Dan Bailey (American football)
Encyclopedia
Dan "Beetle" Bailey is an American football
placekicker
for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football
at Oklahoma State
and attended Southwest Covenant School
in Yukon, Oklahoma
.
where he was an all-state and all-conference kicker and a first-team all-city punter (as selected by The Oklahoman
). Had 51 touchback
s in 61 kickoffs
as a senior. Holds high school
's records for longest field goal (50 yards), most field goals in a season (seven) and career (14). He was also an individual state champion golfer.
, Bailey made 24-of-28 field goals and 65-of-66 extra points
. He won the Lou Groza Award
for the nation's top kicker
following the season. He earned the Big 12 Conference
Special Teams Player of the Year
after the 2010 season
.
as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft
on July 25, 2011
.
In the Cowboys' Week 3 18–16 win over the Washington Redskins
, he tied a rookie record by converting six field goals (accounting for all of Dallas' points). This was the first time since 2001
that the Cowboys won a game without scoring a touchdown
and the sixth in club history.
Bailey became the third rookie in NFL history to make six field goals in a game. Garo Yepremian
made six of eight Nov. 13, 1966
, for the Detroit Lions
, and Jeff Reed made all six Dec. 1, 2002
, for the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
and attended Southwest Covenant School
Southwest Covenant School
Southwest Covenant School is a Christian private school in Yukon, Oklahoma with just under 250 students enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was established in 1982 and is accredited by Christian Schools International .-School history:...
in Yukon, Oklahoma
Yukon, Oklahoma
Yukon is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 22,709 at the 2010 census....
.
Early years
Grew up in Mustang, OK and attended Southwest Covenant SchoolSouthwest Covenant School
Southwest Covenant School is a Christian private school in Yukon, Oklahoma with just under 250 students enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was established in 1982 and is accredited by Christian Schools International .-School history:...
where he was an all-state and all-conference kicker and a first-team all-city punter (as selected by The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
). Had 51 touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
s in 61 kickoffs
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
as a senior. Holds high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
's records for longest field goal (50 yards), most field goals in a season (seven) and career (14). He was also an individual state champion golfer.
College career
In 20102010 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 2010 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by 6th year head coach Mike Gundy and played their homes game at Boone Pickens Stadium. They played in the Big 12 Conference in the South Division...
, Bailey made 24-of-28 field goals and 65-of-66 extra points
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
. He won the Lou Groza Award
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
for the nation's top kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
following the season. He earned the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Special Teams Player of the Year
Big 12 Conference football individual awards
Coaches of the Big 12 Conference bestow the following individual awards at the end of each football season.-Offensive Player of the Year:* 1996: Troy Davis, RB, Iowa State* 1997: Ricky Williams, RB, Texas* 1998: Ricky Williams, RB, Texas...
after the 2010 season
2010 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 2010 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by 6th year head coach Mike Gundy and played their homes game at Boone Pickens Stadium. They played in the Big 12 Conference in the South Division...
.
Dallas Cowboys
Bailey was signed by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
on July 25, 2011
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
.
In the Cowboys' Week 3 18–16 win over the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, he tied a rookie record by converting six field goals (accounting for all of Dallas' points). This was the first time since 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
that the Cowboys won a game without scoring a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
and the sixth in club history.
Bailey became the third rookie in NFL history to make six field goals in a game. Garo Yepremian
Garo Yepremian
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian is an Armenian-American former football placekicker in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a career that spanned from 1966 to 1981. -Career:Yepremian was born in Larnaca, Cyprus to...
made six of eight Nov. 13, 1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
, for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, and Jeff Reed made all six Dec. 1, 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.