WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Old Days 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:06.319 I get everybody. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:16.280 the Bengals Booth podcast. The Old Days, Good Times I remember. Addition, 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:20.320 as I catch up with four former Bengals, including three 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:23.319 who were chosen among the top fifty retired players in 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:27.520 team history when the Bengals celebrated their fiftieth season. But 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:29.960 we're not looking back. On this edition of the pod, 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:33.440 I'll talk to David Fulcher, Joe Walter, Jim Breach, and 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:38.479 John Jackson about the team's offseason moves and it's immediate future. 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:41.800 Before we get to those conversations, here's a quick reminder 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.400 that you can have the latest edition of this podcast 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:48.120 delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:52.240 wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:57.880 since Bob's. If you love Bengals memorabilia in general and 0:00:57.960 --> 0:01:02.200 bobbleheads in particular, courage you to check out Sincy Bobs. 0:01:02.560 --> 0:01:05.800 It's a new company started by Bengals fans Joshua Hoffman 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:09.880 and Hollis Strunk that makes incredibly detailed bobble heads, beginning 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:14.520 with Bengals greats Anthony Munio's and Ken Riley, and there 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:18.080 are more to come as part of their Bengals Legend set. 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:21.559 You can find the complete list on their Facebook page. 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:25.640 Ken Aderson and Tim Crumry are coming next with autograph 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:29.880 opportunities planned for September, so if you're interested, look for 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:34.480 Sincy Bobs on Facebook. There's also a website coming soon. 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.399 Another player who is part of the Legends Bobblehead set 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:41.840 is safety David Fulcher. I recently caught up with a 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:45.360 three time Pro bowler and discussed the contract status of 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:49.400 Jesse Bates and why David is happy that some people 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:53.760 consider last year's Super Bowl run a fluke. David, what 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:55.600 was your reaction to some of the moves the Bengals 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:58.960 have made in the offseason. Oh, unbelievable. I think finally, 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:02.960 as so many years of watching this franchise kind of 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.400 stay in the middle of the pack, I think some 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:10.480 of the free agent picks were well overdoing. I'm I'm 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:15.359 excited just to see Burrow play with somebody up front 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:17.320 that that can really protect him. Yeah, they had an 0:02:17.320 --> 0:02:20.240 obvious need and they went out and signed three free 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:24.760 agents to fix it. And that's surprising because we've been 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:27.280 around there for so long that those are the things 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:30.880 that u's couch quarterbacks have been waiting for, and all 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:34.480 of a sudden boom, the Bengals do exactly what we expected, 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:37.000 we wanted them to do, not expected wanted them to do, 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:40.480 and and once again, and they still got to play football. 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:42.639 But at least we addressed what we needed. And then 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:45.280 in the draft they went heavily on guys that played 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:49.880 your position, A couple of safeties and a cornerback. And 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:52.760 these guys are all very versatile. You are an extremely 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.519 versatile player. I imagine you'd like seeing that and the 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:57.679 guys they drafted. But that was great. I mean, I 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:01.680 think it's always good that you can put you know, 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:03.679 a safety over there at corner. You know, they put 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:05.600 five wides in there. They put big in there then, 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:07.400 you know, and these guys can come and play big 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:11.040 as well. Unfortunately, I hate to see Jesse Bates sit 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.240 around and not be part of this football team right now. 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.400 But I understand the business part of it and understand 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:18.920 what Jesse's trying to do. But it's really nice to 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:23.800 have choices. When you have choices, it gives you an 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:25.360 opportunity to do a whole lot of things. And I 0:03:25.360 --> 0:03:27.840 think this football team has put themselves in position to 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:30.480 make plays and maybe get back to the Super Bowl again. 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:35.480 They still have until July fifteenth to theoretically extend Jesse Bates. 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:38.960 I don't know where that stands. Obviously, Joe Burrows contract 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:41.040 is going to be coming up before too much longer. 0:03:41.320 --> 0:03:43.840 Can you afford to pay a Jesse Bates at the 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:45.280 top of the pay scale with some of the other 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:47.680 guys that are going to be coming due, Well, I 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:49.960 think that's what's happening right now. Just to sit back 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:53.440 and watch and see it. If these young guys pan 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:56.920 out to be just as good as Jesse, then you 0:03:56.960 --> 0:03:59.640 know you're you're gonna lose Jesse, and especially when you 0:03:59.720 --> 0:04:04.280 got you know, Burrow and Chase him that offensive the 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:06.480 football team that they got to try to keep them. So, 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:09.480 you know, it's it's unfortunate, man, that they're not in 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:13.160 nineteen eighties, you know, where the contracts aren't that big. 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.320 But it is what it is, and you know it's 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.120 a business because that's what Mike Brown told me when 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:20.200 I when I was released by the Bengals. He told 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:22.120 me it was a business. And I never looked at 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:23.880 it as a business because I just love playing the 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:26.200 game of football, and they paid me to hit people. 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.919 So I can understand now thirty years later that it 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:32.160 really is a business. And you know, you gotta take 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:35.960 what you got. And you know, if I'm Jesse, you know, 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:37.400 and I can give him some words with wisdom. I 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:39.720 know he wants that big contract, but if you love 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:42.800 playing a game of football, fourteen million ain't bad. It 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.840 ain't bad at all, man, It ain't bad under any circumstances. 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:48.400 Von Bell is not as big as you were when 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:50.159 you played. But do you see a little bit of 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:53.560 yourself and him in terms of his demeanor, his his 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:56.680 willingness to hit, etc. Yeah, I think, you know. I 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:58.960 try to tell people, Hey, I always asking about von 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.240 Bell and he's not as big as you are. David 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:02.680 doesn't weigh as much as did, but he but he 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:06.000 makes plays. And you know, if you got the heart 0:05:06.040 --> 0:05:08.520 to play this game, you don't have to be six four, 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:11.640 you know, and you gotta be two forty. You just 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.200 gotta make sure you make plays. And the guy makes 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:18.000 plays and people respect him back there and receivers see 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:20.599 him back there, come across the middle and you know 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:23.359 he's not wearing thirty three, but he you know he 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:25.640 could hit like thirty three. So yeah, I respect him 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:27.479 and and I wish him well and I hope that 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.719 it continues more success. There's a bit of a national 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:33.920 narrative out there that the Bengals were something of a fluke. 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.880 Maybe that's not the word that some people are using, 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.720 but you know what I mean. Does that annoy you 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:42.240 with that impression that seems to be out there in 0:05:42.240 --> 0:05:44.599 other parts of the country. You know, I like that. Man, 0:05:44.839 --> 0:05:46.680 you keep calling me a fluke all you want. If 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:48.839 we keep winning and we keep getting to the super Bowl, 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:51.159 you're gonna have to one day say it's not a fluke. 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:55.719 And and and I don't think anybody a true Bengal fan, 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:58.800 even a player. I was only concerned about winning one 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:01.400 playoff game when they beat the Raiders. I was happy. 0:06:01.760 --> 0:06:03.760 If they would have lost the next week, I would 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:05.080 have been like, you know what, we thought only won 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:06.880 the playoff game. But then all of a sudden, it 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:09.000 got to the point where they started winning and winning 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:11.520 and winning. And you know, a player two away from 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:13.680 winning the super Bowl, you know, you don't get to 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:15.240 the super Bowl because as a flop. You get the 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:17.760 Super Bowl, Man, because you've done something good to get there, 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:20.919 and this football team's got it. Great to see. Appreciate 0:06:20.960 --> 0:06:24.080 the time this sir man thick here. This week, David 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:27.680 hosted his sixth annual put for Penguins celebrity golf outing 0:06:28.000 --> 0:06:32.080 to benefit the Wave Foundation. That's an organization that partners 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:35.480 with a Newport aquarium to educate the community about aquatic 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:40.679 life and the importance of conservation. Updext another all time 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:44.520 Bengals great offensive lineman Joe Walter, the right tackle for 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:48.200 the nineteen eighty eight AFC champs, who unfortunately had to 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:51.440 miss the Super Bowl that year after tearing his ACL 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:56.200 in the regular season finale. Everybody knew the Bengals needed 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:58.400 to improve the offensive line. They went out and signed 0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:01.159 three guys. What was your action? You know, I gotta 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.600 tell you that I was really excited. Those are three 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:09.400 stout guys, veteran guys, leaders. It's exactly what they needed 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:12.360 for this offensive line to help this young guys grow 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:16.560 and figure it out. These are some players. Leyall Collins, 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:19.840 the new right tackle, came from Dallas, has the reputation 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:21.920 of just being a Maller. Sounds a little bit like 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:25.040 a modern day Joe Walter. To me, Yeah, your reaction 0:07:25.120 --> 0:07:28.400 to him specifically playing your old spot. You know what, 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:30.800 I'm excited about this guy. Watched him play when he 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:33.480 was a Dallas and he is a maller and you know, 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:35.400 just the way he came in. I've got your bag, 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:37.520 Joe Burrow, Nobody's gonna touch it. You know, that was 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:41.000 just big. I'm excited about him. I really am. As 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:43.960 an old lineman. How difficult was it to watch the 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:47.240 Super Bowl? It was very hard to watch. It was 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:50.360 very hard to watch just you know that far into 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.520 the season, a lot of technique problems and issues and 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:57.239 footwork issues. It was just, you know, you just scratch 0:07:57.280 --> 0:07:59.600 your head at some of the stuff that they were doing. Like, 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:02.680 you know, football is an easy game. If you just 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:05.360 go by the rules, you're gonna be okay. And it 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:07.600 was like they weren't even going by their rules and 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:11.120 it it was crazy, But you know, we got there 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:13.840 and we'll get there again. Rules as in how to 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:17.440 handle twists, how to handle stunts, offensive line rules, rules 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:20.560 on how to handle a twist, your footwork rules, your 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:24.120 blocking rules. You know, if there's a twist, where are 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:26.920 you supposed to be? There's all kinds, right it's it's 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:29.679 an easy game once you figured it out. These guys 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.720 obviously haven't figured it out yet, and hopefully this veteran 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:35.400 leadership will help them. We're chatting with Joe Walter. What 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:39.920 was your reaction to seeing Joe Burrow's demeanor as he 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.679 got hit. Never complains about the old line, never has that, 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.280 you know, whiney face after a sack. What did that 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:50.560 represent to you? Well, that's a true leader. And you know, 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:52.440 we don't know what he was saying in the huddle, 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:54.280 We don't know what he was saying in the locker room. 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:56.400 I'm sure there was some butt chewing's going on, but 0:08:57.320 --> 0:09:00.880 as far as not showing it publicly, it was really good. 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:03.360 And that means a lot to alignment. Right when they 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.120 know that the quarterbacks got your back. You know, he 0:09:06.200 --> 0:09:09.400 made choo your tail inside, but outside, nobody's gonna know. 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.439 How excited are you for this season? You know, I'm 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:15.800 pretty excited about it. You know, it's all about health. 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.320 They've got to stay healthy, and you know they were 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:21.200 one of the healthier teams last year, hence the reason 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:23.640 they got to where they were gone, plus some big plays. 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.960 But this is a fun, exciting team. To watch. You know, 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.760 just if you can give pearl. You know, you think 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:31.640 of the last play of the Super Bowl. If he'd 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:33.760 just had one more second and gotten the ball off, 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:36.839 there was a possible opportunity to win the Dad Gume thing, right. 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.559 So I just think that with this group of guys, 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:44.079 the leadership that they brought in, they're keeping the talent around. 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:48.120 I'm excited about it. Again, it's all about staying healthy. Oh, 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.440 he's great to visit. Appreciate your time, Big Dan. Thank 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.600 you very much. Good seeing your brother. Jill also recently 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:57.720 hosted a golf outing to benefit Ohio Valley Goodwill. It's 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:00.720 the twenty first year he's been the celebrity host, and 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:04.079 he's also served on the board of directors. The Bengals 0:10:04.080 --> 0:10:07.280 Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:11.360 play fantasy football game. This past season, Ultimate Bengals awarded 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:14.000 a weekly winner during the course of the year with tickets, 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:18.440 autograph merchandise, and money can't buy experiences all up for grabs. 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:22.760 Find Ultimate Bengals in the App Store and Google Play. 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:26.880 It's hard to imagine any kicker in NFL history having 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:30.920 a better rookie year than Evan McPherson. He booted five 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:35.760 walkoff game winners, including two in the playoffs, kicked nine 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:38.720 field goals of fifty or more yards that's the most 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:41.800 in a Bengal's career, let alone a season, and drilled 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:45.800 a team record fifty eight yarder. Who better to discuss 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:48.880 that with than the team's all time leading scorer and 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:52.360 the kicker on their two previous Super Bowl teams, Jim Breach. 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.640 All right, Jim, I'm sure you had high expectations for 0:10:56.679 --> 0:11:00.320 Evan McPherson. But did he exceed them? I think pretty 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:04.480 apparent he exceeded everybody's expectations except maybe his own. Uh. 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:07.200 And it was just amazing what he did last year. 0:11:07.200 --> 0:11:10.160 And you know, you hope there's no complacency there, and 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:11.880 you know you do it once, you got to do 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:13.560 it to come back and do it again, so to 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:17.679 prepare well mentally. But he's he was phenomenal. I mean, 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:22.800 I really think that he's justin Tucker like maybe because 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:25.760 of his youth. He's still a hair short if he 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:29.600 can put ten years like that together. But you know, 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:32.120 they that was a great pick he got. They got 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:34.000 ripped for picking him in the fifth round and Now, 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:35.839 I was like, I think, you know, if we took 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:37.360 him in the second rounds, there would have been a 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:40.040 good pick. Now with what he accomplished, Yeah, I think 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:43.640 he eliminated the saying don't draft a kicker, right, Yeah, 0:11:43.640 --> 0:11:46.800 And even when I think it was Cleveland took a 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:49.360 kicker in fourth or fifth round. And I see their 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:52.679 raving about this guy. You know, when you're when he 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.960 got points involved, it's a huge thing. You know, it's 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:58.480 it's it's part of your offense. And if they can 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:01.280 really impact your offense, and why wouldn't you, you know, 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:04.600 why why worry about all the analytics part of it? 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:07.559 How does he impact your team? And he makes a 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:09.920 huge difference to the Bengals. And I was telling to 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:11.880 Zach Taylor recently about that, and he said, you know, 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:15.200 it allows us to think differently on our play calling 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:17.400 when we know once we get over the fifty, we've 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:21.280 got a chance. You famously were money in the clutch. 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:25.120 Do you see anything in his demeanor that helps explain 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.280 why he was so adept at coming through in those 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:32.120 pressure pack situations. I think it's hard to really see 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.719 some of these demeanors. There are times when the guy 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:40.400 who seems real fidgety, but there's definitely a confidence in 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:47.160 his case. And it's just it's one of those things 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:50.480 you know, you get into good routine, you understand how 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.120 to deal with it, and you really have to want it. 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:55.719 You have to enjoy it, because I always thought it 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:57.920 was kind of the coolest thing. You kind of put 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:01.760 yourself out there. Can I do this when it matters most? 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:04.520 And to me, that was the most fun and I 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.200 would say that he probably feels the same way. But 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:09.199 it's also the greatest way you can help your team 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.440 as a kicker, because obviously we're only on the field 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:13.200 for a couple of minutes a game, so if we 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:15.679 can impact it positively, because these guys are out there 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:17.959 busting their heads and at least we can help him 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:20.640 out right, He kicked a walk off game winner in 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:24.040 his NFL debut. Do you think that propelled him going forward? 0:13:24.440 --> 0:13:26.959 It certainly didn't hurt. I was huge, and what a 0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:29.840 great comeback against and then the fumble they got to 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:31.319 be able to go down and kick the field goal. 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:35.280 So everything he did, I mean, there's nothing you can 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:37.520 really think about that he didn't handle well, you know, 0:13:37.760 --> 0:13:39.760 the game against Green Bay, whatever, was so windy, and 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:43.120 he and Gus we were both struggling. He bounced right 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:44.800 back from it. I don't know if he missed another 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:46.560 kick or maybe one kick the rest of the year. 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:51.720 So everything he did, he showed he's got just great perseverance, 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.920 but great confidence and great talent. Did you WinCE when 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:59.440 he prematurely celebrated in the Green Bay game, thinking that 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:01.679 he had kicked the game winner, only to see it 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:05.800 get blown to the left? I get it. I mean, 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:07.880 when you kick it, you have a pretty good handle 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:10.320 on it, and you know, and then you're watching it fly, 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:12.800 and you know, in that case, it probably wasn't moving 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:14.439 a lot, and he's thinking, hey, it looks really good 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:17.040 and then boom it moves. So yeah, I did I 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.520 feel bad for him because it looked like the game 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:21.480 was over and then all of a sudden, how that happened. 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.120 It was unfortunate. But again, when the wind comes into play, 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:27.080 you really don't know. You got to make sure it's 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:31.040 done before you know. That's one where I wish they 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:33.000 had made more of an effort to get the ball closer, 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:35.480 because it was so windy and all, and both guys 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:39.240 were really struggling, so when Kevin Huber resigned, I was 0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:43.080 speaking at a Bengals related speaking engagement, and I joked, well, 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:45.720 the Bengals have resigned their holder because now that they've 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:47.640 got a better offensive line, they don't plan to punt 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:51.480 this year anyway. But in all seriousness, Kevin Huber says 0:14:51.560 --> 0:14:55.760 his job now is sixty percent holding, forty percent hunting. 0:14:56.040 --> 0:15:00.760 How valuable is Kevin Huber as a holder? The holder 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:04.120 is unbelievably valuable to the kicker if you have If 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:07.480 you don't have a good holder, it is one. It's 0:15:07.480 --> 0:15:09.840 a struggle because you don't know exactly when the ball 0:15:09.920 --> 0:15:11.560 is going to be there. If he doesn't have quick hands, 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.480 if he blocks the ball with his hand, if he 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:18.480 can't get it down quick quickly is big because you 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:20.400 know it's such it's only like one point two seconds, 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:22.080 so you want to be able to see the ball. 0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:24.400 If it's slow getting down, you're kicking just as it's 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:28.360 getting there. It is a huge, huge part of the 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:31.720 kicker's confidence and and and good snaps to make a 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:35.720 big difference. So they're really in great shape there. The 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:39.160 holder is a mate, so I get that because because 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.400 he's such a you know Evans is such a weapon 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:43.920 that I can see with what he's saying, and he 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:45.720 might be right. He might not be punning a lot 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:49.800 this year, which was offense. Yeah, last thing. As one 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:52.200 of the guys who played in the two previous Super Bowls, 0:15:52.200 --> 0:15:54.240 what did last year's Super Bowl run mean to you? 0:15:55.920 --> 0:16:00.240 It was so unexpected and it was so fun the 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:04.440 way the city responded. I've always said, I just wish 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:07.280 these guys, the current guys, it could find out what 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:10.280 the city feels like when your team is just killing 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.160 it and they start killing there towards the end and 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:16.120 the city just went nuts, and it was so much 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:18.480 fun to see the life in the city and how 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.240 it came to be everywhere if you think about Bengal 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.640 fans were all over the country because I mean, it 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:25.560 came out of nowhere. And this guy, whether you know, 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.480 a messed up knee and he's playing that next year 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:31.400 and boom they make it to the super Bowl. Really 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:34.920 within you know, a fraction of winning the Super Bowl. 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:38.800 And that's the biggest thing we've struggled. We can't see 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:41.120 him to get We play them all close, and we 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:43.360 can't see him to close it out. So we got 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:45.440 to figure out how to close it out. Every Super 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:47.640 Bowl has been getting closer. It's gone from five points 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:51.160 to four points to three points, so it's getting closer. Yeah, 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:56.360 and and the last two we were ahead. And that's 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:59.200 the thing. I mean, we've got to be the team 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:01.400 that steps up like they did in the playoffs where 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:02.840 they come up with the big players. We gotta be 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.760 that team that stops that drive. It doesn't allow that 0:17:05.840 --> 0:17:09.240 to have the chance to score and come away with 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:12.840 the winner. So they're getting closer, and I just hope 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:14.400 they have another opportunity. I hope they have a few 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:17.560 opportunities in his next few years. Me too. Always great 0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:21.280 to catch up. Thank you, thanks for being Irdan. Jan's 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:25.000 among the fifteen nominees on this year's Ring of Honor ballot. 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:28.479 My final guest this week is an offensive lineman who 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:31.960 spent most of his fourteen year NFL career in Pittsburgh 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:36.240 before ending it with his hometown Bengals, Woodward High School 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:41.040 grad John Jackson. It's no secret the Bengals needed to 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:43.280 improve the offensive line in the off season. They went 0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:46.359 out and signed three veterans. What was your reaction. I 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:49.159 was happy, because you need to really take care of 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.840 the guys in the backfield, and especially that quarterback. He's 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:56.480 young and upcoming, and I think he's almos gonna be 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:59.560 as good as his offensive long So we'll see this year. 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:01.440 I mean gonna have a tough schedule. Anytime you go 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:03.760 to the Super Bowl, you get the best of the best. 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:07.239 It is loaded, no doubt about that. Now, there were 0:18:07.280 --> 0:18:09.720 some free agents out there that were at the top 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:12.320 of the pay scale, and had you signed one of 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:15.160 those guys, you might have only been able to get one. Instead, 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:17.240 they were able to get three veterans with good track 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:20.520 records at a relatively reasonable price. Do you like that 0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:24.280 strategy as opposed to signing Trent Williams or Brandon Shure. 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:26.320 If somebody like that, well, I think you've got to 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:28.240 look at this, squay. I mean, whatever it fits in 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:31.200 that locker room and the culture. You don't want to 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:34.760 disrupt that culture having a hot price guy going there. 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:39.320 It might have rubb a couple people wrong. So I 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:42.120 think they did it the right way. You know, three 0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:46.240 is better than one any day. That's a very accurate math. 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:50.720 Did you WinCE as you watched the playoff win over 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:53.520 Tennessee when Joe got sacked eight times, or the Super 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:56.720 Bowl when he got sacked six times? Was that difficult 0:18:56.800 --> 0:18:59.960 as a former O lineman to watch. It's always hard 0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:02.520 to watch those quarterbacks go down because you know offensive 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:05.840 line take pride and you know what they do and 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:07.520 it's just one of those things that you know you're 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:10.760 gonna learn from it. But that's one of those things 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:14.080 you don't want to be a recurrent thing. So hopefully 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:16.679 they can get that thing fixed this offseason and have 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:19.080 a great season. Um. I know the fans and Cincinna 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:22.600 are excited. It's about time. The schedule is brutal, as 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:26.080 you alluded to, but the roster is better. What do 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:28.640 you think of their prospects for this year? I think 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:30.800 they got a great chance. I mean it all boils 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:34.960 down to stand healthy and when somebody does go down, 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:37.560 do you have that quality backup to go in there 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:40.680 and play up to that level. So I think they're 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:43.880 close to getting that done, but only time will tell. 0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:48.880 What impresses you most about Burrow He's just cold blooded. 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:52.480 I mean he's got ice in his veins. You give 0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:54.840 him some time and he'll put it in the right spot. 0:19:56.040 --> 0:19:59.840 For a quarterback to be hit that many times, that's 0:20:00.000 --> 0:20:03.320 that's that's pretty impressive. What did the team's success mean 0:20:03.359 --> 0:20:06.119 to you last year? I was just proud of him, 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:10.520 especially being from Cincinnati, but you know, I played with 0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:12.760 three different teams and I had a chance to come 0:20:12.800 --> 0:20:15.080 here and play and it was just it was just 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.080 fun to watch them. So I'm excited about this season 0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:20.480 and we'll see what goes on. Great to see you, 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:23.639 appreciate the time. Good seeing you. That's going to do 0:20:23.680 --> 0:20:26.280 it for this episode of The Bengals Booth Podcast, presented 0:20:26.320 --> 0:20:30.119 by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead of the twenty 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:33.520 twenty two season. It's free to play next level fantasy 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:37.919 football with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get it now on the 0:20:37.960 --> 0:20:40.600