Bailey gains BSN All-America accolade

Cornell's Tyler Bailey has been selected to the 2011 Beyond Sports College Network All-American Football Team.

Bailey was honored on the second team defense at linebacker. The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder from West Branch was among eight Iowa Conference players recognized on one of the three BSN All-American Teams.

Bailey has racked up an impressive list of accolades following a standout senior campaign in which he tied for eighth in NCAA Division III with 12.3 tackles per game and ranked 22nd with 1.7 tackles for loss per contest. The three-year starter and 2011 team captain led the Rams with 123 tackles and posted a conference-best 17.0 tackles for loss.

Bailey finished with 73 solo tackles, two shy of the program's single-season record. He ranked third in tackles for loss in a season. Bailey recorded a season-high 16 tackles at IIAC runner-up Central on Oct. 22, and then matched that total two weeks later in his final home game against Luther. He had 14 tackles, including five for losses, in the season opener at Olivet Sept. 3.

Bailey ended his career with 288 tackles, the seventh-most by a Ram since 1995. He also totaled 32.5 tackles for loss over three seasons.

Bailey was a first team all-Iowa Conference performer and named second team all-west region by D3football.com. Bailey competed in the Division III Football Senior Classic Dec. 9 in Salem, Va. He earned high praise to start the fall as a Consensus Draft Services Preseason First Team All-American.

Monmouth quarterback Alex Tanney was named the BSN Offensive Player of the Year. Defensive back Noah Timm, of UW-Whitewater, was the Defensive Player of the Year.