Stedman Bailey was shot in the head twice in the head while sitting in a car with four others in November of 2015.
Bailey, who was drafted by the then-St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, was 25-years-old at the time and was put in critical condition when "another vehicle opened fire" on the vehicle he and three others were in, according to reports at the time.
Bailey obviously made it out of the incident, miraculously suffering only a fractured skull, but he hasn't played football since. The damage to his skull was just too much, but that didn't stop the former wideout from pursuing his dream of returning to the NFL, and apparently, he's close.
This is according to a segment on NFL Network, which you can watch below:
The incredible thing about this story is the grit that Bailey has shown just in the pursuit of getting back onto the football field. Most people couldn't survive two gunshots to the head, and many would give up even if they survived, knowing that the road to recovery — even just to walk again — would be a tough one to traverse.
Not only can Bailey walk, jog, and now run routes, though, but he even had a a titanium steel plate placed over the damaged part of his skull, which could give him a shot to play the sport he obviously loves once again.
Here's the report:
Bailey has officially accounted his comeback to the NFL, but it's worth noting that he still needs to be cleared by any NFL team interested in, but his doctor has said he's good to go, and he's obviously back in game shape.
In three seasons with the Rams, Bailey caught 59 passes for 843 and two touchdowns. He was known as a very fast receiver, so if he can bring some of that back to the table for an NFL team while remaining healthy, he could be a nice free agent pickup as the playoffs draw near.
