Champ Bailey will soon enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With the announcement that the all-time great cornerback will be going to Canton, his bust will soon be formed.
But just how good was Bailey? He was easily one of the best defensive players in the history of the Denver Broncos and if you ask Broncos fans, there weren’t many cornerbacks in NFL history who were better.
The former first-round pick went to 12 Pro Bowls and is one of just five cornerbacks elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in the last 30 years.
When you think of great corners, it depends on how far in time you want to travel back. Dick “Night Train” Lane and Mel Blount were both excellent players who should be at or near the top of any list.
Both are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
But where does Champ rank among the best cornerbacks of his era? When I say his “era,” we’ll go back to 1989, the year that Deion Sanders came into the league. For most people, Deion is considered the best to ever play the position. There’s little argument against that.
Does Champ come in right behind him? Broncos fans likely say yes, but there were some other terrific cornerbacks during this era as well, some of which made the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Let’s review some of the greats of this era.
Darrell Green
Career Interceptions: 54
Pro Bowl Selections: 7
Darrell Green and Bailey were actually teammates in Washington for four seasons. Can you imagine that secondary?
Green was once considered the fastest man in the NFL, but he had many more skills than just being fast. He spent his entire 20-year career in Washington and set an NFL record by having at least one interception in 19 straight seasons.
He helped the Redskins win two Super Bowls and was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s.
Aeneas Williams
Career Interceptions: 55
Pro Bowl Selections: 8
Aeneas Williams is often underappreciated because he played on some pretty bad teams, but his numbers are just as impressive as Green’s and he is a member of the Hall of Fame as well, though he was passed over a couple of times before getting in.
Like Green, he is also part of the 1990s All-Decade Team.
Rod Woodson
Career Interceptions: 71
Pro Bowl Selections: 11
Mostly remembered for a fantastic 10-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rod Woodson made his mark everywhere he went. In Baltimore, he was part of the 2000 Ravens, a defense often considered one of the best in league history.
His on-field accolades are many.
Woodson’s 71 career interceptions rank third in the history of the league. He also returned 12 interceptions for touchdowns, an NFL record. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, one of just five players to ever win the award.
Woodson was also a first-ballot Hall-of-Fame selection.
Charles Woodson
Career Interceptions: 65
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
Like Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson also won Defensive Player of the Year and was one of the most athletic players to ever line up at the cornerback position.
He spent 18 years in the league and went to the Pro Bowl in half of them, also winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.
He will be part of the Hall of Fame once eligible.
Deion Sanders
Career Interceptions: 53
Pro Bowl Selections: 8
Almost unanimously, Sanders is considered the greatest cornerback to ever play the game. It’s hard to argue against.
There wasn’t much that Deion couldn’t do. But what made him so dangerous was what he could do if he ever got his hands on the ball, as evidenced by his 10 career defensive touchdowns.
Sanders was a two-sport star who was probably the flashiest cornerback to ever play the game. He made kids want to play the position too. But he was also able to back up his brash attitude with his level of play.
He changed many games during his career and will long be the guy players want to try and somehow mold themselves after.
Champ Bailey
Career Interceptions: 52
Pro Bowl Selections: 12
It should come as no surprise that Bailey was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He is more than deserving of the honor as his numbers and the product he put on the field rivals everyone on this list.
Unlike Deion, he wasn’t afraid to stick his head down and make tackles. In fact, Bailey was a terrific tackler. He would have even more interceptions, but he was well known for basically eliminating one half of the football field as quarterbacks would often choose not to throw it against him at all.
But perhaps Bailey’s most impressive number is 12. Only eight players in the history of the league have been voted to the Pro Bowl more than 12 times, and none of them play or played cornerback. That list includes names like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Jerry Rice.
Where Bailey would rank among the greats on this list would be a matter of opinion. But the fact is, he definitely belongs on the list in the discussion of the best cornerbacks in recent NFL history.
