Georgia legend Champ Bailey on Kirby Smart: 'He was built for this'
Georgia is currently consuming the rarified air that its fans have always wanted it to breathe. The Bulldogs are defending National Champions and it appears as if they are trying to make a run as top-ranked team in both major polls. Kirby Smart has a ton to do with that.
Now in his seventh-season as the leader of UGA’s program, Smart has his alma mater looking like a well-oiled machine. One of his former teammates, Champ Bailey, has taken notice and in looking back on the times they shared the field, he can see why Kirby Smart is so successful in this role.
“He was a pain in my neck, to be honest,” Bailey said on ESPN’s “Out of Pocket.” “He was two years older than me, so you can imagine how he treated me. So I’m the young guy trying to figure it out but he was on me all the time about the calls, about how to get lined up, what’s coming, what’s not. He was that guy.
“Now did I know he’d be a head coach some day? Not necessarily. I just knew he knew a lot and that he was smart. But in hindsight I’m like dang, he was built for this. This is who he is. He got to learn up under one of the best college coaches of all time in Nick Saban, so he has been groomed for this for a long time. There’s no guy more deserving of this job. He’s a Georgia great. He’s a great guy and now he’s looking like a great football coach.”
Bailey knows a thing or two about what good football looks like. He’s a member of the Pro and College Football Hall of Fames. He holds the NFL record for number of pass breakups with 203 and was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection. Bailey was also a first-team All-Pro in his NFL Career.
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Kirby Smart and Bailey played together for three years at Georgia. They left at the same time with Bailey exiting after his junior season in 1998 and Kirby Smart exhausting his eligibility after that same season. Bailey was taken No. 7 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft by Washington while Kirby Smart went undrafted and signed with Indianapolis.
Both made an incredibly impact on the Georgia program as players but in their own way. Bailey was the undeniable talent who played cornerback, safety, and wide receiver in addition to returning kicks and punts. Kirby Smart, who has repeatedly turned to self deprecation when asked about his playing days, was the ball-hawking safety who helped quarterback the defense, finishing his career with 13 interceptions.
Kirby Smart has led his team to 18 straight regular-season wins over the past three seasons. He has also had his team appear in four SEC Championship games, two Sugar Bowls, a Rose Bowl, an Orange Bowl, and a Peach Bowl while reaching the College Football Playoff twice.
