Pittsburgh Steelers rookie of the year Patrick Bailey, who graduated from Duke in 2008, will fulfill a boyhood dream of his Sunday when he plays in the Super Bowl:
How did you become the team's rookie of the year after being an undrafted free agent and bouncing between the practice squad and the 53-man roster?
Whenever I came here, I was an undrafted guy. I realized that for me to make the squad, I would have to shine on special teams. I was signed after the draft, was cut after camp, and was signed three weeks later for two weeks and cut again. And whenever that happened, I was like 'Well, I have to keep performing and trying to get back on it because that's what I wanted.' Finally when they brought me back up I wanted to perform at a high level, and that is kind of what happened. Thankfully, I have been out here ever since that.
Were you initially discouraged after being cut in training camp?
Well, I was signed to the practice squad. Sometimes as being an undrafted guy, that's one of the best things that can happen to you. You still have a job, you're still trying to work for that spot. When that happened, you could either say, 'Oh well, I'm going on the practice squad,' or you could take it as an opportunity to progress as a player and get better, and that is what I took it as--I have to push a little bit harder to make it back on the squad."
At the beginning of the year, was there any way you thought you could be the team's rookie of the year?
It was actually the pro football writers of the National Football League that voted on the award. It was an honor to receive it. I had no idea. In my head, I just wanted to go out and play and make sure I played to the best of my abilities, and it's definitely an honor to be recognized as that. For your first year, I mean, there is a lot of great names up there.
Were you surprised when you found out about it?
Yes, in a way, yes. When you think about it, I was an undrafted guy, and it was definitely a surprise.
Did your playing career at Duke prepare you well for the NFL?
When I went to Duke, it was like the scouts are going to come look at you. As long as you are given the opportunity to play the game with all your heart, I believe that football at any institution gives you the opportunity to play at the next level.
You've had a lot of losing seasons at Duke, and now you're in the Super Bowl.
At this point, I have been blessed with great teammates, great coaches here. To win 14 games already and going to the big dance, it has definitely been a huge blessing for me this year.
Do you still keep up with your Duke teammates and what happened this year with the Blue Devils?
Yeah, this year was a really nice year. I was able to follow them during most parts of the year. It was nice when they kind of came out. The best part was when they beat UVA. I have a few teammates up here that are from there. It's great to look back and see your team doing well. Cutcliffe has done a great job.
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