Jake Bailey

BIOGRAPHY

Jake Bailey was born on June 18th, 1997, in Phoenix, Arizona, and currently plays punter in the National Football League.

Bailey played at Santa Fe Christian (Calif.) for head coach Jon Wallace, he attended same high school as Cardinal long snapper Reed Miller, was nation’s fourth-best kicker by ESPN, nation’s sixth-best punter by 247Sports and California’s 97th-best recruit by ESPN. 12 of 16 field goals made – including 54-yarder – as a senior, he made three field goals of 50 or more yards, 26 of 27 extra points made as a senior, 40 touchbacks on 47 kickoffs as a senior, and 44.1 yards/punt as a senior, including 71-yarder.

He led the team to 2012 state runner-up, league and conference titles, won 2015 Cal-Hi Sports all-state second team, 2014 All-CIF San Diego Section first team, 2014 Coastal League Kicker of the Year, Team’s 2014 special teams MVP, Team’s 2012 special teams MVP, two-time San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic, tied CIF San Diego Section record with 106-yard interception return for touchdown, and lettered in football, track and field, and soccer, having school record holder in long jump (21-4) and 2013 CIF semifinalist in long jump and 4x100 relay.

As a freshman in 2015, he was the starting kickoff specialist, situational punter, he made 10 punts (34.7 yards/punt), three kickoffs and two touchbacks at Northwestern, eight kickoffs and two touchbacks at USC, seven kickoffs and two touchbacks at Oregon State, 10 kickoffs and three touchbacks vs. Arizona, and seven kickoffs vs. USC (Pac-12 Championship Game).

During sophomore season in 2016, he won All-Pac-12 honorable mention, AP All-Bowl team (honorable mention), Ray Guy Award preseason watch list, Ray Guy Punter of the Week (Oct. 24), fourth-best single-season punting average in school history (43.52), and had 50 punts for 2,176 yards, 13 punts over 50 yards, 22 inside the 20, and 44 touchbacks on 71 kickoffs (62.0 pct.). 

He made three kickoff touchbacks, and four of five punts inside the 20 vs. Kansas State, six kickoffs for three touchbacks, and two punts for 81 yards vs. USC, three kickoffs for touchbacks, all three punts inside the 20 for 47.3 average at UCLA, had a 58-yard punt, two kickoff touchbacks vs. Washington State, two of three kickoffs for touchbacks, one punt over 50 yards, one punt inside the 20 at Notre Dame, made five punts (50.6 yards/punt), first career 60-yard punt (61), two punts inside the 20, one kickoff touchback vs. Colorado, six punts (44.7 yards/punt), two of 50 or more yards and four inside the 20, six touchbacks on seven kickoffs at Arizona, three kickoff touchbacks and one punt inside the 20 vs. Oregon State, six touchbacks on nine kickoffs at Oregon, two punts inside the 20, three kickoff touchbacks at Cal, six touchbacks on eight kickoffs, two punts inside the 20 vs. Rice, and six touchbacks on seven kickoffs, three of five punts over 50 yards, three inside the 20 vs. North Carolina (Sun Bowl)

As a junior in 2017, he won All-Pac-12 second team, Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention, and Ray Guy Award watch list. He made 57 punts, did 45.5 yards/punt, was first among Pac-12 players and seventh nationally. 58 of 83 kickoffs went for touchbacks, having four touchbacks on eight kickoffs, one punt for 59 yards vs. Rice, touchbacks on all four kickoffs, four punts for 51.2 average (three inside the 20) at USC, touchbacks on all four kickoffs, one punt inside the 20 at San Diego State, five kickoff touchbacks, one punt inside the 20 vs. UCLA, four kickoff touchbacks, four punts for 44.5 average (three inside 20), 17-yard rush vs. Arizona State, all six kickoffs went for touchbacks, five punts for 44.6 average (two inside the 20) at Utah, and all five kickoffs for touchbacks, five punts for 46.0 average (one inside the 20) at Oregon State.

Bailey did all four kickoffs for touchbacks, eight punts for 47.0 average (four inside the 20 and three of 50+ yards) at Washington State, five of seven kickoffs went for touchbacks, two punts went for 78 yards (one inside the 20) vs. Washington, four kickoffs for four touchbacks vs. Cal, seven punts for 50.4 average, five punts over 50 yards (three inside the 20), career-long 65-yard punt, five of seven kickoffs for touchbacks vs. Notre Dame, five punts for 45.6 average (two inside the 20 and long of 60 yards), and all four kickoffs went for touchbacks vs. USC (Pac-12 Championship Game), and four punts for 48.8 average (long of 60 yards), four touchbacks on seven kickoffs vs. TCU (Alamo Bowl).

For his senior season in 2018, he won All-Pac-12 second team, Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention, Ray Guy Award watch list, AP Preseason All-America Second Team, Athlon Preseason All-America Second Team Specialists, and Sporting News Preseason All-America Second Team.

He played and started all 13 games, having fourth-most punting yards in a season in school history (2,996), being fourth-best punting average in a season in school history (44.06), having seventh-most punts in a single season in school history (68), third in the Pac-12 and 20th in the nation with 44.1 punting average, had 20 punts of 50+ yards, 24 punts inside the 20, 72 kickoffs for 4,520 yards and 60 touchbacks, four of five kickoffs for touchbacks, five punts for 48.8 average, including three inside the 20 against San Diego State, 63-yard punt bounced out at the one-yard line and led to a safety, a career-long 66-yard punt and all four kickoffs went for touchbacks vs. USC, four punts for 45.0 average, including two inside the 20, and all five kickoffs went for touchbacks at Oregon, and eight punts for 45.6 average, including long of 64, and three kickoffs for touchbacks at Notre Dame.

He recorded three punts for 49.7 average, including long of 56, and all four kickoffs for touchbacks vs. Utah, eight punts for 41.9 average, including long of 61 and five inside the 20,  and three kickoffs for touchbacks at Arizona State, both punts downed inside the 20 and all seven kickoffs went for touchbacks vs. Washington State, three punts for 42.0 average, including two inside the 20, and six kickoffs for touchbacks vs. Oregon State, five punts for 41.2 average, including three inside the 20, and seven kickoffs for touchbacks at UCLA, six punts for 49.5 average, including a school-record 84-yard punt, and five kickoffs for touchbacks at Cal, and a career-high nine punts and 401 punt yards (44.6 average), including three inside the 20, and all three kickoffs for touchbacks in win over Pitt (Sun Bowl)

Bailey was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (163rd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Upon joining the roster, Bailey competed with incumbent punter Ryan Allen, who had been with the Patriots for 6 seasons, throughout training camp, and won the job with the release of Allen on August 19, 2019. Bailey will also serve as the Patriots' holder on field goals, as Allen did.

On July 31, 2022, Jake Bailey signed a three-year extension with the New England Patriots and in 2023, Bailey signed with the Miami Dolphins.