Benjamin Bailey, Class of 2000
Benjamin Bailey ’00 remembers watching the ACC Men’s Lacrosse Championship around the age of 12 and thinking, “I could do that one day.” From that moment, he went on to wear out a spot on the wall of his house while playing catch with a lacrosse ball.
Bailey would go on to accomplish an impressive lacrosse career, featuring stops as a postgraduate at Peddie and four years at the U.S. Naval Academy. Though only a Falcon for one year, Bailey is known as one of the best lacrosse players ever to don a Peddie uniform. Through 11 games, Bailey tallied 29 goals and 26 assists, many of these points in big spots.
Along with teammate and fellow Navy postgrad Joe Bossi, Bailey helped the Falcons clinch a second consecutive MAPL championship on May 8, 2000. Soon after, they led the Falcons to a Prep A Championship.
“He was awesome. Hard-working, humble, and he arrived knowing exactly what he wanted to accomplish,” said teammate Rich D’Andrea ’01.
Bailey appreciated his “formative” time at Peddie.
“It all goes back to the people,” he said. Two coaches who had a compelling impact on Bailey were Frank DeLaurentis and Bob Turco. Both were “larger than life, big personalities. They were really big influences.”
“[Peddie] opened my eyes to a different set of people, thoughts, beliefs. I remember more of my teachers from one year at Peddie than my previous high school,” Bailey said. “It had a really big impact on me coming from a completely different area. When I talk to my four kids about going to school, I recommend leaving where you grew up and finding something different.”
Hailing from Tennessee, an area not known as a lacrosse hotbed at that time, Bailey had concerns about whether he’d be able to compete at the next level. Those concerns were put to rest when John Tillman, then Navy coach and the current head at the University of Maryland, attended the game where Peddie traveled to powerhouse The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland. After Bailey scored a hat trick, Tillman leaned over and told Bailey’s mother, “Ben is going to be just fine at the next level.” He was correct.
“Bails wore it as a badge of honor. He showed up and did his thing and made people wonder, “Who is that kid from Tennessee?” It was pretty cool watching it,” Bossi quipped.
In 2004, Bailey and Bossi led the Navy men’s lacrosse team to the program’s first trip to the National Championship since 1975. That same season, Bailey also scored a goal in the team’s 9-6 victory over No. 1-ranked Maryland on April 10, 2004, the first win over a No. 1-ranked team in Navy lacrosse history, according to Navy Sports.
Along the way, Bailey deservingly earned honorable mention All-American his senior season.
In the end, 12-year-old Benjamin Bailey was right: He absolutely could play lacrosse at the highest level.