Champ Bailey | Sport as a Platform for Growth

You don’t have to love the weight room, but you can’t last without it. Champ Bailey, a National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer, admits he never enjoyed lifting, but says respecting the work gave him the edge to sustain 15 seasons at the highest level. Hear how his preparation evolved from traditional lifts to readiness routines — core, mobility, warm-ups, and recovery — that kept him fresh through the NFL grind. Bailey emphasizes that strength and conditioning coaches are undervalued leaders who “see you at all levels,” guide comebacks, and build buy-in with simple numbers. He recalls how a failed conditioning test led to one of his best seasons, and how weight room leadership left no cracks to ensure buy-in from everyone. Bailey continues his impact through the Positive Athlete initiative, using sport as a platform for growth. Gain practical ways to tailor training by role, earn athlete respect, and build a winning culture.

Connect with Champ via email at: ChampBailey@positiveathlete.org | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs  

Answer the call to give back and lead the profession. Applications for the NSCA and NSCA Foundation Boards of Directors are now open, with more volunteer positions available October 1. See if you qualify and apply at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Show Notes

“I'm a firm believer in the best way to lead is by example. And it doesn't mean just performing on the field. It's how you conduct yourself in meetings. And you don't ever have to be vocal. You let your actions speak for you.” 20:10

“But Positive Athlete is a platform-- it's a recognition platform. So what we do is we recognize student athletes 9th through 12th grade for really just being positive individuals. So it could be somebody who's overcome a terrible injury, just great in the community, great student, good teammate, always on time, always showing up, accountable, all the things that sports sort of teaches us without us even thinking about it.” 26:05

“You've got to think how we value sports and the scrutiny. If every company was run the way you run a sports organization, and the detail, and the evaluation, and the team-oriented environment, and everybody knowing the mission, and staying on task, understanding your role, that's what a team looks like.” 32:30