Champ Bailey on Hall of Fame greatness, being a rare commodity, learning NFL business hard way, the Washington-Denver trade, Revis comparisons, fatherhood & his legendary 99-Yard interception return.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Ryan Clark** (0:30)
Today we sit with one of the greatest defensive backs the game has ever seen. A quiet killer, a technician, the legendary Champ Bailey. This conversation starts where greatness normally does. Small town roots. Because before the gold jacket, there was a kid from Georgia hearing all this noise about the legend of Steve Spurrier. A man folks down there love to hate. But when Spurrier pulled up to Champ's house, it was just absolutely electric. Now, Spurrier as the head coach of Washington was a little different. We revisit that wild Monday night against Chad Johnson, a night where the man known as Ocho Cinco got the best of the future Hall of Famer. And the normally quiet Bailey had to make sure he let folks know he was still the real deal. Then we ask the questions that football fans debate. Revis 0-9 or Champ 0-6?
Two years where corners truly walked on water. Champ shares the wisdom that was passed down from legends like Deion Sanders and Darrell Green. OGs that taught him how to move, how to study, how to carry himself as a pro. But despite immediate success, Champ says he never felt like their guy in Washington under Dan Snyder, which led to the blockbuster trade that sent Champ to Denver for Clinton Portis. We talk about the respect between him and Charles Woodson, two all time greats whose careers will forever be linked. But who is Champ Bailey now? A father, a coach, pouring wisdom into his son the same way those legends poured into him. And honestly, there's a thing that stands out immediately when you sit with Champ. It's how kind he is. No ego, no performance, just real, calm, grounded. One of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet, which somehow made the killer he was on Sunday even scarier. So join me, Chan and Freddie T as we welcome Hall of Famer Champ Bailey to The Pivot.

**Channing Crowder** (2:34)
He has sickle cell.

**Champ Bailey** (2:36)
Yeah.

**Ryan Clark** (2:37)
He think, Champ, that's a joke for him.

**Champ Bailey** (2:40)
That's a joke?

**Ryan Clark** (2:40)
Yeah, yeah, like that's it.

**Champ Bailey** (2:42)
Oh, no.

**Ryan Clark** (2:43)
He didn't say it like concern. That's a, that's-

**Channing Crowder** (2:47)
Man, who got sickle cell?

**Champ Bailey** (2:48)
A lot of people.

**Ryan Clark** (2:50)
Thank you. Like one out of every 10

**Champ Bailey** (2:53)
Everybody should know.

**Channing Crowder** (2:53)
10% of the world got sickle cell.

**Ryan Clark** (2:55)
One out of every 10 African American has the trait.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:58)
The trait. Really, yes.

**Champ Bailey** (2:59)
Yeah, so imagine if you don't know you got the trait, your wife got the trait, and y'all have a child, y'all likely have a child with sickle cell. Yes.

**Channing Crowder** (3:10)
If I had a trait, I'll just say the trait, I'll tell the trait, no. I'm a man, Champ.

**Champ Bailey** (3:15)
What are we talking about?

**Ryan Clark** (3:15)
Champ, Champ, hey man, Champ Bailey, welcome to The Pivot. Oh man.

**Champ Bailey** (3:20)
God, great to be here, guys.

**Ryan Clark** (3:22)
Yeah, this is, I mean, one of, honestly man, just, I'm honored, man, just one of the best to ever touch a football field, at any position, but at corner, man, there were years, like you legit walked on water at the position, man, so this is an honor, 12 Pro Bowls, three time first team All-Pro, obviously, no brainer, Hall of Famer, so man, this is really dope. I do, because you're a bulldog, I'm a tiger, we got two gators here, I need to fact check a story.

**Champ Bailey** (3:52)
Okay.

**Ryan Clark** (3:54)
Was there a coach at your house when one Steve Spurrier was calling to talk to you and did your mom, and did your mom get on the phone with him and say, this is, what's the name, Jimmy Donin?

**Champ Bailey** (4:06)
Jim Donin?

**Ryan Clark** (4:07)
Jim Donin told this story about you.

**Champ Bailey** (4:10)
Okay.

**Ryan Clark** (4:11)
He said that your mom got on the phone with Steve Spurrier and say stop calling because you was going to Georgia.

**Champ Bailey** (4:18)
Did that really happen?