Melrose's Bailey signs letter of intent with ENMU

MELROSE - An athlete of Devon Bailey's physical stature and ability are rarities for a school the size of Melrose. Bailey realized on Wednesday, while fighting through tears of joy, a chance to play college football was even rarer.

Bailey, who hopes to be a few weeks away from an eight-man state championship repeat with the Buffaloes, secured his next step in football by signing a letter of intent with nearby Eastern New Mexico University.

The ceremony was held in the wide-open school commons area, with his teammates watching through Facebook Live to limit the crowd to coaching staff and family members.

At 6-foot-5, 265, Bailey was an imposing presence in Class 1A and eight-man football designations, as evidenced by the small sampling of state championship rings on his hand as he signed his letter before a quartet of his coaches praised him.

Bailey's litany of Melrose coaches said that most kids his size tend to be clumsy or gangly, but that was never a concern.

Track coach Casey Jackson said the pandemic was probably the only thing that prevented him from being a four-time state champion in hurdles, and basketball coach Kevin Lackey remarked on how Bailey has maturity beyond his years that has the Buffaloes currently defending a state championship on the court. Caleb King, who coached Bailey in football and baseball, felt his star pitcher would have gotten college offers if the 2020 baseball season wasn't wiped out by the pandemic.

Bailey always aspired to play college football, but first believed he could as a freshman after decisively winning a drill against a senior classmate he believed could play college football himself.

However, small-school players rarely get noticed without state championships, and those are rarely won as solo efforts.

"I want to thank all of the guys who lifted me up and pushed me to my limits," Bailey said, before rifling off about 10 off the top of his head. "I can't thank any of you enough."

Interest was varied between a few Division II schools and a handful of NAIA programs, which made Bailey's choice to stay local somewhat surprising. Bailey admitted he wasn't keen on suiting up for the Green and Silver, because he's a receiver and ENMU has one of college football's most run-heavy offenses. The Greyhounds were third in the LSC in 2019 with 5,146 yards of offense, but at 965 passing yards were the only team under 2,000 in that category.

"Athletic, big bodied and talent are hard to find in football," ENMU coach Kelley Lee said in a school release, "and we have one in Devon coming to us from our backyard. He will bring a dual threat aspect to our tight end position."