North, Bailey off to senior all-star games

Offensive tackle Jeff North and linebacker Tyler Bailey will represent Cornell College in separate upcoming senior football all-star games.

North, of Columbus, Ind., will play in a pair of postseason games, starting with the 2nd Annual National Bowl Game on Sunday, Dec. 4 in Allentown, Pa. Kickoff is noon (Iowa time) at J. Birney Crum Stadium.

The National Bowl is an invitation-only game featuring college seniors in all divisions of which only all-conference and all-American players are eligible. North will compete for the Blue National Team and is among over 80 confirmed players slated to participate. Wide receiver Jessie Hubbard, of Upper Iowa University, is the lone other Iowa college player listed on the roster.

North has also been named to the Team Stars & Stripes all-star squad, which will go up against the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico in the 3rd Annual Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) on Saturday, Dec. 17 in Puebla, Mexico. Forty-nine players from 27 NCAA Division III colleges make up the preliminary roster for Team Stars & Stripes.

A total of 15 players will represent the Iowa Conference from Central (5), Cornell (1), Loras (2), Simpson (5) and Wartburg (2). Team Stars & Stripes, headed by retired Delaware Valley coach Bill Manlove, will arrive in Puebla on Dec. 11.

Bailey, a West Branch native, will participate in the 3rd Annual Division III Football Senior Classic on Friday, Dec. 9 in Salem, Va. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. (Iowa time) at Salem Stadium, home of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Game since 1993.

The Senior Classic showcases the top players in Division III. Bailey is one of six linebackers named to the South roster, which includes Grinnell wide receiver Robert Seer. Luther linebacker Kyle McGivney is on the North team, joining Bailey as the two representatives from the Iowa Conference.

North, a 2010 honorable mention all-conference performer, started every game the past three seasons on Cornell's offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder helped the Rams set single-season team records for pass completions (194) and completion percentage (60.1). The team's 2,169 passing yards are third-most in a season.

Bailey, a 2011 first team all-IIAC pick, compiled a team-best 123 tackles and led the IIAC with 17.0 tackles for loss. His 12.3 tackles per game ranked seventh in Division III this fall. The 6-2, 235-pound Bailey finished his three-year career with 288 tackles, including 32.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage.