Champ Bailey wanted Malcolm Smith to win Super Bowl MVP

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Super Bowl MVP Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (53) celebrates with the Lombardi Trophy after beating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks played one of their most well-rounded games of the season in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Their defense was dominate, the special teams was excellent and the offense was efficient. The all-around good effort made it difficult at first to determine who the MVP of the game might be for Seattle.

But at least one player on the Broncos knew right away who the MVP should be, and he was right.

Champ Bailey was mic’d up during the Super Bowl and was heard talking about who the potential MVP might be while on the sideline towards the end of the 4th quarter.

“I told 53 (Smith) he better be the MVP, but then you know they gonna give it to Russell Wilson,” Bailey said to fellow corner back Tony Carter.

If Wilson had won the MVP award, he would have been the fifth-straight quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP. Instead, Smith won it and became the first defensive player in 12 years to win the award.

Bailey knew Smith deserved the honor.

“This dude’s got a fumble recovery, pick-six, [and] he probably got about eight tackles,” he continued to Carter.

Smith actually ended up with ten tackles, but his interception returned for a TD and his fumble recovery were both clutch momentum-shifters and game-changers in favor of the Seahawks.

“I just want to see a defensive guy get it,” Bailey finished. “The way they played, [expletive].”

Bailey, a 15-year veteran with more than 900 career tackles, was playing in his first career Super Bowl. He had four tackles in the game.

Smith is just the third linebacker in Super Bowl history to win the Super Bowl MVP award.