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Bailey reminds us all: Don't sleep on Stedman
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_3817cbdf-136c-56b0-8891-7cc2366075fc.html
Jeff Fisher wasn't amused, and there's a good chance wide receiver Stedman Bailey will receive a letter from the NFL this week — the kind informing players they have been fined.
But for pure entertainment purposes, it's hard to beat Bailey's clever touchdown celebration following an 18-yard reception that gave the Rams a 17-9 lead over Arizona in third quarter Sunday.
After making the grab in the right corner of the end zone, Bailey dropped to the ground and lay there for a few seconds before getting up. Did he slip? Was he out of breath? Was he hurt?
None of the above. Replays showed Bailey with his head on the football, using it like a ... uh ... pillow.
Even Tavon Austin, who watched Bailey score many a touchdown when they were college teammates at West Virginia, was temporarily confused.
"I don't know what he was doing on the ground," Austin said, chuckling. "Probably using the football as a pillow on the ground over there. I can't celebrate with him, so I let him do his thing — get his Zs — and then he popped right up. He went to sleep for a little bit, but he woke up."
And that, Bailey explained, was exactly the point.
"I just feel like at times a lot of guys around just sleep on me," Bailey explained. "So you know I just wanted to let 'em know they need to wake up."
Bailey has displayed flashes of talent since the Rams selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft, but he's had to fight for playing time in the pros. In two-plus NFL seasons, Bailey has a modest 53 receptions for 749 yards. His TD catch in the Rams' 24-22 upset victory over the Big Red was only the second of his career.
(He's also scored a TD on an end-around, as well as on the famed "Mountaineer" 90-yard trick-play punt return last year vs. Seattle.)
"I kind of know that I can do a lot of good things in this league," Bailey said. "At times things don't really go our way where I can showcase everything that I can do. But I'm just trying to stay patient and wait for my time."
Fisher was not a fan of the post-TD hijinks. He already has had a talk with Bailey about it. It could've cost the Rams a 15-yard penalty for using the football as a prop.
Nonetheless, Bailey scored points for creativity with his teammates.
"It was different, man," said veteran defensive end William Hayes. "I wasn't expecting that at all but it was pretty clever. I don't care what he does as long as he keeps putting that ball in the end zone. He can go to sleep every week."
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_3817cbdf-136c-56b0-8891-7cc2366075fc.html
Jeff Fisher wasn't amused, and there's a good chance wide receiver Stedman Bailey will receive a letter from the NFL this week — the kind informing players they have been fined.
But for pure entertainment purposes, it's hard to beat Bailey's clever touchdown celebration following an 18-yard reception that gave the Rams a 17-9 lead over Arizona in third quarter Sunday.
After making the grab in the right corner of the end zone, Bailey dropped to the ground and lay there for a few seconds before getting up. Did he slip? Was he out of breath? Was he hurt?
None of the above. Replays showed Bailey with his head on the football, using it like a ... uh ... pillow.
Even Tavon Austin, who watched Bailey score many a touchdown when they were college teammates at West Virginia, was temporarily confused.
"I don't know what he was doing on the ground," Austin said, chuckling. "Probably using the football as a pillow on the ground over there. I can't celebrate with him, so I let him do his thing — get his Zs — and then he popped right up. He went to sleep for a little bit, but he woke up."
And that, Bailey explained, was exactly the point.
"I just feel like at times a lot of guys around just sleep on me," Bailey explained. "So you know I just wanted to let 'em know they need to wake up."
Bailey has displayed flashes of talent since the Rams selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft, but he's had to fight for playing time in the pros. In two-plus NFL seasons, Bailey has a modest 53 receptions for 749 yards. His TD catch in the Rams' 24-22 upset victory over the Big Red was only the second of his career.
(He's also scored a TD on an end-around, as well as on the famed "Mountaineer" 90-yard trick-play punt return last year vs. Seattle.)
"I kind of know that I can do a lot of good things in this league," Bailey said. "At times things don't really go our way where I can showcase everything that I can do. But I'm just trying to stay patient and wait for my time."
Fisher was not a fan of the post-TD hijinks. He already has had a talk with Bailey about it. It could've cost the Rams a 15-yard penalty for using the football as a prop.
Nonetheless, Bailey scored points for creativity with his teammates.
"It was different, man," said veteran defensive end William Hayes. "I wasn't expecting that at all but it was pretty clever. I don't care what he does as long as he keeps putting that ball in the end zone. He can go to sleep every week."
