Georgia football: Modern-era Mount Rushmore – Herschel Walker and the Dawgs

Champ Bailey, cornerback/receiver/returner

Champ Bailey is the first person on this list that saw his professional career mimic his college career, but that actually works to overshadow how good he was at Georgia. We know Bailey now as a cornerback, but at Georgia, he was a cornerback, a wide receiver and a returner. He was one of the best triple threats in recent college football history.

In his last season at Georgia, he had 52 tackles, three interceptions, and 47 catches for 744 yards. The Bulldogs didn’t want to lose Bailey on either side of the ball, so they accepted really good production on both sides of the ball. He played more than 1,000 total plays that season, which is unheard of now. This is just 20 years ago.

Still, he was named the country’s top defensive player despite also playing some receiver. He was the epitome of a shutdown cornerback. He’d have even more interceptions if quarterbacks threw to him at all. Bailey held future second-round pick Peerless Price to just 35 yards in their matchup. Karsten Bailey was the one who had success against him on Auburn, but Champ Bailey played 119 snaps that game and made a fourth-quarter interception to seal the game.

Bailey is one of the most skilled cornerbacks in the history of football and definitely deserves his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He shouted out Georgia football during his induction ceremony. That is what makes Bailey special to Georgia fans. He grew up a Georgia fan, dreamed about playing for them, and then excelled when he got there. He was a Bulldog from the start of his football love to his finish.