Former Denver Broncos defensive back Champ Bailey will be going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this summer which means he is doing a lot of reflecting on his NFL career both with the Washington Redskins and the Broncos.
Bailey started his career with the Redskins playing his first five years in the nation's capital and he admits that he never thought he would leave the team in an interview with the Talk Fame Sports Network:
“I never thought I would leave the Redskins, first off, until that final season,” he said, referring to 2003. “I realized they really do not value me whatsoever. And once you don’t feel that love … and you have people out there who have that opportunity to get you, and you see that love coming back … it’s like: OK, these guys are going to pay me what I ask for; they’re going to treat me like I’m a franchise player and value my work.”
Bailey knew from day one with the Broncos that this was a team that cared about him, and he believes that's a big reason why the team had so much success and was always in the playoffs.
“And it never waned from Day One to the time I was cut. That love never stopped. That’s one thing I felt when I got there. Even before I got to the Broncos, you always like felt everything was going to be OK; they were going to take care of you, no matter what.
“That’s the reason they were in the playoffs every other year … or every year. They were always in the running to win the AFC West. So, with that track record, I knew things would be better on the other side. Lucky for me I was able to land with a franchise like that, with an owner like Pat Bowlen. I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better move at that time of my career.”
For as much love as the team showed Bailey, he showed it all back with his play on the field. In 135 games with the team, he finished with 34 interceptions with three of those being returned to the house.
He also was consistently taking away the opposing teams best offensive weapon which helped the team win a ton of games.
Follow Us
Subscribe