Champ Bailey is a first-ballot Hall of Famer

ATLANTA — The Denver Bronco have their first defensive representative in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Champ Bailey, a longtime Bronco, was inducted into The Hall as a first ballot nominee on Saturday.

After an illustrious career, where he was selected to the 2000s All-Decade team with 12 Pro Bowl appearances, and now with his first-ballot status, he is hard to argue against as the greatest defender in Broncos history, at least for now.

Bailey played 10 of his 15 seasons in Denver, becoming a team leader and stalworth of the secondary, after being traded to the Broncos from the Washington Redkins in 2004 for Clinton Portis. Bailey rattled off three consecutive All-Pro seasons in his first three years in the Mile Hile High City, showing his value immediately.

He will forever be known as one of the stickiest coverage defenders the league has ever seen, with sublime ball skills. A true shut down corner.

He joins owner Pat Bowlen as the second inductee for the Orange & Blue in the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame.