On Monday it was announced that legendary cornerback Champ Bailey will enter the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in October. With Bailey also being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, he’ll be the first person to be honored by both in the same year.
In a conference call, Monday afternoon, Bailey talked about his expectations of the Oct. 13 ceremony. “The first thing I thought about was I’ve got to stand in front of the crowd in the stadium,” Bailey said.
Bailey explained that he hasn’t been honored in front of a large crowd since his playing days – and how the whole experience is going to be a little odd for him. Luckily for the iconic defender, he’ll get to practice when he receives his gold jacket in Canton, OH.
“I think the Hall of Fame will get me warmed up for it, but I believe being in front of those fans means more than anything,” Bailey said. “To be able to do it where I played for 10 years, I’m looking forward to it man. It’s going to be surreal.”
The Broncos traded for Bailey on Mar. 4, 2004, sending running back Clinton Portis to Washington for the veteran DB. Over the next decade, Bailey was consistently one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.
Since 2006, Bailey is one-of-nine DBs to face 500+ targets and record more interceptions than touchdowns allowed.
During his time in the PFF era (2006 – present) Champ Bailey allowed a passer rating of just 70.3 on throws into his primary coverage — fifth-best among cornerbacks with at least 500 targets. A true legend of the game. #BroncosCountry https://t.co/p3Etha9fQa
— PFF DEN Broncos (@PFF_Broncos) May 20, 2019
During his time with the Broncos, Bailey made five trips to the postseason and one Super Bowl appearance (2013). Of his favorite memories with the team, two postseason victories stood out the most, though. The first was the 2006 victory over New England – when Bailey famously picked off Tom Brady. The other was the 2011 Wild Card victory over Pittsburgh.
“Those are the moments you just don’t forget,” Bailey said.
Bailey will be honored on Oct. 13 when the Broncos host the Tennessee Titans.
“I’m just so grateful that the Broncos consider me part of the family and are willing to put my name all over the stadium,” Baileys said. “It means the world to me and makes me feel good inside.”