Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey, a 10-year NFL veteran who earned the nickname "The Hulk" for his burly physique and superlative athleticism, has died, his brother told TMZ. Bailey was 37.
Alford Bailey Jr. told TMZ that his brother died Tuesday, Oct. 20, at his home in Florida.
"Our hearts go out to his family. Prayers are with them," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in a news conference on Wednesday, Oct. 21. "Way too young, obviously. One of my favorite players. Great kid. Just sorry to see that happened to him."
Bailey played for the Chiefs from 2011-18. Alongside the likes of Chris Jones, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali, he became a mainstay for a defensive front that created consistent havoc for opposing quarterbacks and helped
lay the groundwork for Kansas City to become an AFC power.
Several of Bailey's former teammates on the Chiefs and at Miami posted on social media Tuesday evening after hearing news of his death.
"Lost a teammate, a friend, a brother," former Chiefs offensive lineman Jeff Allen wrote on Twitter. "God needed another angel. Rest easy, my brother."
Said the Chiefs in a statement on Twitter: "Allen Bailey was an excellent teammate, generous man, and kind soul. We're deeply saddened to hear of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
A third-round pick in 2011, Bailey served primarily as a backup early in his career. After ascending to a starting role in 2014, however, he broke out by recording five sacks in 12 starts.
Midway through that campaign, he signed a four-year, $25 million contract extension.
How Allen Baily became "The Hulk"
Listed at 6-3 and 288 pounds, Bailey said he first was bestowed with the "Hulk" nickname as a freshman at Miami, where he was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.
In Kansas City, however, teammates and coaches took a particular shine to the moniker as they witnessed Bailey's feats of strengths.
"It’s perfect," former Chiefs edge rusher Dee Ford told the Kansas City Star in 2014. "Looks like the Hulk. Plays like the Hulk. He’s a complete player, man. He’s powerful, fast. He’s just a freak. You see him do certain stuff … there’s a select few guys in the league like that."
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday he still annually tells the story of seeing Bailey at organized team activities for the first time as a rookie in 2017.
"I’m like, 'This isn’t the Big 12 (Conference) anymore,'" Mahomes said. "Like it was surreal to see him, and so I tell that story every single year.”
The "Hulk" nickname, however, belied Bailey's personality. Teammates throughout the years consistently described him as soft-spoken and affable.
"He's kind of a gentle giant," former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson told the team's website in 2017. "You know not to mess with him, but at the same time, he's very approachable. He laughs and jokes with me all the time."
Playing defensive end in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton's hybrid 3-4 scheme for the bulk of his career, Bailey operated in a role that didn't always afford him the spotlight. Instead, much of his work was centered on freeing up teammates to make plays.
"He's a guy who makes my job easier," Johnson said. "I mean, I can't tell you enough words to express how much Allen Bailey means to the defensive line and to our defense. Seeing that guy, before you even snap the ball, people are looking at him like, 'OK, we've got something on our hands.'"
Bailey played the final two years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, reuniting with Sutton after the coordinator's dismissal by the Chiefs.
Bailey was born and raised on Sapelo Island, Georgia. The Hog Hammock community in which he grew up was estimated to comprise just 70 full-time residents as of 2024, according to the Savannah Morning News, and had no police or grocery store.
Posted just below a welcome sign for Hog Hammock rests another sign: "Home of Allen Bailey."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs mourn DL Allen Bailey, nicknamed 'The Hulk,' after death at 37
