COLUMBIA, SC-- Former Bulldog All-American and NFL All-Pro Edwin Bailey will be among seven inductees honored by the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday (May 12), at the Columbia Metro Convention Center in Columbia, SC.  The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by the banquet at 6:30 p.m.
 
Bailey will join seven other inductees, including Calhoun County boys' basketball coach Zam Fredrick and former Clemson and NFL All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins, in the Class of 2014. He also enters a hall which already includes former Bulldogs Harry Carson, Donnie Shell, Barney Chavous, Charlie Brown, Robert Porcher and the late Deacon Jones. Bailey's first head coach at South Carolina State, Willie Jeffries, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

A native of Savannah, Ga., Bailey played two seasons under Jeffries when the team won back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles in 1977 and 1978 and he earned the first of three All-Conference honors as a sophomore.

After Jeffries left SC State to become the first black head coach of a Division I program at Wichita State, Bailey spent his final two seasons under the late Bill Davis and earned All-MEAC and SBN Sports All-America honors in 1979 and 1980. Bailey played on a third MEAC championship team in his senior year before getting drafted in the fifth round by Seattle.

In 11 seasons with the Seahawks, the man nicknamed "Pearl" started 121 of 139 games played at left guard and retired as the team's all-time starter in games started at the position. He now ranks sixth all-time on the team.

Since retiring in 1992 following reconstructive knee surgery, Bailey has spent several years as an assistant coach and scout in both the college and pro ranks. In between returning to SC State in 1993 to work as an offensive line coach and even a defensive line coach under Jeffries during the 1998 season, Bailey was an area scout for the New England Patriots during their run to the Super Bowl in 1996.

Today, Bailey is entering his second season as an assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the upstart Lions' program. After competing at the club level last year, Paine College will compete on the Division II level in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference next season.

Tickets are still available while they last and for more information contact the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame at (803) 779-0905.