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The days of the shutdown cornerback are long-gone according to many people who report on the National Football League. There were days, back in the 80s, when cornerbacks could shut down a side of the field completely so that quarterbacks rarely threw the ball to that side. The benefit of these players was that they could concentrate their efforts on the best receiver for the opposing team. It forced the team to spread out and pass to other receivers, which was a serious problem for teams with little depth at the receiver position.

Today, however, the rules of the game have changed, and they favor offensive players. Cornerbacks now must give the receivers more room. Pass interference calls are increasing, and corners have become obsolete in many ways. Still, Champ Bailey, who plays for the Denver Broncos, has shown over the past season that he is the old-fashioned shutdown cornerback. He causes teams to change their offensive scheme to fit around his playing ability. Bailey claimed recently that he is such a good corner because instead of reading his receiver and following his movements the way other corners play, he reads the quarterback. Having played offensive extensively during his time at the University of Georgia, Bailey can read the movements a quarterback is making better than most cornerbacks can. That makes him a dangerous defensive weapon for the Broncos.

Bailey showed his skills during the Broncos recent playoff run. Although they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos made a run for the playoffs in which Bailey was an important player. His last-minute interception against the New England Patriots helped the Broncos secure their victory.

Still, Bailey is a bit of an enigma to most NFL fans. A quiet player, he does not have the brash demeanor that leads fans to know about many players, such as Bengals receiver Chad Johnson. Bailey does not have endorsement deals with shoe companies, car companies, or breakfast cereals. He simply goes to work, does his best, and goes home.

Bailey started his football career in Folkston, Georgia, a small town known primarily for producing Bailey and his younger brother, Boss, who plays for the Detroit Lions, and the Okefenokee Swamp that covers much of the county. Bailey was a stand-out player and student in high school where he was a popular figure in his early teens.

When Bailey went to play at the University of Georgia, it was not without fanfare. He was hailed as the next great player at Georgia, a school that was at the time much in need of great players. He was compared to past Georgia legends before he even set foot on campus. Bailey was called a triple threat in college because he played offense, defense, and special teams. He regularly racked up games in which he played more than 100 plays.

Still Bailey was playing during grim times at Georgia. The Jim Donnan years started with much promise, as Georgia faithful believed that Donnan could bring glory back to the team, but Donnan proved to be an uninspiring coach. Fans did not like him, and he permitted players to run roughshod over the rules. His coaching tenure was marked by victories here and there but nothing substantial.

Still Bailey was one of the bright spots on the team, which never hurt for talent, even in those rough years. Bailey was highly touted as a Heisman candidate but lost out largely because of Charles Woodson. The Heisman voters courted fans by giving Woodson the Heisman the year before. Woodson, whose professional career has been mediocre, did not deserve the Heisman in retrospect, but it shut out truly great defensive players for years to come. Bailey was one of those players.

Still the Washington Redskins drafted him with the number seven pick of the 1999 draft, and Bailey played there for five years before being traded to the Broncos. His first season in Denver was a little shaky, but his most recent season was his best professional year yet. Bailey showed fans why there are still shutdown corners and why he is among the best of them. And Denver fans hope he is showing others why for quite a few more seasons.

By Julia Mercer