Champ Bailey elected to College Football Hall of Fame

Bailey was a consensus All-American playing offense, defense, and special teams. He played more than 1,000 plays during his junior season in 1998 including more than 100 plays in seven different games. Bailey finished the season with 52 tackles, three interceptions, 744 receiving yards, five touchdowns, 261 kickoff returns and 49 punt return yards. The All-Southeastern Conference selection was named winner of the 1998 Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defensive player and was a consensus All-America selection.

Bailey was also a member of the UGA Track and Field team and set a school indoor long jump record at the 1998 SEC Championships.

Bailey was drafted by the Redskins in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft and was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection from 2000-2013 as a member of the Redskins and Broncos. He retired in 2014.

In 2019, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.

Bailey grew up in Folkston, Georgia and graduated from Charlton County High School.

Former Georgia players and coaches inducted into the College Hall of Fame: Charley Trippi, 1959; Vernon “Catfish” Smith, 1979; Bill Hartman, 1984; Fran Tarkenton, 1987; Coach Vince Dooley, 1994; Coach Wally Butts, 1997; Bill Stanfill, 1998; Herschel Walker, 1999; Terry Hoage, 2000; Kevin Butler, 2001; John Rauch, 2003; Coach Jim Donnan, 2009; Jake Scott, 2011; Scott Woerner, 2016; Matt Stinchcomb, 2018; David Pollack, 2020.