawlins) is going to Georgia and is a really good player,” Holy Innocents’ coach Nick Perrotta told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’ve got a really good player in Brayden and a lot of other really good players that, they take that personal a little bit of, ‘Hey, that guy’s getting a lot of attention. Good for him, but we want to shut that down.’”
The final score of the private-school matchup – No. 5 Holy Innocents’ 51, No. 10 Vernon 14 – wasn’t solely the result of the Rawlins-Bailey matchup. (And, yes, Brayden is the son of UGA great and first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey.)
But, in this game within a game, there was no mistaking the ability of Bailey and his fellow Bears defenders – whether by pressuring the quarterback, keeping tabs on him in zone coverage, or tackling in space – to limit Rawlins’ playmaking ability upon Baker Field.
It was an example of high-school football’s appeal. Whether it’s earning a varsity letter, competing with friends or, in this case, proving yourself to college recruiters, the game has tests for anyone willing to take them.
“He looked great,” Champ Bailey said of his son. “He did what he was supposed to do, kept a lid on Taurean. That was really his M.O. (Friday). He had to make sure he took care of that. And he did that.”
Bailey pressed Rawlins at the line when it was called for, tackled him in open space and closely trailed him on his pass routes. It led a group effort to limit touches and then to contain him when he did get the ball in his hands, mostly by jet sweeps or quick-hitting passes.
“(Defending a player of Rawlins’ caliber) is definitely more of a challenge, but I respect that he’s good,” Bailey said. “He’s a good player, he’s quick, but I play everyone the same. I play my technique. I trust my technique and I just play how I play.”
Rawlins’ coach, who knows a little bit about wide receiver play, took note of Holy Innocents’ defense.
“They got some pressures on us and didn’t allow us to get the ball to Taurean as we would like, but that’s how it goes sometimes,” said Mustangs coach Terrence Edwards, the former Georgia star. “You look at the film and you get ready to go do it next week.”
Bailey put in a full afternoon’s work, also playing wide receiver and returning kickoffs and punts. He brought back the opening kickoff deep inside Mount Vernon territory to set up the Bears’ first touchdown.
On offense, he lined up at outside wide receiver, in the slot and in the backfield. He got behind the Mount Vernon defense for a 30-yard reception. He drew at least one pass-interference penalty. It was the type of versatility that his father displayed in his All-American career for the Bulldogs.
“He loves football,” said Champ Bailey, who coaches defensive backs for Holy Innocents’. “And that’s what I love about him. I don’t have to get him going for anything.”
He has earned scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina, Boston College, Colorado and SMU. The Yellow Jackets offer was received in the Bailey home with a degree of resistance.
“I don’t want to say that my dad didn’t like that, but he didn’t like that,” Brayden said.
Said Champ, “If Tech’s the last man standing, so be it. I’ll wear a Yellow Jacket shirt for a couple years, you know? It is what it is.”
Friday’s performance against Rawlins might open more eyes. Most likely, his size (he’s listed, perhaps generously, at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds) has been a factor.
“I’m always telling him to just be patient, just keep working,” Champ Bailey said. “I think you go have an outing like this against a player like this, people will start taking notice. I’m just happy that he got it done.”
It was part of a dominating showing by Holy Innocents’ in moving to 3-0 for the season. Quarterback Ryan Woods threw for a touchdown, ran for one and caught one on a throwback. Safety Deuce Grayson returned two interceptions for scores.
The Bears have aspirations for the first state title in school history.
“We’re definitely going to go far,” Bailey said. “I think if we just stay healthy, just stay on the grind, we’ll be good.”
A week after beating a ranked opponent for the first time in school history, the Mustangs (2-1) had a setback.
“I’m curious to see how my team’s going to respond,” said Edwards, in his third year as Mount Vernon’s head coach. “We’ve got another game next week. That’s the good thing about it. We get another opportunity to play.”
After meeting the challenge Friday, so do Brayden Bailey and Holy Innocents’.
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