Football suits X-Men Bailey

St. F.X. receiver a top CFL prospect
by Monty Mosher, The Chronicle Herald

The St. Francis Xavier X-Men are probably happy Devon Bailey didn't follow his other great love.
 
Bailey, a fourth-year football player from Mississauga, Ont., is one of the best receivers in the CIS and leads the Atlantic football conference with 293 yards in three games.
 
He had a 74-yard touchdown reception on Friday night against the Acadia Axemen. Acadia won the game handily, but Bailey's big play didn't go unnoticed.
 
In fact, little that the six-foot-five Bailey does goes unnoticed. An outstanding athlete and a team captain, he's been tabbed as the No. 2 prospect in the CIS for the upcoming CFL draft.
 
All of this for a guy who might just as easily have chosen volleyball, what he calls his "hidden passion." Or maybe soccer or basketball. He loves them all.
 
He came to football after many years in other sports.
 
"Football was actually my last choice," Bailey said Monday. "I've only played football for a couple of years now. I definitely wanted to pursue volleyball and I've played soccer longer than I've played any other sport.
 
"But when it came down to it, I just really love football. I love the whole physical nature of it and the competitiveness. It's the sport I think that better suits me."
 
It's been a hard slog over the past few years for the X-Men. The team was restocked with talented players like Bailey and the results came slowly.
 
The X-Men missed the playoffs last year. They are 2-1 this season after wins over Mount Allison and Concordia, but it is uncertain yet if they are contenders.
 
Bailey said at a minimum things are better than they were.
 
"It's pretty satisfying," he said. "It's enjoyable to be part of a winning team and we're just going to try to push forward and keep going."
 
X-Men head coach Gary Waterman said he's pleased for Bailey. He said he's put in the work over his career and is now reaping the benefits.
 
Waterman knew the X-Men had a bright young receiver when they brought him in.
 
"He was an outstanding athlete without a ton of football experience," Waterman said. "But we could see the potential and the competitiveness. We knew that once that his experience and the technique starting to catch up with his athleticism he was going to be pretty special."
 
His productivity has increased steadily since his rookie season. He went from eight catches as a rookie in 2010 to 18 in 2011. He had 28 catches, earning an all-star selection, in just six games last year.
 
None of what he accomplished in those first three years lived up to his expectations for himself.
 
He knew the expectations for him were particularly high.
 
"When you don't produce the results that you think you should be giving, that's always frustrating."
 
The team has grown and so has he. Waterman challenged him to take on a greater leadership role within the group, one he has readily accepted.
 
He said some of the improved outlook around the team this year is the result of the veterans getting sick and tired of hearing how they've failed to deliver on their talent.
 
"We've had enough of our previous records, the previous outcomes of games," said Bailey. "I think all in all we're more dialled in than we've ever been. We really have that drive."
 
Bailey has highly touted coming out of high school and everybody wanted him, but St. F.X. had a trump card. Bailey was close to Henoc and Cauchy Muamba, both former X-Men who went on to play in the CFL.
 
Henoc Muamba, a linebacker, was selected first overall by Winnipeg in 2011.
 
"St. F.X. was the kind of environment I wanted to put myself in," Bailey said. "It's a small town and a place where you can focus on football and school. There aren't many distractions. It's kind of like a home."
 
He hears the chatter about the CFL, but will focus on the remainder of the AUS season ahead before he turns his attention to a pro career. It's his dream to play with, and maybe against, some of the other X-Men in the CFL.
 
He draws comparisons to former X-Men receiver Akeem Foster, a 2010 fourth-round pick of the B.C. Lions. Bailey may be faster.
 
"He has pro potential," said Waterman. "I know they are interested in him and he's ranked fairly high, so I think everybody is starting to see the things we've been seeing in him."