WMU junior linebacker Caleb Bailey ready to lead Bronco defense
By Alan Gerould
PORTAGE -- One alternate Hebrew meaning for the name Caleb is "faithful, devoted, whole hearted, bold and brave."
This is just about the same way Western Michigan University defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham described junior linebacker Caleb Bailey in a conversation over the Memorial weekend.
"Caleb has been a good fit for this program," Pinkham said. "He has been willing to do what it takes to change his best. We are expecting great things out of him the next few years."
Pinkham said the Broncos we were very lucky to get Bailey, a three-star recruit from Romeoville, Ill.
"As you know we got a bit of a late start on recruiting our first year. Coach Fleck was putting together his coaching staff and as we signed on, we were out recruiting," Pinkham recalled. "Coach McGarigle locked on to Caleb, who had offers from seven or eight other schools and stayed with him, calling him every day."
Bailey, who was ranked a 5.5 by Rivals.com, was one of the top recruits coming out of the Chicago area and had offers from most of the other Mid-American Conferences schools. Bailey said there was something about WMU and football coach P.J. Fleck that set the Broncos apart.
"I wasn't at all familiar with Western Michigan before coach McGarigle came calling," Bailey said. "When I came on a visit, I met the rest of the coaching staff and the other guys that were here and everyone was so excited and enthusiastic. They had a vision to make this program great and they wanted me to be part of it. I was sold."
The decision was made to redshirt Bailey for his freshman year, giving him a year to adjust to college life and four years of eligibility beyond that. As a result, Bailey missed the field during Fleck's first year as head coach when the Broncos went 1-11.
"Despite our record that year the coaches never got down," Bailey said. "They just worked harder and had us work harder and assured us that we just needed to work on changing our best every day."
After Bailey's redshirt year, he appeared mostly on special teams in 2014 but Pinkham could see Bailey developing both on and off the field, adding about 25 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot frame since arriving on campus.
"Linebacker is a very difficult position to play as a freshman," Pinkham said. "When the ball is snapped there is chaos in front of you and you have a split second to recognize your assignment and where you ought to be to stop or break up the play. It takes instinct which comes with repetition, knowing what and where the key reads are."
By the third game of the 2015 season Bailey, had earned a starting spot, partially brought on by injuries to several members of the linebacking corp, but also the result of hard work.
"The coaches kept encouraging me and telling me to be ready for my opportunity and when it came I felt like I was ready," Bailey said, ending the season tied for fifth in the MAC in tackles for loss with 12. "The game just seemed to slow down for me as the season went along."
Despite the loss of Grant DePalma and Austin Lewis, both Bailey and Pinkham are confident the linebacking corp will be in good hands.
"Robert (Spillane) will be back after being injured last year and he's a beast," Bailey said. Pinkham also mentioned that Lucas Cherocci and JaKevin Jackson made great strides this past spring.
Bailey, who was just coming from a business class when I talked to him, was undecided on a major when first arriving at WMU. He has sense settled on a career in sports marketing. Bailey will continue with classes over the summer and into the fall but as for the coming year, Bailey is ready to go.
"We work hard year round for those four months at year end," Bailey said. "The guys that have been here with Coach Fleck from the beginning know that we have the capability of doing something special here this year and for years to come. We will not get ahead of ourselves. If we continue to change our best every day, the rest will take care of itself."