Georgia football: legendary cornerback Champ Bailey joins Hall of Fame

With Champ Bailey’s introduction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Georgia football now has four former Bulldogs in enshrined.

When it comes to modern Georgia football legends, few are as revered and beloved by fans than Champ Bailey. Today, the entire Bulldog Nation will celebrate after the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Bailey’s inclusion in the 2019 class.

What a career Bailey had in the NFL. 15 years. 52 interceptions including a season leading 10 in 2006. 203 pass deflections. Bailey helped form the definition of the term “shutdown corner”. After 2006, quarterbacks rarely threw his way. He shutdown his entire side of the field. Bailey’s other accomplishments include 12 Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections.

He entered the league in the 1999 NFL Draft with the Washington Redskins where he immediately became a beloved star player. Bailey never missed a game or a start in Washington. The Redskins played 80 games with Bailey, he started all 80 games. He ended his tenure in Washington after the 2003 season. He intercepted 18 passes and deflected 81 more as a Redskin.

In 2004, he joined the Denver Broncos and he had his sixth-straight complete season, winning over Denver fans in the process and earning his first All-Pro selection. But his first monster season was 2005 when he intercepted eight passes, gained 139 yards on those pics, scored two touchdowns and deflected 23 passes. However, he missed two games while dealing with hamstring injuries.

But 2006 was the season that really shot Bailey into legendary status with his 10 interceptions. He returned to the end zone again and had 162 return yards, he also deflected 21 passes. But the statistic that really shows how great Bailey was that year is how little quarterbacks actually threw his way. He was only tested 35 times, only allowed four pass completions and never surrendered  a touchdown. He was a unanimous All-Pro selection that year, obviously.

His numbers began to dip. But after a year where he intercepted nearly a third of every pass thrown his way, was any quarterback ever going to give him the chance to put up big numbers again? Absolutely not. But over the course of the next six seasons, Bailey picked off a total of 13 passes and deflected 66.

Champ Bailey will officially join the hall this August. He enters the hall in his first year of eligibility. Bailey has been eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame since he retired in 2013, but he’s yet to be inducted.