AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBranden Smith, the ‘next Champ Bailey,’ talks to the real Champ Bailey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Georgia’s recruiting pitch to Branden Smith, the state’s No. 1 college prospect, is that he can be “the next Champ Bailey.”
Guess who Smith talked to this week? Yes, Champ Bailey, the former Georgia standout who plays for the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Ironically, Smith’s older brother, Darrell Hackney, is backup quarterback with the Broncos.
Hackney called his younger brother to see how it went with last weekend’s official visit to Georgia, and then handed the phone to Champ.
“I’ve talked with [Bailey] before. He just was saying that I needed to come out to Denver after they finish the season, to work out and train with them.”
Did Champ try to recruit Smith for UGA? “He just said he played at Georgia and had so many great memories of the place. He said it was a good place to be at, and if you get a degree from Georgia, you should be set for life.”
Smith, the defensive back from Booker T. Washington, has narrowed down to Alabama, Georgia, Florida and FSU. He claims to have no favorites and will announce on Feb. 4.
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