By Todd Bradley
DCSportsFan.com
At 5-foot-8 and 196 pounds, Antwon Bailey doesn't look like a Division I athlete. However, for three years during high school he played like one, scoring 45 touchdowns and rushing for over 2,800 yards at St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. His success on the field and in the classroom earned him a full ride to Syracuse University in Upstate New York.
Playing as a true freshman for a team that competed in the Big East wasn't easy, but Bailey battled through personal struggles on a team that finished the season 3-9. He didn't touch the field the first four games of the season, but Bailey stayed the course and tried to remain positive.
"I can't even lie," Bailey said. "It was tough not playing and watching from the sideline. I kind of got down, but it was something that made me stronger in the end. I never sat on the bench in anything that I ever did. No matter if it was football, basketball or track, I was on the field. That part of the season really tested me."
The transition from high school to college can be extremely difficult for the average 18-year-old, but it can be magnified for athletes coming off exceptional high school careers. Not only did Bailey excel on the field, but he was just as strong in the classroom, which earned him the Scholar Athlete Award at the DCSportsFan.com Football Banquet in January of 2008. Bailey said that his time at St. John's helped prepare him for life in college.
"I think St. John's made me more prepared than other freshman," Bailey said. "One reason is that I had more knowledge about the game because of the [St. John's] staff. Not only the game, but I had a certain idea of what to expect because of the Division I players that we already had in college. Most of our coaches played division one football [as well]."
While Bailey said that the transition can vary from person to person, the two things he struggled the most with was the speed of the college game and adjusting to not being "that guy" on the team.
"In high school, coming into games I knew that I was going to have a number of opportunities to make plays throughout the game," Bailey said. "In college, everybody on the team was a star in high school."
One of those stars was Syracuse senior running back Curtis Brinkley, who rushed for 1,164 yards and 7 touchdowns last fall and over 2,100 yards during his Syracuse career. Bailey said that Brinkley was instrumental in his transition from high school to college.
"He showed me the ins and outs of how things go in college football," Bailey added. "Things as simple as how to take care of your body throughout the course of a season. That goes a long way, especially with me being a running back."
And as the season progressed, so did Bailey's role. He finally saw the field in a September 27th home game against Pittsburgh.
"I was excited, but more than anything I was nervous," Bailey said. "More nervous than I've ever been in my whole life. It wasn't that I was nervous about playing for the first time. It was more so the situation in the game I was put in. The game was tied 24-24 in our first Big East match-up in the fourth quarter.
Bailey carried the ball twice against Pittsburgh and three times against each West Virginia, South Florida and Louisville, which included a 39-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
"That Louisville touchdown ranks high up there for me in my football moments. It just happened so fast. It was great, though."
But great couldn't even describe what was about to happen for Bailey. During the weeks leading up to a November 22 game at Notre Dame, Syracuse began working on the infamous 'Wildcat Offense', which featured Bailey in the backfield, often working directly behind the center.
"As the season progressed, my role on the team had grown more and more," Bailey said. "They were trying to get me more involved in the offense. We put the package in where I was playing QB, but I still had no idea that I would play that much. Or that we would even run that formation as much as we did."
In total, Bailey carried the ball 16 times for 126 yards and scored his second touchdown of the year on a 26-yard run in the fourth quarter. Syracuse went on to beat Notre Dame 24-23 in front of 80,000 people in South Bend.
"During the game, I really didn't have much time to think," Bailey said. "It was just surreal."
Bailey finished the season with 33 carries, 221 yard and 6.7 yards per carry, but even with Brinkley graduating and Bailey expected to take over, he isn't getting ahead of himself.
"My expectations for next season is a winning season and a bowl game," Bailey said. "Anything after that is a plus."
Considering Bailey's history, chances are he won't be disappointed.
