Every football player, young and old, shares the same dream.
All gridiron warriors have visions of a jam-packed stadium, running out of the tunnel to tens of thousands of flashing cameras and screaming fans and lining up on the field waiting for the action to commence in the biggest game of the year: the Super Bowl.
Two NFL teams, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, will realize the dream this Sunday in Tampa Bay. And 106 players will run out of the tunnel and onto the stage of the biggest game of their lives. Most of them hail from college powerhouses, but on the Steelers' side, there will be one player from more humble origins that runs out alongside the rest.
Meet the Steelers' rookie of the year, Patrick Bailey, who just last year was on the Blue Devils' defensive line.
Bailey's journey from late high school recruit to Duke standout to the Super Bowl is as unlikely as it sounds.
"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," Bailey said.
And with any good rags-to-riches fairy tale, there were plenty of bumps along the way.
The story starts in a small town in Texas, where Bailey was a two-year letterman for Alamo Heights High School. As a late bloomer, he was not recruited until the end of his career. Major teams did eventually take interest, but in the end, he was drawn to Duke's mix of academics and athletics.
"A lot of people got on him late," former Blue Devil head coach Ted Roof said. "He could have gone to Purdue, Notre Dame-he could have gone to some good places-but we were fortunate enough to land him at Duke."
Upon arrival, Bailey had an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. He saw action in 10 games as a freshman, was set back by a season-ending foot injury his sophomore year, but then rebounded to start all 12 games his junior season and earn Duke's co-Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors along with Michael Tauiliili. He finished third on the team in tackles.
All the while, he never lost sight of his dream. He never let all the losses or Duke's football reputation stand in his way, either.
Entering his senior campaign, Bailey had plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Roof thought he had mid-to-late round draft potential, and everything was in place for Bailey to take the next step on his path to the NFL.
His knee, however, had a different plan.
Six games into the season, Bailey suffered the second year-ending injury of his career, causing the Blue Devils' season and Bailey's draft status to come crashing to the ground.
"That had a big impact on our football team," said Roof, who added that Bailey was one of his "all-time favorites." "He was a kid that was an effort guy, had a great motor, and was a good leader, and people rallied around him."
Duke would not win another game. Roof would be fired. Bailey would go undrafted in the following April draft.
The day after the NFL Draft ended, Bailey signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was still a long shot to make the team.
Bailey came into Steelers' training camp determined to earn a place on the 53-man roster. He knew that his only option would be to shine on special teams. But, despite a solid camp, Bailey was met with yet another setback when he was cut.
He was signed to the practice squad a few days later.
"Sometimes, as being an undrafted guy, [making the practice squad is] one of the best things that can happen to you," said Bailey, who graduated from the Pratt School of Engineering. "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 had to push a little bit harder to make it back on the squad."
But after being signed to the 53-man roster Sept. 20, Bailey was released for a second time two weeks later before re-joining the team Oct. 25. He has played in every game since.
Even though he missed four games when he wasn't on the team, Bailey finished the regular season tied for third in tackles on special teams, prompting the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association to unanimously award him the Joe Greene Great Performance Award as the team's top rookie.
For once, Bailey caught a break.
"It was an honor to receive it," said Bailey, who is part of the best kickoff coverage team in the NFL. "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."
Now he has the opportunity to be recognized on the grandest scale of all. And when he runs out of the tunnel onto the field with his dream fulfilled, he can forget about all the bumps in the road.
"At this point, I have been blessed with great teammates, great coaches here," Bailey said. "To win 14 games already and be going to the big dance, it has definitely been a huge blessing for me this year."
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