LSC, A&I legend passes away
8/20/2010 10:23:22 AM | Football
KINGSVILLE – Former Texas A&I football running back Johnny Bailey, 43, the most honored collegiate football player in history, died Friday morning in Houston after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Bailey, who set records and compiled yardage in football that stand as the best ever for a collegiate athlete, played football for the Javelinas in 1986-89. He won three straight Harlon Hill Awards as the top player in NCAA Division II football, the only player to ever win the award three straight times.
Bailey, from Houston Yates High School, rushed for 6,320 yards and became only the second back to rush for more than 6,000 yards in a career. The other was Tony Dorsett of the University of Pittsburgh, who had 6,082 in his four years. Bailey surpassed Dorsett's mark at mid-season of his senior season.
Bailey had 7,803 all-purpose yards, also the best ever at the time. He finished third on the collegiate scoring chart with 428 points.
He had 580 additional rushing yards in the three post-season playoff games but these did not count in career records at the time. His best single-game figure was 254, that coming in his sophomore season.
Bailey opened his college career with four consecutive 200-plus yards games. No other athlete has had such a college debut. He rushed for 100 or more yards in his first 11 college games.
His best rushing season was his first when he picked up 2,011 yards, the best single-season performance for an LSC athlete. At the time, only two other college backs had ever rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a season. Bailey ranks as the all-time leading rusher in the state and Lone Star Conference.
For more on Bailey's death, click here.
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