Two months after suffering two gunshot wounds to the head, Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey spoke about the incident for the first time.
"I do really think about how that split second, for me and my cousin both, how our life has changed," Bailey told Miami's WSVN over the weekend. "It's something we will remember for the rest of the time we live."
Bailey was sitting in a car with his cousin, Antwan Reeves, and two small children when gunfire erupted.
"At the time, my cousin looked at me and said, 'Yo, cuz, they shot you in the head,'" Bailey said. "And for a while, I couldn't really feel any pain or anything, so I was just like, 'Oh, man.' When I looked down at my shirt and saw that blood was dripping off my face, I felt at that point that things were pretty real."
Reeves told WSVN that "I was hit 11 times."
Amazingly, Reeves drove himself and Bailey to the hospital where they both underwent surgery. Reeves was released from the hospital later that week while Bailey had to wait until Dec. 23. On Dec. 16, Bailey posted to Twitter that he was already jogging around the hospital, and three days later, he was visited by some of his Rams' teammates.
Bailey's NFL future remains in doubt though coach Jeff Fisher has warned against counting him out. For now, Bailey and Reeves are hoping to inspire others with their stories.
"Gun violence is a very big issue in today's society," Bailey said. "I mean, I've always been big on trying to give back or do something that can help change the lives of our youth that's coming up," Bailey said. "With me growing up in Miami Gardens, I've seen a lot of gun violence. I watch the news all the time and see this occurring issue. It's always happening each and every day."
