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Pro Bowl Cornerback Champ Bailey Retires From NFL

By Bryan Rose

Dec 22, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Champ Bailey has retired from the NFL after 15 seasons and 12 Pro Bowl selections.

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It’s been a storied career for fifteen-year veteran cornerback Champ Bailey, but every book needs an ending and that time has come for the elite defender.

Bailey, who most recently played for the Denver Broncos (he played for the New Orleans Saints this past preseason before being released) had drawn interest from multiple teams in recent months though apparently never found a situation he was comfortable in. Now somewhat removed from the game, Champ Bailey has decided to hang up the cleats and retire from the NFL.

The seventh overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, Champ Bailey quickly emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league and has an NFL resume worthy of Hall of Fame inclusion which includes 12 Pro Bowl selections.

While Bailey never had the opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy he did experience an AFC Championship with the Broncos in 2013 along with being voted as an NFL All-Pro on seven different occasions.

A two-time NFL Defensive Back of the Year award winner, Champ Bailey was also named to the NFL’s All 2000’s Decade Team. Bailey also currently owns the NFL records for most career Pro Bowl interceptions (4) and overall selections to the Pro Bowl for a defensive back.

His finishes his impressive career with 52 career interceptions, 203 passes deflected, 9 forced fumbles and 4 touchdowns. Keep in mind, those are impressive totals for any cornerback let alone one that opposing quarterbacks often avoided throwing at given his reputation for being a ball hawk.

Bailey spent the first five seasons of his career with the Washington Redskins before moving on to the Denver Broncos were he played out the remainder of his NFL tenure.

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