Super Bowl XLVIII: Champ Bailey transcript from January 26th

CORNERBACK CHAMP BAILEY

(on the coldest game he's played in) "Two years ago in New England, [our] playoff game. Probably the coldest game I've played in. I've played in some bad snow before, but that probably was the coldest game I've played. I want to say two or three degrees, wind chill below zero - it was pretty cold.

(on if he had any special preparation for that game) "Not really. I think once you're out there, you just deal with it. It is what it is. Everybody has to deal with it. Suck it up for three hours and make it happen."

(on not ever attending the Super Bowl as a fan) "I didn't see any reason to go. I'm not going to cheer for anybody and if I have no special interests in the game, other than being a fan watching it at home, why go? That's the way I've always been."

(on getting to the Super Bowl after 15 seasons in the NFL) "It has been a long road, but I'm just taking it in stride. I'm not trying to hype it up more than it should be. It's still football. You've got to go out there and perform and you've got to prepare just like we always do. Just trying to let everything stay its course and not trying to get over-hyped about it."

(on John Fox) "He's a great leader. I think it really showed more when he wasn't there. Guys understood that we've still got a job to do. He preached, even from his hospital bed, how much we needed to just hone in on what's in front of us and make sure we take care of business. Definitely don't leave any stone unturned."

(on when the reality of being in the Super Bowl sank in) "I think once you start packing and you walk out of the house with your suitcase, that's when you realize what's in front of you. It's a good feeling and like I said, I'm not going to get too hyped about it. I'm just ready to get down to work and prepare and do the things I need to do to make sure we win this game."

(on if Denver's defense feels like they have something to prove) "It is what it is. [Seattle] played great all year, so they're number one in the league [in defense]. Our offense did the same. I think the last few weeks we've become a better defense. That's all we can focus on, what we have to do, not statistics or you going to the playoffs. We've just got to go forward and try to get better than what we were last week."

(on what he has learned from older former teammates) "Just learning how to do things when you're this age, how to take care of yourself - Brian Dawkins included. I saw a lot from him. I was more mature at the time I got to watch him go though his older years - John Lynch as well. I was taken in a little more about the things I need to do: how to train, not to kill yourself [physically], being smart about everything that you do. Just making sure you're doing the recovery work and things like that."

(on Richard Sherman) "He's a great corner, don't get me wrong. I think most of you guys notice that now because you hear about how much he talks. That's the way he is. I enjoy guys with some personality. That's him. I have no bad words to say about him. He's a good player."

(on if Sherman's talking leads to him being more noticed when he gets beaten in coverage) "I guarantee you he'll say he'll never get beat again, but we all are going to get beat at some point, as long as we strap them up. I think the nature of the position exposes you anyway, so it doesn't matter if you're talking or not."

(on how the team recovered from its playoff loss to Baltimore last season) "There was definitely a different sense of urgency going in to OTAs and starting offseason training. You could tell that everybody was a little more focused than the year before. That's really what you want going in to workouts. You want everybody on the same page from day one. Here's our finished product: we're in the Super Bowl, just because guys really honed in on what they had to do."

(on his experience so far) "This is probably the worst part - sitting here answering these questions I'm going to have to answer all week. But I'm going to enjoy it as much as possible and just get ready to play this big game."

(on recovering from his foot injury) "I never thought there'd be a moment where I didn't get back. I knew I would heal and get back, I didn't know when. It definitely took a lot longer than I expected. It worked out even better than I thought. I don't think any guy on any roster is 100 percent, but my foot feels good enough to play, and I'm ready to go."

(on retiring after a Super Bowl win) "I'm not really thinking about retiring if I win. All I'm thinking about is winning and doing what I've got to do to win the game. That's my preparation this week. After the game, we'll talk about that."

(on playing in cold weather) "I don't mind. I'm used to Super Bowls being in better weather cities, but I don't really care. When it's time to play, it's time to play."

(on Peyton Manning's legacy) "I can tell you Peyton's not worried about his legacy right now. I know I hear a lot about his legacy and what this game is going to mean. I think it will mean something to everybody's legacy, but that's not where our focus is. If it helps or hurts, who cares right now? We're just worried about winning."

(on Manning's preparation) "He knows we've got a lot of work to do. One thing about Peyton is, he's always the same. He works hard every day just like it's the big game the following week. I don't see any difference because he's always like this. He's always sharp, always detailed, so I didn't expect anything different."