University of North Carolina Athletics
Kory Bailey Looks For a Big Season
August 14, 1999 | Football
Aug. 14, 1999
Finding a great high school football player is like panning for precious stones.
You have to sift through the never-ending piles of earth to find a rock you think will be a gem.
Every year there are thousand of good high school football players, but only a hundred or so gain national recognition. Coaches comb the nation for players with the tools to become successful college players. Sometimes that quest leads them to the other side of the country, and sometimes those players are in a school's backyard.
Carolina went right down the road to recruit wide receiver Kory Bailey, now a sophomore. Bailey was a standout at Northern Durham High School, where he broke the state single-season record with six touchdowns on punt returns, and earned all-state honors. Despite his dynamic high school career, Bailey did not gain much national attention.
"The offense we ran in high school really wasn't dominated by the pass, but people in this area knew what kind of talent I had," Bailey said. "Receiving national awards in high school is one thing, but when you get to the next level all the national recognition goes out the door and you just have to perform on the field."
ailey came to Carolina and set freshman records for the most receptions in a season and game and for the most touchdown receptions in a season. He ranked second on the team in all purpose yards with 77.9 per game, and had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Georgia Tech.
After an outstanding freshman year, Bailey quickly set his goals for the coming season.
"I am going to have to step up and play a more important role," he says. "With Jason
Peace coming back and with Greg Harris and Danny Davis stepping up it will be a little easier. I will still have to pick up the pace and grab more passes.
"Last year, I doubled my goals for the season, but this year I would like to step it up even more. I'd like a 50-catch season, 1,000 yards and maybe a couple touchdowns. I am also concentrating on special teams.
"I'd like to show everyone that I am not just a one-dimensional player. There are a lot of things I can do. I catch short routes, and try to make them long runs. I don't mind going across the middle and I always like to think of myself as a deep threat, even though most teams don't consider me one. I think I can get behind the corners and make something happen deep."
By: Darlene Camacho,
Media Relations Assistant
