Dan Bailey

Born on January 26, 1988, in Mustang, Oklahoma, Dan Bailey attended Southwest Covenant School, where he excelled as an all-state kicker and all-city punter in eight-man football. He graduated as valedictorian and holds high school state records for longest field goal (50 yards), most field goals in a season (seven), and career (14). He also played golf, becoming an individual state champion. Bailey initially accepted an offer to walk on at the University of Arkansas. After losing a kicking competition and facing the requirement to pay his own tuition, he left the program and later walked on at Oklahoma State University.

At Oklahoma State, Bailey’s college career spanned from 2007 to 2010. He showed consistent improvement, eventually converting 24 of 28 field goals and 65 of 66 extra points in his senior year. In 2010, he earned the prestigious Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker and was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year. He was also recognized as a Second-team All-American. Notably, in the December 2010 Alamo Bowl, he made three field goals, including a 50-yarder, contributing to Oklahoma State’s victory.

Bailey signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011, establishing himself as the team’s kicker during training camp. He quickly made an impact, kicking game-winning field goals and setting rookie records. Over his seven seasons with the Cowboys, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals made, earning a Pro Bowl selection and being named Second-team All-Pro in 2015. He maintained a high level of accuracy throughout his tenure, including a new seven-year contract in 2014 worth $22.5 million. He later joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, where he played for three seasons, before his release in 2021. Throughout his NFL career, Bailey played in 154 games, converting 249 of 290 field goals (85.9%) and 383 of 396 extra points (96.7%).