By Paul Newberry
The Associated Press

ATLANTA - When Boss Bailey was in junior high school, he had trouble standing up straight. Concerned, his mother carted him to the health clinic in their tiny Georgia town.

"He had all these tests done, bone scans, and they all came back real good," Elaine Bailey remembered. "Turns out, he was just growing. He started shooting up out of nowhere."

The youngest of three football-playing brothers, Boss didn't stop growing until he reached 6-foot-3, 233 pounds - much bigger than older siblings Ronald and Champ.

But as he grew, Boss didn't get any slower. Last month, he ran 40 yards in 4.35 seconds, putting him in the same range at Charles Rogers, expected to be the top receiver - that's right, RECEIVER! - taken in Saturday's NFL draft.

No wonder Bailey is projected as the leading linebacker this year, a guy who is stands apart at his position because of his speed and jumping ability.

"We don't have anybody in this league to compare his speed to," said Mike Hagen, national scout for the Atlanta Falcons. "He has such great range. We've seen this kid be on the line of scrimmage, then he drops back to the center of the field after the snap. You can disguise a lot of coverages because his range is so great."

Bailey followed his older brothers to Georgia, and now he's going to follow them to the NFL. Ronald had a nondescript pro career, but Champ is a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Washington Redskins.

On Saturday, they'll all gather in Folkston, a hamlet in southeast Georgia, to send another Bailey to the NFL. A street party is planned, and the crowd shouldn't have to wait long to hear Boss' name called.

Bailey could thrive with a team that plays a 3-4 scheme, allowing to freelance from the weak side.

"His forte is not stacking up at the line of scrimmage and playing with the big people," said Hagen, whose team doesn't have a first-round pick and, therefore, no chance of landing Bailey. "His forte is using his speed and quickness to get on the football and be disruptive."

Boss willingly followed in his brothers' footsteps, shrugging off the expectations. Champ set an especially high standard, playing both cornerback and receiver at Georgia before heading off to the NFL.

"It wasn't really any pressure at all," Boss insisted. "Champ's a successful guy, and he worked hard at it. I feel like I'm a hard worker, so whatever I have coming to me I feel like I deserve it."

At Georgia, Bailey was timed as low as 4.31 seconds in the 40 - the third-fastest in school history and just a hundredth of a second behind Champ, who's at least 30 pounds lighter.

"I've been running like that for a while,". Boss said. "Really, I've worked hard to make sure I keep running like that. It really doesn't amaze me that much anymore."

The key is putting on the right kind of weight.

"A lot of people gain weight the wrong way, through eating," Bailey said. "I tried to do it by gaining muscle weight ... not trying to gain it quickly. If you gradually gain it, you can stay strong."

Last summer, Boss' mystique grew. He and Champ had shared the school record with vertical jumps of 42 inches, but teammate Reggie Brown took away the mark with a leap of 43-1/2 inches.

Bringing the record back into the family, Boss jumped 46 inches without benefit of a running start.

If there was any concern about Bailey heading into the draft, it's the scars on each knee. He tore a left knee ligament in high school, then did the same to his right knee on the opening kickoff of the 2000 season.

NFL doctors have checked both knees thoroughly, and there doesn't seem to be any serious concern. Bailey bounced back to have a superb senior season, helping the Bulldogs win their first Southeastern Conference title in 20 years.

Bailey doesn't worry about his knees - he's had more serious concerns.

His son, Khalil, was born with a defective heart. The youngster underwent a four-hour operation, an ordeal that made it easier for his father to carry on after knee surgery.

Khalil is doing just fine now. During Bailey's senior season, he was usually outside the locker room door, greeting his father after practice.

"I just sit back and realize how blessed we are to have a great background, great brothers and sisters," Bailey said. "It really makes you wake up and thank God for having all these good people in your life."

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