After his sixth season on the San Jose State football team, wide receiver Bailey Gaither is leaving the program with a Mountain West Conference Championship ring to a spot on the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent.
On May 1, the last day of the NFL draft, Gaither signed with the Green Bay Packers along with six other undrafted players from different universities.
After graduating from Paso Robles High School in 2015, Gaither joined the Spartans and spent his first season as a redshirt, which is a year that a student-athlete doesn’t compete at all against outside competition, according to the NCAA website.
Redshirt student-athletes still practice with the team on scholarship or financial aid, they just can’t compete.
In the following 2016 season, Gaither played in all 12 games and finished the season with a total of four pass receptions for 43 yards and one touchdown.
Gaither started in 24 games and played 44 in his entire career at SJSU, though his 2018 season was cut short after tearing his achilles tendon.
“That hurt. It sucked. No one thought I was going to be back where I am today but I did,” Gaither said in a phone call.
He said going from being an extremely active football player to not being able to walk for six months, changed his perspective on life and made him stronger.
“I didn’t need anyone else’s opinion, I still had it in me,” Gaither said. “I had a lot to prove to myself. I'm glad I’m on this side of it now.”
He said he comes from a “big football family” and he’s been passionate about the sport since he was nine.
“My dad played football and sports has always been an outlet in my family,” Gaither said.
After coming off his injury in 2019, he was immediately able to bounce back and play in all 12 games, hauling a total of 52 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns.
Nathan Nguyen, kinesiology junior and SJSU football fan, said seeing Gaither grow as an athlete has been remarkable and his speed and shiftiness speaks for itself.
“The ability to not just catch the football, but serve as a return man makes him a promising player,” Nguyen said in an email.
After a remarkable season in 2020, the Spartans won the Mountain West Championship title for the first time in 27 years on Dec. 19.
“Nobody believed [in] us, not even people from San Jose [State] thought we were going to do it, but we did,” Gaither said.
He said having such a successful season amid a world-changing pandemic brought the team closer together.
“It will be something I remember for the rest of my life,” Gaither said.
His father, Robert Gaither, said playing for the Spartans helped his son turn into a mature young man and learn life experiences.
“Not only did he learn about football but life in general, living, going off to college and maturing,” Robert Gaither said in a phone call.
Robert Gaither said he’s appreciative to all the people who supported his son during his last six years at SJSU.
Nguyen said Gaither is one of the best receivers SJSU has ever had and deserves to be recognized with “the best of the best.”
“With 16.5 yards per catch for his career, outstanding indeed,” Nguyen said.
Gaither said he’s ready for the next chapter in his life: professional football.
“My time at San Jose has been great, especially after this last year, which made the whole experience worth it,” Gaither said. “I’m very thankful for this opportunity, I'm excited and I have a lot to prepare.”
Nguyen said Gaither will bring size and athleticism to the Packers, where he could become a dependable target for whom Nguyen believes is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers.
“Just like many other fans, I believe in him and I expect him to become a dependable receiver for years to come regardless of what team he goes to,” Nguyen said.
