Jake Bailey has air time in his blood.
Not only does he possess one of the strongest kicking legs in college football, he is three hours short of earning his pilot's license, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great grandfather.
"My first memory was flying with my dad in his taildragger over Lake Tahoe and all the boats," Bailey said. "I tried to shoot as many as I could with my buzz light gun (Toy Story). That's where I developed my love for flying."
The junior from Solana Beach, California handles punting and kick off duties for Stanford. Bailey's 45.11-yard average ranks first in the Pac-12 and eighth nationally, and rates second in single-season school history behind Doug Robison (45.70).
The Cardinal concludes its season on Dec. 28 in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio against TCU.
Of Bailey's 103 punts the past two seasons, 31 have soared at least 50 yards, including a career-long 65-yarder last month against Notre Dame. He also has touch. Forty-five of those efforts have been downed inside the opposing 20-yard line.
The average hang time for a punter is four seconds. Most of Bailey's cloud-bursters average five.
Bailey also kicks off and holds for sophomore Jet Toner on field goals and extra points. In the last two years, 98 of Bailey's 147 kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks. On the rare occasions they don't find the end zone, his coverage team has limited returns to 17.34 yards this season, the 11th-best mark in the country.
Bailey's kicking has pinned opposing offenses most of the season, often resulting in improved field position for the Stanford offense. Five of nine wins have come by 10 points or less, and in many cases, his contributions paved the way.
Bailey's ability to hammer kickoffs and punt with height, distance and accuracy is rare. His effectiveness has helped the Cardinal rank fifth in the FBS in net punting.
"Jake is exceptional at two skills (kicking and punting)," special teams coordinator Pete Alamar said. "There aren't many in the country as good at both."
Although teammates watch Bailey every day in practice, his blasts seldom fail to impress.
"When you see him punt or kick off, you say, 'Holy cow,' " said sophomore placekicker Jet Toner. "Everyone knows he's got a boot for a leg and we still say, 'Geez,' and watch the ball sail."
Selected All-Pac-12 second team and Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention this year, the 6-2, 193-pound Bailey has produced several memorable performances in 2017.
• In the upset win against No. 9 Notre Dame, he averaged a school-record 50.4 yards on seven punts, with five traveling more than 50 yards on a cold night at Stanford Stadium. Five of his seven kickoffs went for touchbacks.
• Playing in the snow at Washington State, Bailey averaged 47 yards on eight punts, pounding three over 50, and placed four inside the 20. None of his four kickoffs were returned.
• At USC, he averaged 51.2 on four punts and dropped three inside the 20. All four kickoffs were unreturnable.
Bailey has never lacked energy or enthusiasm. As a baby, he was colickly until one magical day.
"As soon as he started to walk, he bolted," said his father, Brad.
It didn't take long for his son to show off his right leg.
"When he was in first grade, he would frustrate neighbors all the time by kicking balls over the fence and getting them stuck in their yard," said Brad, who attended medical school and now specializes in chronic wound care and hyperbaric medicine for the elderly.
Bailey dominated elementary school kickball games, his rockets usually landing off property.
A sports junkie and all-around athlete, Bailey learned to dropkick by playing goalie in youth soccer. Brad and his wife, Susan, arranged for piano lessons, but they were short-lived.
"It was probably like pulling teeth for him," Brad said.
On game days, Alamar and the specialists take a short walk around the hotel to strategize and get their blood flowing. Bailey always leads the way.
"It takes about 30 seconds for Jake to be about 40 yards in front of everybody," said Alamar. "He has a zest for life and walks on his toes."
Bailey competed in football, soccer and track and field at Santa Fe Christian School, where he played defensive back, wide receiver and place-kicked. He tied a CIF San Diego Section record with a 106-yard interception return for a touchdown, and holds the school long jump mark at 21-4.
In the middle of his junior season, Bailey sustained an ankle injury blocking -- not kicking -- on a punt. It required surgery, but proved a blessing in disguise.
Bailey punted for the first time his senior year and made the difficult decision to concentrate solely on kicking. With only 30 players on the roster, he felt guilty and wanted to contribute as much as possible for his teammates.
"It was really tough," he said. "My parents and the doctors said if you want to play college football, you should hold off playing other positions."
Bailey was still voted a captain.
Alamar first watched Bailey kick during his freshman year at Santa Fe Christian on a recruiting trip to see teammate Reed Miller, who long-snapped for the Cardinal from 2012-15. Bailey attended many summer football camps, including Stanford, and impressed Alamar.
"I told Jake and his dad, 'You're really talented, but your future to me is a punter and kickoff guy,' " said Alamar. "I think they were a little bit shocked."
Gradually, Bailey realized Alamar was right. He quit club baseball and joined the track team to improve his speed and agility. As a senior, Bailey was selected all-state and named the nation's fourth-best kicker by ESPN.
However, the only college offer Bailey received was from Cornell, who also wanted to try him at cornerback.
Uncertain what to do, Bailey was lounging in his backyard hot tub on June 17, 2014, when he received a phone call from Alamar, offering a scholarship. After a five-minute conversation with his parents, Bailey called back and accepted. He turned 18 the next day.
Bailey wore No. 5 until college because seemingly everyone who wore the number was a stud. When he requested it, Alamar texted him back with bad news.
"He said they had a guy named Christian McCaffrey who was wearing it," Bailey said. "I said, 'Oh yeah, I know who he is. I'm great with 14.' "
Like most young punters, Bailey's primary objective when he arrived on The Farm was to boom spirals.
"He just loves to see the ball fly," said Alamar. "The thrill of watching the ball come off his foot and just explode."
Much like a golfer, Bailey quickly learned 85 percent is the new 100. A harder (foot) swing doesn't guarantee greater distance.
Alamar taught him how to relax and match up the sweat spots on his kicking foot and the ball. He made him watch the 1999 movie "For Love of The Game" starring Kevin Costner. It's the story of a major league pitcher who learns how to quiet his mind and not overthink.
"Clear the mechanism," Costner's character said.
Alamar loves the line.
"One of the great teaching moments in a sports movie," he said.
Before each snap, Bailey thinks of three words to help him focus, often: short, tall and smooth. They stand for: short steps, stay calm and be smooth.
He is a student of the game and always seeking ways to improve.
"Jake is definitely the most athletic kicker or punter I have ever coached," said Shannon Turley, the Kissick Family Director of Sports Performance. "More importantly, he has dedicated himself to developing as a specialist by increasing his flexibility, core strength and functional movement. He attacks his weaknesses."
Bailey misses the contact in football and would love to flatten someone. However, he is the last line of defense and too valuable in other areas.
In high school, Bailey ran two fake punts, each resulting in a first down. He bugged Alamar to call one for two years and finally got his wish this season against Arizona State. On fourth-and-3 at the Sun Devil 45, he sprinted left for 17 yards and wanted to keep going, but was instructed to run out of bounds.
"It was unreal being back in my high school days for a split second," Bailey said.
A science, technology and society major, Bailey has tried everything to gain weight but to no avail. He blames his mom for his metabolism.
"He is so lean," said Alamar. "Our goal last spring was to get him to 200 pounds. He has so much speed with his leg and we were trying to increase his mass and power."
Toner is baffled.
"We'll go to In-N-Out and he'll eat three burgers," he said. "The next day, he'll be the same weight. It's a medical mystery."
Two nights before every home game, Bailey goes out for Hawaiian barbecue by himself.
"I think it's just a superstition," said Toner.
They room together on the road and have a friendly competition in everything they do, whether in the weight room, on the practice field or watching film.
"It's always who leaves their area the cleanest or who pushes in their chair," said Toner. "We ride each other and make sure we're doing things the right way."
The night before a game, Bailey always watches "Family Guy."
"He's seen every episode at least three times," Toner said.
On game days, Bailey has another ritual. During warmups, he unleashes a primal scream on the sideline.
"That's how he gets juiced up," said sophomore long snapper Richard McNitzky.
While kickers have long been considered quirky and seldom qualify as the best athletes on the team, Bailey is an exception. Down to earth, compassionate and always upbeat, his 40-yard dash time of 4.52 ranks among the top five on the squad. His vertical jump is 35 inches, he long jumped 9' 11'' and his body fat is eight percent.
"He works his tail off in the weight room," Alamar said. "Very high energy. He about breaks my hand when he high-fives me."
Bailey's love of flying runs deep. His great grandfather lived in Montana and owned a franchise for Hammond Organs. In order to reach more customers, he obtained his pilot's license to cover more territory.
Brad's father, Stan, learned to fly before getting his driver's license. He built and flew model planes, and received his instructor's rating before joining the Air Force. He piloted B-26 low level bombers in the Korean War, then flew commercially for TWA for 30 years before his retirement. He still flies.
In the summer before Brad's senior year in high school, he and some buddies were driving around in a dune buggy and standing up through the sunroof. The driver lost control and crashed into a bob wire fence. Brad was ripped out of the buggy and lost the lower part of his right leg from the knee down.
Undaunted, he received his pilot's license a year later and attended medical school.
"I had to modify the airplane I was taking lessons in so we could use a shifting gear lever so I could use the break on that side," Brad said. "We worked it out."
Brad still flies Cessna planes for pleasure and has always been a source of strength and inspiration to his son. Bailey expected to have his pilot's license by now, but cut back his lessons at Palo Alto Airport last summer to concentrate on academics and conditioning. He will finish up early next year.
"I'm not looking for a career," Bailey said. "It's just a fun hobby."
Bailey has flown all over the Bay Area and loves the view. Alamar approves but has one rule.
"No other specialists can fly with him," he said.
Alamar's wife, Tina, has volunteered to fly with Bailey. So has Toner.
"We have a joke that he's going to fly us to Hawaii," said Toner. "I don't know if I could go that far."
Bailey believes Stanford has pushed him beyond his limits.
"Stanford is like an incubator for learning how to learn," he said. "It teaches you how to be a better version of yourself. Pretty much everyone from the professors to the coaches are goal-oriented and push you to accomplish your dreams."
As a freshman, Bailey interned for Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
Given Bailey's athleticism, passion and power, Alamar thinks he is just scratching the surface of his potential. The key is consistency.
"He's got a chance to be special," said Alamar.