EVANSTON – Four years ago, quarterback Aaron Bailey was preparing to begin his college career at the University of Illinois, coming off a star-studded high school career at Bolingbrook.

Bailey never got his chance in Champaign. He transferred to Northern Iowa, where he played for two seasons, and he was back in his home state Tuesday throwing in front of NFL scouts from 30 teams at Northwestern’s Pro Day.

“It was a great experience,” Bailey said. “It’s something that every football player dreams of, having a Pro Day to get the chance to showcase your skills and hone in. All the hard work from the time you started playing football up until this moment.”

Stuck on the Illini’s depth chart, Bailey wanted more playing time, so he transferred to Northern Iowa and he put on a show as a junior, rushing for 1,334 yards and passing for 1,656 yards. He set a UNI record with 19 rushing touchdowns and threw for 13 more.

Bailey’s athleticism has always been his strong suit, and he even took a break from throwing to fellow draft prospects to run a route as a receiver for the scouts at Northwestern.

“I always say that I want the opportunity to play quarterback and if, God forbid, I blow that opportunity and a team wants me to play a different position, like receiver, that’s why I ran that one route,” he said.

Bailey’s final season at Northern Iowa was a tough one, as an AC joint sprain in his right (throwing) shoulder cost him the final two games of the season. He said he is at 100 percent now and didn’t need surgery, but it was another bump in what hasn’t been a smooth road for Bailey, who ran for 149 yards and two scores in Bolingbrook’s state title win over Loyola in 2011.

“I’m definitely glad I went through the adversity at the time I did so I could know how to handle it later on in my life,” Bailey said.

For an in-state star, Illinois seemed like destiny, and it was a bit of a culture shock heading west to Northern Iowa.

“First, I was excited but then at the same time, I’ve got to start all over again, with friends and meeting people and starting over with winning teammates over,” Bailey said. “That was big for me to win my teammates over, win the coaches over, just be myself out there. ... Learned to be a better man and I’m more than grateful for it.”

With the Panthers, Bailey singled out two games he’s most proud of – a win over Southern Illinois when he threw for three touchdowns and ran for 112 yards and another, and a win over FBS rival Iowa State, when Bailey ran for 128 yards and accounted for two touchdowns.

Bailey will work out at UNI’s Pro Day on March 28.