In the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos rookie cornerback Pat Surtain intercepted a Justin Herbert pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown, sealing a win.
Surtain’s interception and his return brought back memories of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, who had a very a similar 70-yard pick-six against the San Francisco 49ers in 2006. It’s amazing how much these two plays are alike:
Shades of the past…#PS2 #Champ #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/4D9CD5t5Hq
— Ryan Greene 📷 (@RyanCBS4) November 28, 2021
If Surtain continues playing like he did on Sunday, the comparisons to Bailey will continue, and Champ doesn’t seem to mind.
“People are like, ‘Oh, he reminds me of Champ!’ I’m like, ‘Hell, he reminds me of me, too,'” Bailey said during an interview with the team’s official website earlier this year.
Surtain’s speed reached 22.07 miles per hour on his return, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
“I had no idea [he was that fast],” safety Justin Simmons said after the game. “Are you sure that’s right? NextGen stats, they have all the good stuff apparently. I didn’t know that — that’s crazy. That’s a crazy stat. Sheesh, that’s fast.”
Surtain had a simple explanation for that speed.
“I used to run track,” he said, “so that track background helped me a lot.”
