"It's going to be surreal": Broncos legend Champ Bailey reacts to his Ring of Fame selection

Champ Bailey doesn’t have a favorite Broncos memory.

“You know, it’s funny, a couple weeks ago I was watching [Denver’s 2011 Wild Card Playoff Game] vs. Pittsburgh when we beat them in overtime on the first play,” Bailey said in a conference call Monday. “I was just thinking about the moment when D.T. ran through the back of the end zone, and I met him in the tunnel, and it was like, ‘Man, I hadn’t felt like that since maybe ’06 when we beat the Patriots.’ Those are moments you just don’t forget. I could go on and on about a lot of different things that happened while I was there, but it’s really not one that stands out.”

Maybe the problem is that there are so many memories to choose from. During his 10 seasons in Denver, Bailey made nearly 600 tackles, played 144 games, snagged 35 interceptions and scored three touchdowns. He earned eight Pro Bowl nominations and three All-Pro nods. His teams won 83 football games.

But those days are behind him.

“I do not think I could still play,” Bailey said with a laugh. “I could probably play in a game or two and play pretty well. But I could not go through the grind that those guys go through every week. There’s absolutely no way my 41-year-old self could do that.”

Now it’s time for Bailey, who will turn 41 next month, to take his victory lap. The honors are piling up.

On Aug. 3, Bailey will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, after being elected in his first year on the ballot. Then, at halftime of the Broncos’ Oct. 13 game against the Titans in Denver, Bailey will be inducted into the Ring of Fame and given his Hall of Fame ring, the team announced Monday.

“I’m just so grateful that the Broncos consider me part of the family and [are] willing to put my name all over the stadium. It means the world to me, and it makes me feel good inside.”

“It’s all at once,” Bailey added. “It’s overwhelming, but I’ll tell you what, these are great issues to have. Just being overwhelmed and patted on the back by everybody that you played in front of and saw you play. I’m so grateful.”

Bailey’s name will be the 33rd added to the Ring of Fame, and his inclusion is no surprise. The bigger question may be whether the team will retire his No. 24 jersey, an even more prestigious honor.

“I have to be honest, I expected (to join the Ring of Fame) at some point, maybe,” Bailey admitted. “But at the same time, it’s out of my hands. I never dwell on things I can’t control or worry about them. It’s like, when it happens, it still catches me off guard.”

Now things are back in Bailey’s hands. He has a pair of speeches to write — the first for his Hall of Fame induction and the second for his Ring of Fame induction — but he still isn’t worried.

“There’s always nerves right before—trying to figure out what to say, how to say it, who to thank,” Bailey said. “I’m sure all those thoughts will come together just in time for me to give a good speech.

“I think the Hall of Fame will get me warmed up for it. Being in front of those fans means more than anything. To be able to do it where I played for 10 years, I’m looking forward to it, man. It’s going to be surreal.”