CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rodney Bailey was 21, a college graduate with an agent and no football future.
He wrapped up his Ohio State career, received his diploma and wondered what was next. His agent couldn't promise that he would be drafted. He had to beg his way onto the roster of a showcase game. He was instructed not to work out at the NFL Combine.
But after a few grueling months of work, of pressure, of dealing with the superfluous nonsense that accompanies the process of preparing for a possible NFL future, Bailey was selected in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2001.