Champ Bailey was one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play the game.
Several aspects of Bailey’s game separated him from many of the other top cornerbacks. First, his longevity. He dominated the position for over a dozen years. Second, he was not a one-trick pony. Bailey could tackle just as well as he could cover — there are few cornerbacks that can say that. Third, Bailey followed his opponent’s best receiver all game — everywhere.
The latter is something that recently retired receiver Steve Smith has reiterated.
“ I lined up in the slot, he lined up in the slot,” Smith recently said on NFL Network. “If I lined up as a running back, he lined up as a linebacker. If I parked my car in the parking lot, he was the parking attendant. Champ Bailey lined up everywhere.”
This is not the first time the former Panthers and Ravens receiver has praised Bailey. In 2015, Smith told ESPN’s Jeff Legwold that Bailey was the best cornerback he ever faced.
“You hear a guy who says he’s a lock-down corner, but let a guy go in the slot, and he’s nowhere to be found. Let a guy line up at No. 3 , and he stays outside … and then they go to a different coverage. Well, you can’t be lock-down if you’re only locking down certain portions of the field.
“I just loved that there was no part of the field that wasn’t willing to go.”
Bailey, who recorded 52 interceptions during his 15-year career, was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame last October. He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
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