Stedman Bailey making progress but status still unclear
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/27904/stedman-bailey-making-progress-but-status-still-unclear
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey has remained steadfast in his desire to return to the football field as soon as the 2016 NFL season.
Now a little more than four months removed from being shot twice in the head near his home in Miami, Bailey remains on the road to recovery. As he’s done throughout the process, Bailey still dutifully takes to social media to offer updates on his progress, whether it’s a short clip of him lightly jogging through a hospital or more recent looks at him going through rigorous workouts in a Miami gym from TMZ Sports.
Stedman Bailey
Jeff Fisher admits that there’s no real precedent for the type of comeback Stedman Bailey is attempting to make.
Those are all good signs, especially considering how close Bailey’s wounds were to being fatal. But that progress hasn’t been enough to offer any clarity on Bailey’s future in football.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher discussed Bailey at this week’s NFL owners meetings and noted that Bailey’s situation is so unique that it’s hard to have much of a read on what will happen in the future. Suffice to say, there’s not much precedent for a player returning to the game from injuries like Bailey’s.
“Sted is currently in the evaluation process, seeking numerous opinions from neurologists and the like,” Fisher said. “Just to see if he can not only play but continue with a rigorous physical rehab program that will put him in position to play.
“So he’s going through that evaluation process. As you can imagine, we don’t think there’s any history out there [for the likes of coming back] after the head wounds and all that.”
Although Bailey had spent some time with teammates who visited him in the hospital after the shooting, he had his first chance to visit with the entire team and coaching staff at the team’s voluntary meeting in Los Angeles on March 4. Fisher and the team recognized Bailey before starting the informational session designed for players making the move with the team.
“Sted attended the player meeting out in Southern California, which was great,” Fisher said. “And we started the meeting off recognizing him.
“Players knew he was coming. He palled around with some of them at the breakfast. Still brought him up front and gave him a hug. I’d been wanting to give him a hug for five months. So gave him a hug. It was cool.”
Bailey has also spent some time in St. Louis working out and meeting with the Rams athletic training staff. For now, Bailey remains under contract with the Rams and is actually entering the final season on his rookie contract. He finished the 2015 season on the reserve/non-football injury list.
The Rams are set to begin their offseason conditioning program on April 18 in Oxnard, California. Whether Bailey returns remains to be seen but, as Fisher is quick to point out, that it’s even a possibility is amazing in its own right.
“He’s come back,” Fisher said. “So, he’s been in the building. We’ve seen him doing well. Seems like the same old Sted, and he’s very lucky as we’ve all said to be alive.”
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Agamemnon
