Champ Bailey Talks Journey from South Georgia to the NFL and Beyond!

From Folkston, Georgia… to Canton, Ohio. 🏈

Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey sits down with Tharon Johnson for a real conversation about legacy, leadership, football, and life after the NFL.

Champ opens up about choosing the University of Georgia, getting drafted by Washington, the blockbuster trade to the Denver Broncos, and the mentorship that shaped his career — including lessons from NFL legend Darrell Green.

He also talks about business, cannabis, building for the future, and what the Hall of Fame journey really meant to him beyond the accolades.

This is more than football — it’s about discipline, evolution, and leaving a legacy that lasts.

🎧 Watch the full conversation now on Tharon’s Take.

#TharonsTake #ChampBailey #NFL #GeorgiaBulldogs #DenverBroncos #HallOfFame #AtlantaCulture #Football #UGA #nfllegends

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Welcome back to Theron's Take, where politics, arts, and culture meet real conversation. Today we are joined by arguably one of the best defensive players ever to play in the NFL, and that is Champ Bailey. He's going to talk about his experience growing up in South Georgia with his siblings, how he decided to go to the University of Georgia over other schools, getting drafted to the Washington Redskins now commanders, the trade that led him to the Denver Broncos, the records that he's been able to set as an NFL Hall of Famer, but more importantly, how he's come back to Georgia and become a businessman focusing on workforce, getting involved in movies, and making sure that people understand the truths behind the cannabis industry in Georgia. Let's get into it. Champ, thank you so much, man, for coming on Theron's take. I told you this before we started. Number one, man, really appreciate the friendship. You and I have gotten to know each other pretty well this last decade. We were introduced by our barber, JJ. Crazy, right? Yeah, crazy. Jerry German. And um I were, you know, growing up in Athens, Georgia, you know this, man. I was just a young kid growing up in the project of Athens, coming over in the fence and watching you all practice. And what year did you graduate high school?

SPEAKER_00 1:21

96.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

So we and I graduated high school at the same time. But man, to have a Hall of Famer, uh a husband, a dad, a businessman, an entrepreneur, a person who believes in philanthropic giving, very committed to education. We're gonna cover all those things. So I really, really appreciate you uh making time to talk with me today. But before we go into all those things, just tell our viewers and listeners um how was it growing up as a kid in South Georgia?

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Bro, so thanks for having me, man. You know, I appreciate you giving me time to come spill a few beans with you. But South Georgia, man, it was challenging. You know, I think, you know, when you think about small town and what it really takes, you know, to get out, because that was always our mentality. You need everybody behind you. And I think you s you sort of get lost in the shuffle because nobody knows about you unless you're doing big things. And even then, it's hard to be noticed from a town like that. So you need everybody supporting you.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

And what town was it?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Folkstone, Georgia. Folkston, Georgia, southeast Georgia.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

How what's the population there, roughly?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Population anywhere between three and four thousand right now. It was probably a little less than that when I was there. But few people have moved in, a lot of people have moved out. But but for me, it was it was challenging because, you know, when I remember like memories from growing up, I remember my parents and and and their peers, my uncles, aunts, everybody, talking about the places or pointing out the places they couldn't go into when they were kids. You know, like the local pharmacy or local restaurant because of Jim Crow. And, you know, that always sat with me because I felt like I couldn't go when I was a kid. So that was a real thing. And the only thing that would get your mind to think outside of that was some inspiring story about somebody who looked like you, somebody who was, you know, doing the things you probably wanted to do, which was football for me. And I saw a few of those, and that's all it took. Plus, I was good at it. So it didn't matter though. Now I tell people all the time, I'm not the best athlete come from that town. Now, I'm the most successful story from a sports perspective, but it was always set up for us to fail. Like it there were so many traps. There was there was drugs in front of us, there was prostitution in front of us, there was all these things that really got in the way if you let it. And fortunate for me, I had enough people behind me because I was good early enough and I was a good student that people saw I had a bright future. So I was protected a lot. And fortunate enough for me, I played well enough to get a full scholarship to Georgia, follow my brother, who was one of those inspirations I talk about. And then from there, it my eyes just got bigger. I dreamed a little bit bigger, and that's all it took.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

So, Champ, I've actually heard you um talk about your parents and talk about your brothers, but tell us about your parents and how many siblings do you have? Three. Three. So go into that because I think the Bailey family and how you say you followed your brother to UGA is a is a very key part of this story.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Yeah, you know, I think more than anything, my parents were present, right? They were present. I mean, I you gotta think growing up in that town, every adult there, if they're still there, they're not doing much. So we were right at the poverty line. But I had my grandma next door and my aunts and uncles all around town. So it was, we had a great support system and to really just keep us on the straight and narrow. But for my brothers, like my older brother Ron, he did everything I wanted to do. So I just kind of emulated him. And he was a good student. He went to Georgia, got a full ride. I knew I was gonna follow his footsteps because I was just a little bit a better student. I was a little bit a better athlete. And then I had my younger brother, boss, pushing me from behind. Right. And then my sister as well, you know, just kind of being the glue. And she's still that way. And you met my sister. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Yeah, so. I was gonna say, your sister, not only is she the most attractive than all of y'all typical. Don't say that. No, no. I gotta give her, you know, she's she's a pretty woman. But I actually think that's her personality from my brief time of meeting her. I think she had to be very strong to deal with three brothers now.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

She did. She did.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

And where is she in the Sigma line?

SPEAKER_00 5:47

So She's the third, she's the second child. I'm the third, and then my younger brother Boss. So we stuck in the middle.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

And her and my brother Ron used to battle a lot growing up. But me and Boss, we were kind of like twins. So we were 16 months apart. He was a little bigger than me. So we grew up, people thinking we were twins. So we always stay glued at the hip. And then her and Ron would battle, you know, just brother-sister rivalry. But as we got older, and it, I don't think it ever was an issue of supporting each other. It was just, you know, close proximity. If you in a small house, you're gonna battle each other.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

So, Cheb, you're coming out of high school. I mean, you're balling, you're not, you're playing more than just football. You're running track. Oh, yeah. You're doing all the sports, right? I mean, yeah. Basketball, track, and uh football. And football, right? So you knew you were gonna go to UGA because you wanted to follow your brother, but what other colleges pursued you pretty aggressively?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Uh Auburn. Um I had a great visit there because Tequio Spikes was kind of my de facto host and you know, that's my guy to this day. Oh, yeah, all the time. And uh uh South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia Tech. I canceled my visit to Florida, but uh Georgia Tech had a shot. Um, but I always knew I was a dog. And, you know, I'll go just to go back to Georgia Tech. This you gotta think, this is the time, and you graduated then. The Olympics were coming to Atlanta. So everybody wanted to be in Atlanta, and so did I. I wanted to be in Atlanta. That's why I went to Clark Atlanta. Yeah, see. Because I wanted to be in Atlanta. To be in Atlanta. And, you know, fortunate enough for me, I had a brother at Georgia made it easy to make that decision to go there and follow his footsteps and you know, where I knew people wanted me and were gonna take care of me there. But I was close to, you know, going to Georgia Tech. At least I considered it. But how did they mess that up, Champ? They didn't. It was it was going to be it was messed up from birth because I was born a dog. There you go. I was born a dog, it and, you know, I gotta give them credit. They they came after me hard. They broke a few rules, but it was it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough. So why'd you cancel Florida? I canceled because I hated the Gators.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Oh, we all grew up hating the Gators.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

But I respected them, right? Because they were dominating us at the time. Right? They were killing us in the 90s. And Steve Spurrier came to the house. So I kept him on my radar. Like, because you gotta think he's the most loved and hated figure in a border town like Folkestone. Like we were 50-50 Georgia, Florida. Yeah, because you're close to the Florida corner. Yeah, right there. So a lot of Gator fans. So, you know, I had a lot of respect for him. I mean, you win a lot of games like that. You deserve it. So I gave him a shot, but I canceled because I committed to Georgia and I just didn't want to go that route. It was just, yeah, I knew I wasn't going there.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

So you come to Georgia, and what's so amazing about uh us being, you know, huge dog fans, even though I graduated from Clark Lane University, I always tell people, growing up in Athens, and you spent a lot of time there, I know you still go back. You know, there's two Athens, right? There's the affluent Athens where the University of Georgia and all the folks, but then it's the poor Athens.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

And we did a segment earlier in Theron's take where a Toro and I we went back home and I showed them all of Athens. But growing up in Athens, I mean, the fact that I put on my polo, Georgia, I knew you were gonna wear your Georgia, and it's just the way we are as Georgia Bulldog fans. So now take our listeners and viewers, you get to the campus, you're freshman, and um, what was the team like? You know, you already said we were losing to Florida. So take me through your freshman sophomore years kind of early on, and then I also want you to segue into being a two-way starter. Um I mean, I was watching some of your highlights, man. I mean, it was amazing. You know, the shoulder pass was so big back then, man.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

I don't know what the hell we were shoulder pass, thigh pass, everything was oversized. We thought that's what we needed back then, but that obviously wasn't the case. But I did, when I got to Georgia, well, before I got to Georgia, Coach Donin, Jim Donnen, who was he was gonna be a first-year coach. I was about to be a freshman. He promised I would do everything. And he didn't lie to me. You know, he brought me in, he let me run track, he played me on offense, defense. It didn't materialize right away, but I had to earn it. But once I started starting on defense, they started thinking about ways to use me on offense. And it didn't take long. It didn't take long. Now, one thing I realized when I got there, like, because I'm a little reserved. I I walk into, you know, the locker room or on the team, and I just want to play my role. I'm gonna do whatever they asked me to do. It wasn't about maybe three or four practices. I'm like, yeah, I belong here. Like, I'm actually better than a lot of these guys. As a 18-year-old freshman. Like, so so I saw it. You should see my ability. But I never knew really how I stacked up against the rest. You know, I knew I got the accolades in high school, this and that. But I really didn't know until I got in that locker room with a big time program like Georgia and was able to measure myself against others. And I realized I fit in where I actually excelled.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

When did you know that, all right, and then you just said, hey, I know, all right, two or three games or two or three moments in here, all right, I'm feeling it. Um I I'm better than most guys in here. But when did you know at that moment in time where you say, all right, I'm about to go to the league?

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Oh, man.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

And and and I it it's pretty much, you know, wherever I want to go.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

You know, it might have been my sophomore year. I think even going into it, I would say people had high expectations because I I finished the year, I ended up with two interceptions my freshman year, and they happened late in the year. And I just remember the hype around it and the expectations. I'm like, man, you know, they're mentioning me among all the other greats around the SEC. So I'm like, okay, I I belong, I belong. So then you start seeing it, but I'm always about the work. I loved football. And when you love football, you tend to love practice and all the things that go into putting the game plan together or getting ready for a game.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

And if you don't love that process, you won't make it. It it's really that simple.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

What was one of your uh most memorable plays and most memorable games as a college athlete?

SPEAKER_00 11:54

You know, I'll say this because he's a a a good friend and obviously and a classmate, uh, Quincy Carter. So if people don't know, like Quincy Carter committed to Georgia Tech. Coming out of high school, he played two years of baseball, and then he was on the open market again. We recruited him hard, and he decided to come with us to Georgia. And I think it was just the connections to myself, Jonas Jennings, Patrick Pass, all the guys that were Atlanta guys. Like we we we put it hard on him, like, dog, we gotta get you. So he comes and he ends up winning the starting job as a true freshman, you know, two years later than you know he should have. But nevertheless, man, I caught his first touchdown pass. And it was memorable because it was like, okay, we got something here. And he turned out to be a great quarterback for us.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

What's one of your most um memorable uh sort of matchups that you can think about? Like who was that one receiver that you you felt like, all right, I know I gotta break my A game when I go up against this dude?

SPEAKER_00 12:56

Yeah, I I'm gonna go to uh Marcus Nash, Tennessee, Jaquez Green in Florida. Yeah, man, yeah. Um Nash because he had Peyton, and Jaquez Green because he he was dynamic, right? They they had already had Riedell Anthony, Ike Hilliard, Chris Doring, all these special players, and they were moved on. So now it's Jaquez time, and we're both like, you know, about to go into the league or finishing our college career. And I had to go out there and shut him down. And I that year, we ended up beating them my sophomore year for the first time in like 12 years or something. So you shut him down? We shut, we shut, we shut him down. Now he would he would say something different because he had a few catches, but he caught us in zone a couple times. But he was he was dynamic in college.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Well, did you like to play more man or do you could you excel in the zone? I was telling you earlier, uh, another shout out to off the hook barbershop, right? Um are there corners that can really go man to man the way that you did in college and NFL anymore? Or do you think that corners now excel because they can the coaches put together a scheme that can fit them, a cover three, a four, a four kind of cover four cloud, you know, cover three kind of thing?

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Look, a lot of guys made their name, you know, playing zone. And, you know, regardless, you still gotta make the plays. So I give them credit regardless. But yeah, when you when you have an assignment to match up against one of the best on the field, one of the best in the league every week, and you gotta play man a lot of that a lot of that time, yeah, you gotta be a different individual. And not a lot of guys get that assignment. I would say today, right now, I mean, in today's game, you see Pat Sertan, he gets that responsibility a lot. And he excels in it. Uh the kid from New England, he's come on strong. Like he had a great year this year, locking everybody down and making plays. So those are two big corners that are doing it consistently. It's very hard. You won't see it a lot more because quarterbacks are a lot smarter these days. They do a lot more checking down, dink and dunk, they they run more. Like we didn't have a lot of running quarterbacks back in the day. So we were able to keep them in the pocket and make plays. Now these quarterbacks are all over the place. So I I give them a little credit for you know the versatility it takes to play corner. But again, there was nothing like when you had to line up every play against the best on the field.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

And you go in one of those, yeah. I'm gonna I'm gonna do the wide side of the field, short side of the field. You travel, basically. You went backfield.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Slot, backfield, didn't matter. Like that, see, and and and I tell people it's not easy to do that because you have to be so versatile. Because if you want to really match up, you can't just go on his side. You know, he can motion to the other side. Right? You could be locked up on somebody else. They can find a way to get. Now, are you gonna follow him the whole game? Do you end up outside or inside by the time that ball snaps? Now you gotta change your responsibilities. You just gotta know, man. And that's that it is extremely hard.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

Okay, so champ, UGA, you know, they honor you. I know you go back a lot. Now let's go to the transition into the draft.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

So going into the draft, who scouted you? Did you kind of know what teams were on your high list? Like, take us through that experience.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Bro, 1999 draft. So I knew the Redskins wanted me. And I knew because uh they just got rid of Chris Dishman, who was the other corner opposite Dell Green. And I knew they were high on the corner. I remember working out for Mike Nolan and uh Tom Hayes, who was the DB coach and the coordinator Mike Nolan at the time. I remember personal workout, yada, yada. Oh yeah, they were sitting at number five. Well, here comes the draft. First three picks were quarterbacks. So we get to the fourth pick. I don't know if you remember. So it was Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, and Achilles Smith. And then the fourth pick was surprisingly, uh, Indianapolis was on the clock. They they draft Edrin James. Everybody thought they were gonna go for um Ricky Williams. Back then, it was a little easier to kind of tell where team where teams were gonna go, right? So once they did that, who's sitting at number five? The Washington Redskins. And boy, New Orleans Saints Mike Ditka was the head coach at the time. He traded all his draft picks to move down to number five to get Ricky Williams. To Rick Williams. I do remember that part. Wow. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

So you so you win. You didn't go, did you go five or you went six? No, you went. Let me finish. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

All right, so fifth pick goes. Washington traded back to number 12. So I'm like, damn, I'm gonna go 12 pick now. But sitting at the sixth pick was the St. Louis Rams, and Dick Vermil was the coach. I never forget Dick Dick Vermil was like, if you sitting there at six, I'm taking you. Nevertheless, he did not take me. How did that make you feel? It was like he lied to me. Right, right. You know, no big deal. He ended up drafting the Hall of Famer anyway, and Tory Hope. So here we are at the seventh pick, and I think it's the Bears sitting at number seven right now. They so those picks Washington got from New Orleans, they traded some of those picks to move back to number seven to draft me. And Chicago moved back and drafted Kay McNown, who, you know, didn't pan out for them. So they probably should have drafted me. But at this back then, they didn't need a corner. They didn't think they they really needed a quarterback. So I understand their dilemma, but it was a wild ride because in the first round, there's a big difference in the first uh uh pick at five and seven about how much you get paid and all that. Like I was a top five pick, now I'm a top seven pick, but I was the first defender taken off the board, so I can always say that.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Got it. So I feel like you going to the Washington Redskins, now the Commanders was the right fit, man, because um you got a chance to play alongside Daryl.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

Oh my goodness, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Um, real quick, you know where I'm going, right? How was that experience with Daryl Green? And uh segue into another question. Which cornerback did you learn the most from being in the league?

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Daryl Green.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Daryl Green.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Yeah, so you you bring up the right guy because he caught me at a time I was yearning for that information. I didn't really learn how to play corner until I got to Daryl Green. Like, I always say I got to him. Like, not to the Redskins, the commanders, not even to Georgia. Like, when I was at Georgia, I learned how to play a scheme, but I really didn't learn technique. So Daryl Green, lucky for us, we had a coach that allowed him to just pour into me. Like, just y'all go over there, teach him everything you know. We two different types of corners. Like, he's a guy that don't want to touch anybody. I'm a guy I want to put my hands on everybody. Very physical. So he would just watch me and watch me. And then he would just like, hey, I I he was trying to teach me little things he would do. And I realized it started benefiting me because I didn't have to be so aggressive at the line. And then he just kept talking about. He used to always have this saying, hands are great, feet are better. Hands are great, feet are better. I'm like, because I'm always at the line trying to punch. Like, so it sat in that I gotta work on my feet more than my hands because that's all he worked on. He never tried to touch people. But his feet were always in a great place. Very jittery feet. I mean, quick dude, one of the fastest ever played a game. Probably the fastest. I mean, dude was amazing. And the way he taught me, it wasn't I I think the beauty in his teaching method was he didn't think it was one way to do it. So he took what I was good at and kind of applied little things that he good at, he was good at, things he knew, and it excelled my game. And I learned really quick. I mean, I ended up being a Pro Bowl alternate as a rookie, making a Pro Bowl my second year and beyond.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

I mean, so in my research, I want to make sure I got this right. In my research, is it true that you have gone to the most Pro Bowls?

SPEAKER_00 21:11

As a corner.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

As a corner.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

I mean, that's amazing. 12.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

12.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

So now you you go to the Redskins, Darryl Green becomes your mentor.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:19

Uh, you ball out there. Now you go to the Broncos. And so I'm trying to make sure that our listeners and viewers know how tough of a decision was that for you, or was it tough for you to leave the Redskins and go to the Broncos?

SPEAKER_00 21:31

It was easy because it really wasn't my decision. I didn't want to leave. I mean, I knew I was in the most popular division, the best division, and the NFC East was the best. When you think about popularity, you got the Cowboys, the Eagles, the Giants, and the Redskins.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

And they had some quarterbacks.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

Yeah. Until you know, and the Cardinals was in there for a minute. If you don't remember that. But yeah, so I never wanted to leave. And, you know, but people got to understand. Man, everything about business is about relationships. And Dan Snyder, who was the owner, he didn't draft me. He bought the team after I got drafted. That summer I got drafted, Charlie Casserley drafted me. He was a GM, he ran the team. And then all of a sudden, we got a new owner. So he lets Charlie Casserley go. He changes management across the board. I got a head coach trying to hang on to his job. So he did everything the owner wanted. Four years later, you know, after four Pro Bowls, he still didn't value me. So it was only inevitable that I was going to get traded. So I actually had the power to deny the trade because I was I was a free agent and they franchised me. But the franchise tag don't kick in until you sign it. So if I didn't like the trade, it wouldn't happen. But regardless, if I got traded, the other team had to agree to a contract that I wanted. And I told the Broncos what I wanted and they didn't blink. And I was like, here we go.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

So you got traded and you got a new contract.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Yeah. That's what it was about. It was about them. I was up for a new deal. I played my five years of my rookie contract. And then all of a sudden I'm up and they don't want to re-sign me. They kept lowballing me. And I'm like, they laughed at the deal I asked for, and the Broncos didn't. But champ, you got that bag, though. I got it. But that's why we played.

SPEAKER_01 23:21

That's why you played. You got that bag we did.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

I love the game, but man, got to get paid.

SPEAKER_01 23:24

Okay, so we go to the Broncos. Tell us about that experience. Now you've you've left the Redskins where you wanted to stay. You got that bag, got that check. Now you can really solidify legacy in your family. Right now you've gotten out of your rookie contract.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

Well, it was about winning.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

Like we were terrible in Washington. I wasn't gonna go there. We were not a good run football team. And it showed, it showed them wins and losses. We we made the playoffs my rookie year and never went back. Like, and and I almost feel like it was the owner's fault. So most people did. So you spent a lot of time in Cancun. Oh my God. Early. Early. Early, bro. Or we go to Hawaii because I like I make the Pro Bowl, but I wouldn't make the damn playoffs. There you go. So, you know, I get the uh Denver, and they had a reputation of having a great run game. They traded away Clinton Portis, which I didn't like because I'm such a running back guy. And I hated that he had to be traded, you know, for me to be there, but it was what it was. That running game kept rolling. We ended up in the playoffs the next two or three years. Mike Shanahan eventually got fired. And then, you know, we were back in the hunt again, you know, after a couple years of some down years. But that's what I always loved about Denver is no matter what, after bad seasons, they find a way to bounce right back because of the culture. I mean, the culture was great, winning culture, great owner. We actually went into the Hall of Fame together, me and Pat Bowling, who was the owner. And, you know, I mean, it's it's a surreal thing to think about how perfectly it worked out for me there.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

I watched your uh Hall of Fame speech and getting to know you again, like over these, you know, almost now 10 years, um, you're a very reserved guy. Yeah. You're private. But now you also, I get them early morning text messages from you. And, you know, you also ask your question, you're very candid. But in your speech, man, you really just kind of let it go.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

Um, but becoming a Hall of Famer, I mean, I always tell people, I got Champ Bailey on my phone, I got a Hall of Famer. But you always, it's a fair, stay humble. But at that moment, standing on that stage, putting that gold jacket on.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

Hey, man.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

I mean, was that was that was it all worth it? Like all them all them the mornings where you're sore in the contract negotiations, losing. I mean, did it all just come together at that moment and say, hey man, yeah, starting where I came from to be here with my family and they put it on this gold jacket. Like, what was that feeling like?

SPEAKER_00 25:48

You know, it it it it really it takes me back to those inspirations, right? Like, I needed inspirations for me to get there. Like, I needed my brother to show me I could go to college. I needed the other guy from my hometown, Henry McMillan. Although he got drafted seventh round, I just the fact that he got drafted, you know, a couple years before I did. So when I see that, I understand how powerful being an inspiration is. So I know I was that for a lot of kids that grew up like me. That's what was most important. But the feeling was when I did don that jacket, I look around and I see Darrell Green smiling, Bruce Smith, who was a teammate smiling, Deion Sanders, all of them, all these guys I played with and idolized, I'm now on their team forever. So you can't take that away from me. And it and that's what made it so special because forget all the nights I was, you know, stand up late worrying about my competition the next day or tough practices and injuries. Yeah, that that's that just comes with the territory. But that feeling of being on a team with these special humans. I mean, these dudes was special.

SPEAKER_01 27:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

And to be in a fraternity with them, I mean, it's priceless, bro.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

So now, champ, you uh retire from the league. Um, you obviously got to figure out what's next. One of the things that I know about you from talking to you is that you are a loving father, uh, a devoted husband, um, very close knit to your family. Um, we live in the same, you know, area of Atlanta. Um, and then you also do a lot of business. And you're an investor, uh, you're big on ph uh philanthropy, um, you get into cannabis business. So take our listeners and viewers through immediately after retiring from the league, um, what you were able to do by spending more time with your family, but also tell us a lot of the business ventures that you're involved in now.

SPEAKER_00 27:45

Okay, so when I retired, and I almost had to be, I wouldn't say forced to retire, but I had to people around me that knew me really had to talk to me to make sure I was ready to retire. Right? It's kind of hard to explain because in hindsight, I knew I was ready. I just didn't want to pull the trigger. You gotta think 28 years of playing football, it's hard to hang it up. It's hard to just move on and think about what's next. Now, I was under the mindset that I wouldn't do anything that was gonna demand too much of my time, my energy. I was just gonna raise my kids and sit back and do whatever. Well, that turned out not to be the case. I realized I'm just not built that way. And it was really a lot of self-exploration on who I was and what I really wanted to do. So the first thing we did, we moved back to Atlanta from Denver. And then I realized the power in my network because I was in Denver, but when you're in something or town like that for so long, you're just a Broncos player. People pat you on the back for those things, and that's great. But I realized how powerful my network was when I moved back here. Because the people that watched me those 15, 20 years before when I was in college, they still remember, and it carries a lot of weight in this state. And we all know how the dogs are beloved here in Georgia. So understanding that, that kind of I I tried some TV stuff, didn't really like it early on. Dabbled here and there, doing a little spot duty here. Now I'm back in the TV now, full-fledged. But before I really got back into it, people just started reaching out, you know, because then comes COVID, and as everything sat still, you know, it opened my eyes more. Like it, you know, so I'm I'm transitioning. Like I'm it's a long, drawn-out transition. But what I realized is there were companies that I could help. And one of the first calls I get on that level is this cannabis company, True Leave. You know, they reach out, they're trying to get a license in the state. I'm an advocate for it. I always have been. And for me, it was like, okay, how do I help? What is my role here? Then I I ended up becoming the chief diversity officer for True Leave. Well, nevertheless, they ended up getting the license. Fast forward a couple years later, we'll we're still at the Capitol fighting for uh bills to get passed, right? So they got a bill on the table now, Senate Bill 220, I believe, is gonna expand the product line. Now, I've been involved with this since they got the license. So this has been five, six years. And since they got the license, we realize we don't really have a business because you can't sell anything. It's not like Florida, who's full-fledged medical marijuana. Here in Georgia is full-fledged medical marijuana, but they don't have the products.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

It's not the vertical integration.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

Well, they have the vertical integration, they just don't have the products in the market.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Right? Yeah, it's still set up the same way. They gotta grow it, package it, sell it themselves. Like it's vertically integrated to the team.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

But you've been real vocal. I mean, I read an article recently. You, I mean, you're out here, and I've seen you at the Capitol.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Yeah. I'm always there.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

I want our people to understand, like, Champ Bailey is not just saying, Hey, I'm gonna help this company out, and I just want the bat the bill to pass. Champ, I've run into you at that Capitol three or four times, and you actually on the ropes talking to legislators, coming out of officers. Always, yeah. Always.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

But that's where those relationships and the network in Georgia helps me because when I walk in the room, it sort of changes the conversation. So, and it helps people listen a different way, right? Because I performed at a high level, but here I am supporting something that they've been against all these years. And, you know, I think uh around the country, minds have changed around what cannabis can be for us. But, you know, we still got work to do. But while I'm at the Capitol, I I start seeing and understanding like there's other companies that need help.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

Well, also in our research, we found out that you entertained the movie industry. And the movie. And so tell us about the movie.

SPEAKER_00 32:02

So Glenn Owen, who's a former basketball player at Georgia, uh, he was um didn't play a lot, but he was he was on the team, SEC champ, and everything. But uh he reaches out through my network and he puts his script in front of me because it was signing day at the time. We ended up changing the name to signing Tony Raymond. And it's about this coach going to try to sign this highly touted DN in South Alabama. So, of course, I got some unique insight growing up in the South and you know, dealing with recruiters coming to my house. So fast forward through that. I mean, we're now, we just released it on the streaming networks, Apple TV, Amazon, they have it now. We we released it early 2026 in theaters, and we quickly got it to streaming so everybody could see it where they sit. And we're off and running. Well, let's see how it does. I mean, we're still kind of waiting for the data to come back and tell us how we're doing, but it's a great movie, great family movie, and I think every it'll resonate with people. It's not just about football, it's about life and what really matters to these kids transitioning from high school to college.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

We're gonna have to definitely check that out.

SPEAKER_00 33:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

So another thing that you and I talk about a lot, man, is politics. Yeah. And so um now, let's let's just go ahead and you know, take it there. Right now in Georgia, a lot of things happen on the national level. You know, members of Congress resigning, you know, Trump spending a lot of time here. We got, you know, the city of Atlanta, all these different cities having these races, but we got a big governance race coming up.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

Um, and I know that um, you know, you're very um vocal about your political stance. As a matter of fact, the the one reel you and I did together was just a conversation sitting on your porch, and I've gotten the most views on my Instagram page. And I think that's that's because you got more Instagram followers way more than I do, and I think you just reposted it. But I wanted to just, you know, what are some of the things right now on your mind um when it comes to politics? And then two, you know, um, you know, I was gonna ask you is that you and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones uh went to Georgia together, played. I think he played one year with you. Um but he is definitely milking that relationship to tell everybody he knows he knows Shaq Bailey. But so so talk about uh, you know, what do you think going on politically that's um you're concerned about and also your relationship with Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones?

SPEAKER_00 34:19

Well, yeah, like you say, we played together, we stayed in touch all these years. And, you know, when he became a state senator, I I didn't really see him doing anything beyond that. I I mean I'm just dealing with it at the time. We didn't really talk in depth about his ambitions. But when he became Lieutenant Governor, then I saw it became a little more clear. And then, you know, he decides to put me on this committee. It's a workforce development committee. I did it for six months with uh some form some other state senators, and we ran around asking, you know, different groups about what were their challenges, you know, because one thing we pride ourselves on is being the state, the best state to do business, right? Right. They really pumped that up, you know, politically. And I think it's rang true because a lot of businesses have come here and they make it very, you know, a business-friendly environment. So I get it. And I can buy into that. And, you know, my role turned out to be, and you know, this takes me to another company I work with, Positive Athlete. You know, the state has got behind them because we recognize student athletes in the high school level, which in turn become potential workers, which is what we want to cater to and what we want to kind of bring up. We gotta feed into these young people. That's the only way we're gonna get the workforce that we got. Because, you know, with all these businesses coming, we realize there's a deficiency in talent. And, you know, I heard Trump say that too. And he wasn't lying, because there's a lot out there. Like there's there's a lot of opportunity out there, and we're just not built for it. Why? Because we don't invest in our trade schools like we should. We don't, we don't, we kind of put four-year colleges on this pedestal when that's not what it takes to get a good hard paying, uh, good, hard uh earning, uh, good earning job or something sustainable career doing some kind of trade, right? It just hasn't been promoted properly. So I'm a big advocate for that. So going back to Bert, like I I love him as a person. Now, I I told him to his face, like, I don't feel like he needs to bring Donald Trump into this state because to win this race. And the reason I tell him that is because I I feel like he he creates this false narrative about what's happened in the 2020 election, right? Like, I don't think what he says has happened really happened. Like, he thinks he he should have won. Like, dude, you're the president now. What what difference does it make? Like, why are we talking about that? And I feel like there's some other thing going on that we don't know about or don't know yet about. And for me, it just it just doesn't rub me the right way. And I just hope it doesn't backfire on him. You know, I want him to win or lose this race fair and square, not because of some alliance that doesn't benefit him, right? Like, I want him to stand on the politics and the things he believes in. And I don't, we don't agree on everything. And he knows where I stand on things, right? He's invited me to come shake hands with the president, and I just turn it down because I don't stand for what he stands for. So for me, it's kind of hard to draw that line, but he's still my friend. Like he's still somebody I've known for years, and somebody I'll call up when I need something, and he can knows he can call me, and I'll never not answer the phone. So just one of those relationships. I'm, you know, I'm I'm conscious of what it means, but he's my guy.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

So well, I I remember vividly you were at the Capitol, and you said, man, Bert wanted me to come over here. He wants me to stand up in the chamber. Yeah. And at that moment, I and I will co-sign. Yeah, you said, Hey, Burt, man, I ain't I'm not really on that today. And I'm only calling Bert, no, he's Lieutenant Governor while we're in session, but he's Burt. Um, but he also did put you out there on the girl's dad video. I thought that was pretty strategic.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Yeah, and I and it very. Because I'm very aware. Like I'm very aware, right? Like, I know that both sides of this thing. I know it, I know those things and how this could rub certain communities the wrong way because of how you set it up. But I made sure that whatever I said was clear. Like, I think we all want to protect our girls, right?

SPEAKER_01 38:27

So, did you get any backlash on that? Anyone? And I didn't call you about it. Matter of fact, the first time I brought it up, would you not say it?

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Well, it's funny you when you text me, I was like, uh, you know. You know, it's it's because I knew it was a slippery slope because of how it looks politically, but I just stood on the substance of what I said. And, you know, if you want to elaborate and get into a deeper conversation, then we could talk about how this rubs certain communities the wrong way and how it can be taken the wrong way, you know, because you don't want to be pro-girls and be anti-anything else. Right. So I want to make it clear that I I'm not about, you know, there's a lot of marginalized groups out there, and I'm I'm always gonna fight for them. So when it boils down to it, look, I'm not gonna jeopardize what I really stand for just to support a cause that I don't believe in.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

Uh, Champ, I'm just gonna ask you, how do you think NIL would have impacted your college career had it been in place in the in the late 90s? And then what do you think about it now and where and where it's going? And how did how does it affect the the whole student athlete experience?

SPEAKER_00 39:34

Well, to be honest, it would have been a distraction. And that's sort of what it is now. It's a distraction on what really matters. You know, do I think these athletes should be paid? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 39:45

Everything they're gonna do.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

Everything the problem, the problem is for me, is yes, we can say they're pros, but we have some of the most intelligent, competitive, you know, human beings at this stage in their life when they need the most support. We can't ignore that. So for me, it's it's really about giving them the opportunity to become whatever they want to be. Most of the people in college will not set a foot on a pro field or court or anything at the next level. Whatever that next level means to them, it's not gonna happen. So, how do we help them invest in their future with whatever we give them? Now, I saw the round table with all these different individuals, and I thought that was a waste of time because there was not a player rep at the table. Nobody representing the players on any level. We've already had a system where the players didn't have representation. That's what the NCAA is right now. And now we're gonna have another conversation without them in the room. What does that look like? So we gotta find a way to put a system in place where we don't talk about the money, but they're making the money and we're investing in their future. What does that look like? I don't know. Everybody should have a base salary. Everybody should have because if you're a five-star athlete and I'm a three-star athlete, you're gonna make more money if you go to Bama than I would. If we both went there, or Georgia or Tennessee, doesn't matter. You're gonna make more money. But what if I play and you don't? What if I what if I step on the field as a true freshman and I start playing? You making a million dollars, I'm making 200,000. How does that make any sense?

SPEAKER_01 41:31

That's a good point. So you so you deserve to get the money that that that I'm making.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

So so my point is these recruiters are going around recruiting these kids, they get commitments. They even promise them what they're gonna get. I'm gonna give you 200,000. Okay, Bama say they're gonna give you 300,000. And then Tennessee say they're gonna give you 400,000. Who you probably gonna go to? Who mama gonna tell you to go to? Well, them dolls gonna come on the top and give you 400,000. You from Oklahoma, who you think you gonna go to? That's true. That's a good point. Who you going to? You're going to the most money, right?

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 42:03

Well, let's say somebody come in at the at the 11th hour and say, Oh, we're gonna give you a million. What you gonna do? You don't know who the coach is. You don't know, you don't know nothing. Probably probably not a good spot for you. Yeah, yeah. But you're gonna take the money. So my point is take it out of the recruiting process and just recruit the talent. Recruit the talent, promise them what you could do for them as a man, as a student, as a player. Like, but get the money. The money's gonna be there. And then if you play 100%, 50%, 60% of the snaps, you get paid accordingly. And that's where you earn your money. It's all about what you do from a performance standpoint and not just showing up on campus. Because a lot of these families, I see it, they're negotiating deals out before the kids even set foot on campus, and they don't even know if it's the best place for them. And a lot of these kids are getting scholarship snatched from them. When they get a scholarship, oh no, well, yeah, well, we got this crop of kids coming in, you got to go in and jump in the portal. And they think kids are just jumping in the portal because they want to half the time. No, it's because it's who's kicking them out. Like, everybody's trying to get better. So if you don't have contracts or something that binds these schools to these kids and make them, you know, loyal in some way, or just hold them accountable for their development. How are we ever gonna raise the right people? Like, athletes are the most prepared people for life. Period. Like, you're prepared. Like, you know how to be a teammate, you know how to be a role player, you know how to, you know, go after one mission with a group of people. Like, those things matter in the real world. And if we don't lean on that, we're failing these people. We're failing these young people. And I got a 16 year old that's coming up, got a lot of offers, getting more. Balling, by the way, in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 43:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

And to me, it's like, well, we're not gonna fall for this. Like, we're gonna go where. I think he's gonna succeed. And it's plain and simple. I don't want all the noise. And I I'm I'm just glad I'm in a position where I can help quiet the noise because that's a lot of it.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

Well, you as a black father being in for your son, um, being able to help him guide through it, man, is it's so remarkable. And also thank you for keeping it real um with the NIL. Okay, so now we're gonna go into the segment where we call the final take. So I'm gonna ask you some questions and I just want you to respond.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

All right, number one, who was that dog? Who was that toughest wide receiver you ever uh defended in the NFL?

SPEAKER_00 44:32

Toughest.

SPEAKER_01 44:33

Uh I mean that dog champ. You know, you knew when that when that dude came out of the huddle.

SPEAKER_00 44:39

You know, I'm gonna go back to my early days, uh, Jimmy Smith. And see, you know, I think I never say he's one of the best, but he's one of those you forget about that was just a dog. Like he he helped baptize me in the league. Like he was a tough one. He was he was so tough, and but one of the nicest dudes. I mean, love him as a man. He just he's just a dog on the field.

SPEAKER_01 45:04

Best cornerback in the NFL right now.

SPEAKER_00 45:06

Pat Sertan. Hands down.

SPEAKER_01 45:09

Well, champ, man, thank you so much for coming on Theron's take. And again, personally, man, as a friend, as somebody who's, you know, we graduated high school the same year, looked up to you, man, followed your career. The fact that I can call you a friend, a neighbor, uh, and actually a mentor. Uh, and the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to come on this podcast, man, it means the world to me. So I really appreciate it, man.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

My pleasure, man. I appreciate you teaching me a lot, man. People don't know, man. You teach me a lot just by what you do and what you tell me. Like anytime I call you, you answer, you give me the best feedback.

SPEAKER_01 45:39

And I'm and I'm honest with you. And usually we've been pretty right on these things lately.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

Except Prize Picks. We miss Prize Picks. I give them a lot of credit, man. They they they pulled it out, and I'm happy for them.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

Well, thank you, Champ, man. And um, God bless you and your family, man, and everything that you're doing. We appreciate it. Thank you for watching and listening to Therrence Take. Please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. And wherever you get your podcast, please download Therrence Take. Share it with a friend and drop a rating.