Bailey Trying to Take Cornerback Job by Storm

“Not quite what you’re looking for in terms of size and speed . . .”

--from Joel Buchsbaum’s 1991 Draft Review

Clearly, Robert Bailey is taking some giant steps toward convincing the Rams otherwise. Just the other day he took a few big strides and leaped to swat away a pass intended for Flipper Anderson, one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, eliciting this praise from Coach John Robinson: “That’s winning football, Robert Bailey. Way to go.”

Bailey is a 5-foot-9, 176-pound cornerback from the University of Miami. The Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 1991 draft. Given their first-round pick--Notre Dame’s Todd Lyght--the Rams’ selection of another cornerback 102 picks later wasn’t exactly big news.

Lyght hasn’t shown up in training camp, but when he does he’ll be battling Darryl Henley for the starting right corner spot. Jerry Gray, who’s progressing cautiously during his comeback from a knee injury, is a lock for the left corner spot if he remains healthy.

Still, Bailey figures he’s the right guy in the right place at the right time. He figures defensive coordinator Jeff Fisher’s aggressive new defense was designed specifically to highlight his talents. And he figures he can help the Rams rediscover “winning football,” because he doesn’t know any other kind.

“Look at me,” he says. “If I went out on a football field passive, they would absolutely kill me. Everything has to be aggressive. I’m saying to them, ‘I’m no joke. I’m here to play football.’ And this is the kind of go-for-the-gusto defense I believe in 100%.

“I hit Derrick Faison hard the other day and he said, ‘A little aggressive guy, huh?’ And I said, ‘I’m trying to get you to be aggressive.’ Football isn’t soft. At least not if you’ve got the attitude you’re going to win. We were very aggressive at Miami.”

The attitude at his alma mater has been criticized, but Hurricane fans aren’t complaining about the victory totals. Of course, the Rams didn’t take a chance on Bailey because they thought he was spunky, they picked him because they believe he’s a late bloomer. He didn’t start until his senior year at Miami.

“You have to give a lot of credit to John Math (director of player personnel) and the scouting department,” Fisher said. “They became very high on him during his senior year.”

Bailey started every game his senior season, recording 75 tackles. He had a career-high 15 tackles against Notre Dame. In his past two seasons, he had two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt.

The Rams are betting Bailey’s athletic skills will continue to improve, but they’re sure of some other attributes that can’t be measured with a stopwatch.

Fisher went to Miami to put Bailey through a workout and was impressed even though Bailey had showed up 20 minutes late.

“His agent had called and said Robert was going to be late because he had to take his last final to graduate,” Fisher said. “Smart kid.”

Bailey, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, described the ensuing workout as “surprisingly long.” He also decided then and there that he wanted to be a Ram because he and Fisher share many of the same philosophies.

“I hate the idea of sitting back in a zone,” Bailey said. “You have to attack, make the things happen that win football games.”

He may preach the most intense form of football, but Fisher’s easy-going demeanor during the workout left a strong impression on Bailey. “He was very thorough, but he made it relaxing,” Bailey said. “The other workouts with other scouts had been more stressful, but he was very friendly.”

Bailey’s quickness, his competitiveness and maybe even his determination to finish his education led the Rams to draft him. Now, Bailey feels it his duty to make them glad they did.

“I don’t think much about fighting for a spot on the roster,” he said. “I feel that every player, every day, owes it to himself to get better. Whether you’re a veteran with a big contract or a free agent or a rookie, you have more to prove to yourself than to others.”

That approach and the resulting effort haven’t gone unnoticed.

“He’s done a good job so far,” Fisher said. “He’s making some plays and he’s improved dramatically in just the time between mini-camp and now. He’s smart and very competitive.”

Bailey has to surmount most of the usual problems that go with making the transition to professional football, but he does have one advantage, if you want to call it that: He’s used to chasing down world-class speed receivers all day in practice.

He can line up across from Anderson and still “feel relaxed.”

“Without a doubt, covering guys like (Seattle’s) Brian Blades, (Dallas’) Mike Irvin and (Miami’s first-round pick) Randall Hill at Miami has really helped me,” he said. “I can go up against Flipper or Henry Ellard and still feel comfortable. It’s sort of like I know what to expect.”

Every little bit helps when you’re trying to find a niche, and a spot on the final roster.

Fisher says the Rams will keep five cornerbacks, which means Bailey will be battling Latin Berry and Plan-B free agents Sammy Lilly (San Diego) and Rodney Thomas (Miami) for the two remaining spots not occupied by Gray, Henley and Lyght.

Fisher says Bailey “seems to have that knack for blocking kicks” and believes he can develop into a special special-teams player. More importantly, the man who will make the final personnel decisions apparently envisions the same thing.

“He has surprising quickness,” Robinson said. “He looks like a major guy in blocking punts and field goals. And he’s also played very well at corner.”

Bailey doesn’t much care how or when the Rams use him. He just wants to play.

“Football is all about how much you want to play in your heart,” he said. “Not for the money, but for the fun (of it).”