WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Vacation 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.359 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:12.800 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Vacation all I ever wanted addition, 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:15.960 as I take a pre training camp break this week 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:20.200 but still bring you some Bengals podcast content. Instead of 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:23.400 the usual offseason topics like free agency in the draft, 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:28.320 this is a best of edition. More specifically, it features 0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:32.120 my five favorite fun facts interviews from this past year 0:00:32.440 --> 0:00:37.360 with Chitabeya woo Jey, Mike Hilton, Evan McPherson, Frank Pollock, 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:42.080 and Mike Brown. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:45.880 Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead of the twenty twenty 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:49.280 two season. It's free to play next level fantasy football 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:53.480 with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get it now on the App 0:00:53.520 --> 0:00:56.720 Store and Google Play. And here's a quick reminder that 0:00:56.800 --> 0:00:59.560 you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:03.560 right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:08.560 you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since preseason 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:13.319 football magazines. I love magazines and find it sad that 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:18.560 so much of that content is now only available online. Thankfully, 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:22.520 you can still get thick preseason guides for NFL and 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:25.360 college football, and I always buy a couple of each. 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:31.040 So here's to you Lyndy's Athlon, etc. As long as 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:35.600 you're still publishing, I'm buying Now. Time for the first 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:38.319 of my favorite fun facts interviews from this past season, 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:43.199 where you get to know the person under the pads. 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.800 Time for some fun facts with Bengals cornerback chitabey A Woogie. 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:49.560 I read that when you were a kid, you were 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.120 so rough and tough that you weren't allowed to play 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:57.120 certain things with other kids. Was that true and what happened? Yes? True. 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:00.360 I think it wasn't really a rule up by a 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:02.800 school or by a teacher or a parent. It was 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:04.720 kind of you know, the kids that I was playing 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:06.320 with didn't want me to play with them because I 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.400 was everything. Home i played, someone was getting hurt or 0:02:09.680 --> 0:02:13.200 injury was happening. So h yeah, you know, I think 0:02:13.400 --> 0:02:16.200 that definitely led me into football. It seems like the 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:20.280 perfect outlat to take out that aggression. Your parents are 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:24.000 Nigerian immigrants who earned college degrees in the US. How 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.400 did their values in their work ethic impact you? Oh, 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:32.720 it impacted me so heavily. I definitely grew up with 0:02:32.760 --> 0:02:36.480 the duality of being Nigerian American to the tea. When 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:40.560 I was home raising a Nigerian home, my auntie's uncles, cousins. 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:43.480 We go to parties on the weekend, whether it be 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:48.800 a meeting or a celebration. The Nigerian culture definitely was 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:51.080 in me. And then when I would go into school 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:54.800 and I'd get a very good taste of the American culture. 0:02:54.919 --> 0:03:01.080 So definitely that duality has raised me to understand others, 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:04.440 to be heavy on family, to have faith in God, 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:07.560 and you know, just to always work hard. Have you 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:09.839 made it to Nigeria to see where your family's from? 0:03:10.080 --> 0:03:13.440 I have. I have. The first time I went was 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.760 my sophomore year in high school. I was sixteen or 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:19.359 fifteen or something like that, and you know, it was 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:21.680 beautiful just to see cousins who I've never met before, 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:26.280 family members, see where my parents grew up, and see 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:28.720 where my grandparents and my lineage basically started. You know, 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:31.000 we have a village house in the village of Football 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:34.240 here and that's where everybody congregated, and it was just 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:37.160 a beautiful, beautiful time in my life. We're visiting with 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:40.400 chittabe A Wugier many stories about you say that your 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:43.920 first name means God will guide me. Do you take 0:03:43.960 --> 0:03:47.280 that to heart? Oh? I definitely do. And my culture, 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:53.520 the Ebo culture this our names mean everything. And you know, 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.040 my brother has a similar name, my mom, dad, sister, 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:01.119 all of it usually resonates with something to do with God. 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:05.280 You know, we're very spiritual people. So yeah, I think 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:08.560 my name praised for me every day and they able 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:12.640 to live comfortably. Because you grew up near San Jose, California, 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:14.360 what were some of the things you were interested in 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:18.679 as a kid. As a kid, I was very impressionable. 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:23.679 I love watching things on YouTube and just learning about 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:27.520 different things, especially dance. You know, where I grew up, 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:30.400 I had a dance called turfing, and they had this 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:33.599 thing called the Hype movement, and the LA had crump 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.320 and the South had crump, and I was interested in 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.080 just like all the cultures, just everything you know that 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.320 was happening. So I think when I was a kid, 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.720 I was just very impressionable when it came to hip 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:49.520 hop culture, dance culture. Yeah. So, so if you have 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.200 a pick six, is there a dance in mind for 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:54.599 the celebration. I've been thinking, man, I've been trying to 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:56.600 plan it out already. I got a lot. I gotta 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:58.680 I gotta do something honor the African people, so I 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:01.280 gotta dance there. I gotta do something under the area 0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:03.960 people to dance there. So yeah, I'm a planet. I'm 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:07.040 playing something out for sure. We're chatting to Chitabey Wouje. 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:10.039 You attended Oak Grove High School, where you ran for 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:12.560 more than a thousand yards your senior year, but you 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:17.760 also blocked ten kicks. How do you block ten kicks? 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:22.120 I mean, honestly, just being an athlete and then having 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:24.880 a good get off, And I don't know. I think 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:26.839 it was just something I found out I was good 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:29.640 at thinking my sophomore year in high school. I would 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:32.000 just rush off the ball real fast and then block 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:36.040 block punts, kicks, field goals. And yeah, I wonder why 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:38.240 they have me do that more in college or NFL. 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:40.840 But it's all good. I think I sell it in 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.679 that corner pretty good. So I'm playing this for Darren 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:45.840 Simmons to make sure that he's aware of that you 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:48.720 chose to attend the University of Colorado. What did you 0:05:48.839 --> 0:05:52.679 enjoy most about college? The thing I enjoyed most about 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:57.200 college was the camaraderie I got to see and be 0:05:57.240 --> 0:05:59.760 a part of something real special. Came into a program 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:03.000 that was rebuilding, and by the time my senior year happened, 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:05.039 you know, we started to win, ended up being seventh 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:07.200 in the ranked seventh in the country at one point. 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:10.080 And those guys, you know, that's something that I think 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:12.800 will always hold on too, just how we had all 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.920 those experiences that led to that point, and that's led 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:18.600 us to be great friends even now to this day. Um, 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:20.920 that sior class, I'm blessed to play with Josh Tupo 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:23.320 who was on that team. We still have that connection 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:24.960 and you know, all those guys have that connection. So 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:29.120 that camaraderie was very something that that taught me a 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:30.840 lot how to be a team. And you know when 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:34.279 I got to the NFL in your sophomore year, you 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:39.320 lacerated your kidney. That's serious stuff. How bad was it? 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:43.280 It was bad, man, It was bad because I didn't 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:47.080 understand what it was or the severity of it. I 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:49.880 guess when I fail, and it happened. You know, I 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.560 just went to the bathroom in the locker room, and 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:54.760 you know, I started to see blood in my us. 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:58.920 You know, in my in my pee and H went 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:00.599 back up and I was like, Yo, this is happening. 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:03.040 Took me to the hospital and thank God that they 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:04.919 took it serious enough to where I was able to 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:07.880 we're able to diagnose it properly, and you know, that 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:10.160 helped me out for the last three games with my 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:12.880 sophomore year. And it was just a real interesting time, 0:07:13.200 --> 0:07:15.280 first time that I really had an injury that kept 0:07:15.280 --> 0:07:18.680 me out of football and I could walk. I mean, 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:21.400 I could think I could do everything. I just couldn't. 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:23.320 I had to be careful, you know, and I just 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:25.520 want I realized that, you know, football is such a 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:28.280 precious sport to me. I don't want to not play. 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.800 So from that time I started to be real conscious of, 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:35.040 you know, every step I took. We're doing fun facts 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:37.360 with chitube a Wouge. You were a second round draft 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:40.760 pick by the Dallas Cowboys in twenty seventeen and it 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:44.960 was a memorable moment in NFL draft history because it 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:48.760 was in Philadelphia. Cowboys legend Drew Pearson announced the pick 0:07:49.160 --> 0:07:53.560 and he took the occasion to troll Eagles fans. Were 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:59.080 you amused or did it kind of detract from your moment. No, No, 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:02.760 I'm all for the splendor and the and the joy 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:06.400 and the hate that he got for that too. I 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:09.239 know Drew from that moment, I got to know Drew Pearson. 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:12.800 You know, it's a great guy, great energy, obviously a 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:15.360 Hall of Fame player now who Thank God that he 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:16.680 was able to make it in this year. I know 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:18.400 it meant a lot to him, and it means a 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.240 lot to me and my family, you know, because we're 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:24.360 forever tied with that momentum. I think they also, you know, 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:26.600 put people on notice that they Drew's not in the 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:28.400 Hall of Fame yet, like let's you know what I'm saying, Like, 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:30.080 let's get him in the Hall of Fame. I think, 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:32.839 um that that that that just a lot of good 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:34.560 came from that moment, and I'm glad that I was 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:37.920 part of it. The Dallas Cowboys are known as America's team. 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:41.360 Their fan base is really worldwide, not the US wide. 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:44.160 What was it like to be a Cowboy for four years? Oh? 0:08:44.280 --> 0:08:47.040 It was a blessing. Um. I wouldn't trade it for anything. 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:51.400 Um that picked me obviously from UH College and that 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:53.800 moment will always hold hold dirt in me and those 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:55.600 moments that I shared with that team will always hold 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:59.280 dirt to me. So I'm always thankful for the Dallas Cowboys. 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:01.080 A lot of my friends still on that team, so 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:03.520 I'm a fan of those guys and you know, ruin 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:06.240 for them for the best. So you became a free agent, 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:09.920 and it sounds like the Bengals really came after you 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.880 with a lot of passion. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:15.800 one thing that stuck out to me was how much 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:20.480 they wanted me here and everything that coach Zack, coach Lou, 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.760 coach Jackson, all the guys who I talked to, even 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:26.840 the front office people, was about the culture here that 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:29.800 they're starting to get the coachure right, the locker rooms good, 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:32.080 all this kind of stuff. And when I was able 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:35.600 to visit here and be here now, it all holds true. 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:38.520 You know, I really believe that I'm in the perfect 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:41.640 place right now to be my best and hopefully to 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:44.560 help this team be their best. So I'm real excited 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:47.560 for things to come. I'm real comfortable here already. You know, 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:49.920 the guys are real cool, the coaches are cool. So 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:52.679 just excited to get this stand Roland all Right, a 0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:56.240 few non football topics. To wrap things up with, Chitabe wouje. 0:09:56.920 --> 0:10:00.359 You are an avid chess player. How did that start 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.560 and what you enjoy by chess? So, chess started in 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:09.120 college when me and my teammates slash peers in my class. 0:10:09.840 --> 0:10:12.559 It used to be kind of bored in class. We 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:16.080 had our laptops out, and you know, during a subject 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:20.160 that maybe we knew about already, we would play some chess, 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:24.199 you know, virtually on our laptops and it is real competitive, 0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:26.440 and you didn't want to lose, because if you lose, 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:29.280 chess kind of makes you feel like something smarter than you, 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:31.320 and that that doesn't really feel going when you know 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:34.200 that something smarter than you. So we would compete there 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.319 and then it kind of died down. And then when 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:40.040 I got to the Cowboys, there was a couple of 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:43.520 chess players and again real competitive, don't want to lose. 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:47.079 And I think I fostered a lot of relationships through chess. 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:50.240 Um I've learned a lot about life, how to put 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:52.040 things in order. You don't want to lose your queen, 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:53.880 you know, obviously, don't want to lose the game by 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.120 losing your king. You know, the rook's more worth more 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:59.080 than the pond and the bishop in the night. But 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:05.240 each peace moves, you know, in great symmetry. To have 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.000 a full team basically, so um, I think it's helped 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:11.720 me articulate and put things in order very well. Are 0:11:11.720 --> 0:11:14.920 you the grand Master of the Bengals locker room. I 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:17.240 wouldn't disrespect the name grand Master up I put in 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:20.360 my name next to it, but I will say that 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.760 I don't think anyone can beat me on this team. 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:31.560 So yeah, all right. If you could meet anyone in history, athlete, actor, statesman, politician, 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:35.160 whatever it might be, who would that be. That's a 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:39.920 very deep question, to be honest. The first name of 0:11:39.960 --> 0:11:43.800 popt to my mind was Muhammad Ali. But as you 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:47.360 finished the question, I think my real answer would probably Jesus. 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:50.840 I think that would mean that I made it to heaven. 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:55.000 It should be a good thing, so I think, uh, yeah, 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:58.319 those would be. That was my first reaction, and when 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:00.839 I got my thoughts together, it was like, yeah, Jesus, 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:05.360 two great answers. Last thing, what's the all time worst 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:12.400 mispronunciation of chittabay wuje? Dang? It's been a lot, man, 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:16.040 I'll say this. One time someone couldn't send my name 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:20.760 elementary school that instead of calling me Chuddle Bay, they 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:25.800 called me cheddar Bay Biscuits. So that was my nickname 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:30.760 for that guy called Cheddar Bay Biscuits from d Lobster. So, hey, 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:35.679 you should get an endorsement dealt Hey, man, I enjoyed them. 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:38.720 They are good. Yeah, yeah, they are really good. They're 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.280 really good. So is this. I appreciate your time, have 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:45.160 a great season. Appreciate it. Chittaby, of course, was not 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:47.920 the only free agent defensive back that the Bengals signed 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:52.120 prior to last season. They also helped themselves and hurt 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:57.280 the dreaded, hated but grudgingly respected Pittsburgh Steelers by signing 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:01.520 one of the league's top slot cornerbacks. Time for some 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:05.320 fun facts with cornerback Mike Hilton from Fayetteville, Georgia, about 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:08.240 twenty miles away from Atlanta. What were some of the 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:10.679 things that young Mike Hilton liked to do as a 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:14.079 kid growing up in Georgia. Man, one, I used to 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:16.360 go to six Flags all the time. You know, if 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:18.480 you heard about six Flags over George, you know they 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:20.800 have some of the best roller coasters. So if I 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:23.320 did that a lot. Of course, play football and you 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:25.960 know just enjoyed enjoying my time as a queue. We 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:28.840 have King's Island nearby. Do you still like roller coasters? 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:31.920 I've heard about King's Island. Everybody said, definitely someplace I 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:33.920 have to visit. So I'm gonna take my daughter there 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:36.199 and I'm gonna have some fun. We're doing fun facts 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:39.440 with Mike Hilton. You attended Sandy Creek High School. You 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:42.679 were more of a running back than a cornerback back then, right, Yes, 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:45.079 I was. I got recruited mainly to play running back, 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.480 and when I got to college, when I really flipped 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:49.920 over to play corner Were you okay with that? I 0:13:50.000 --> 0:13:52.520 wasn't at first, but I knew, especially in the SEC 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:55.880 in my size, running back was kind of a ife situation. 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:58.120 So I know if I made that switch, you know, 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:00.240 you'll put me in a position to be here. So 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.760 you're in the process of having a great NFL career, 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:05.600 But you are not the most famous football player from 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.959 your high school. Recently inducted Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:12.760 Megatron went to Sandy Creek. Did you see him when 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:14.280 you were a kid. Did you get to see him? Player? 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:16.280 Get to know him? Now? I've never actually seen him 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:18.160 play when I was growing up, but during my high 0:14:18.160 --> 0:14:20.400 school games he would come. So I've had chances to 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.520 talk to him and you know, just ask him about 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:26.200 the NFL life, and you know, we had some good conversations, 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:27.680 and you know, I just want to say congrats to 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:30.040 him for being inducted. Was that pretty exciting for folks 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.160 back home to see him getting the all of fame? Oh? Absolutely, 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:34.200 especially for our town, which you know isn't really the 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.760 biggest town. So you know, everybody knows everybody, and when 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.560 you have a guy like Calvin Johnson that's inducted, you know, 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:43.720 we take pride in then. So you are an outstanding 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.760 player at one of Georgia's top high school football programs, 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:50.840 but the University of Georgia wasn't interested. What did head 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:55.600 coach Mark Richt say to you? I remember my high 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:57.640 school coach pulled me out. You know, during recruiting time, 0:14:57.720 --> 0:14:59.480 you get pulled out the type to college coaches, and 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:01.760 you know, my high school coach was hyped me up 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:04.440 and everything, and I met Rick and the first thing 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:06.000 he said to him, he was like, You're just not 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:09.240 just not big enough for me. So that's kind of 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.960 been sticking with me throughout my whole career. You know, 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:14.040 I don't look at it as a bad thing. You know, 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.400 he's just him being honest. But it definitely pushed me 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:17.920 to help me get to where I am, and it 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.200 still motivates you. Absolutely. I absolutely I still here to 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:24.280 this day, whether it's from other people or the fans 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.840 of the coaches that I'm not small, but I know 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:30.160 what I'm capable of. So Mark Wrecht made a terrible 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:33.440 mistake and not recruiting you, but All Mess was smart 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:35.680 enough to recruit you. What was the best part of 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:39.760 your college experience, man? Really just being around everybody, getting 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:43.200 though my college teammates and getting that true college field. 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:45.720 You know, just when they say that's the best years 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:48.920 of your life, that's honest truth. And I enjoyed all four. 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.480 As a senior at All Mess, you received one of 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:54.960 the highest honors a player can receive at that school. 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:57.000 You were chosen to wear the number thirty eight in 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.240 honor of the late Chucky Mullen's a great player who 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.200 has paralyzed in the game. Can you articulate what that 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:06.120 honor means? Number One, it goes to a senior defensive 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:11.440 player every year. It shows leadership qualities owning off the 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:14.360 field most importantly, especially off the field, you know, just 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:17.440 being in the community, doing right in the classroom, and 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:19.400 then when it comes to own the field, being a playmaker, 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:23.440 being a voice, being a leader. I really I really 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:25.760 took to he to it my freshman year when I 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:28.280 started to learn who he was and why they were 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.160 passing the water down every year, and it was one 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:34.000 of my goals to become the winner. And you know, 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:36.560 I was blessed a winning We're doing fun facts with 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:39.440 Mike Hilton. Following your senior year at All Mess, you 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:42.680 signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent. Things didn't 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.120 work out there. You signed to the Patriots for their 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:48.360 practice squad. They let you go. Did the thought of 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:51.960 moving on from football even enter your mind? Oh? Absolutely. 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.440 After I got cut by New England, which I was 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:55.960 only up there for a week, so that was like 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:58.240 a true experience, like this game is cut through, it's 0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:01.320 a business. I was at home from like week twelve, 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:03.920 I mean week two. It's about week twelve, week thirteen. 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:06.560 So during that whole span I had stopped working out, 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.080 started applying for jobs. I kind of just started to 0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:12.800 accept that you know my opportunity wasn't was going away, 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:15.879 but you know I got that call from Pittsburgh and 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:19.240 everything took off. Sense, that's for sure. They gave you 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:22.440 a chance. You capitalized with four great seasons in the 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.560 Steelers uniform. When did you know you made it? I 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:29.040 kind of had a feeling through it through that preseason, 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:31.840 you know. Then it was four preseason games after the 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:33.359 second and third when I was just making a lot 0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:36.600 of plays and I just had my ears around the 0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:39.880 locker room that like everybody like Mikey, you're good man. 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:42.120 You have nothing to worry about because you know, being undrafted, 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:44.760 you're always worried, like today's the day I'm probably getting cut. 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:47.480 But all those guys kind of kept me, kem me 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.360 confident and kem me rolling. We're talking to Mike Hilton. So, 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:52.879 as we've referenced, you're not a big guy, five nine 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:55.879 eighty four according to the roster, but you're one of 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:59.720 the best blitzing defensive backs in the NFL. What's the secret. 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:02.280 I don't want to give away too much, but you know, 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.760 it's just learning the tendencies of the quarterback. You know 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:08.000 when they're going to snap it, if they're gonna possibly 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:10.960 have a motion before just you know, watching field and 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:13.640 just picking out those bits and pieces I can use 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:16.199 to time up listening up better. Do you have a 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:23.240 favorite sack one? If we go one, I would say 0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:26.280 when I actually tied the record in Pittsburgh in twenty 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:29.840 seventeen where I had three, So it was that third 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:32.520 one when I obviously tied the record is my favorite one. 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:34.520 Now what was that record for three in a game 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:37.400 or three three in a game? It was I say 0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:40.200 Troy Polamalus on that list and Carneal Lakes on that 0:18:40.280 --> 0:18:43.240 list and myself. So just knowing Pittsburgh history and being 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.919 up there with those guys, it's a great on. I 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:47.840 have to find out what records you're gonna break. Here 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:51.040 we're talking to Mike Hilton. You became a free agent. 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:53.320 You signed a four year, twenty four million dollars deal 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:57.800 with the Bengals. That's generational, changing wealth potentially. When you 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.680 go from undrafted free agent who had been let go 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:04.879 a couple of times to highly coveted free agent signing 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:07.600 a big deal, is it a little bit overwhelming? I 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:09.920 wouldn't say so, because I know how hard I've worded 0:19:09.920 --> 0:19:13.160 to get in this position from our early experiences being 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:16.760 cut that kind of just got my mentality rolling, you know, 0:19:17.080 --> 0:19:19.800 being at home and seeing other guys who, honestly, I 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:21.920 felt like I was bettering, you know, out there competing 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.439 on Sundays. I didn't let it get me down. And 0:19:24.560 --> 0:19:26.560 you know, over the four years I was able to perform, 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:29.320 and I'm ready to perform here and since it so 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:32.879 since joining the Bengals, you have brought an accountability chart 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:36.639 essentially to the defensive backs room. Tell us about that one. 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:38.320 It's something I learned from the learning from Joe Hayden. 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:41.359 So shout out Joe, our appreciation man. But you know, 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:44.120 it's just something especially in the secondary, we're all about 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:46.640 getting getting our hands on the ball, being in great 0:19:46.640 --> 0:19:49.719 coverage and just making plays. And when I brought it here, 0:19:49.760 --> 0:19:52.119 you know, guys really really embraced it because they know 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:56.200 if we're doing these things correctly, it's going to pay 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:58.800 off on Sunday. So I'm excited to see see how 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:02.160 we fair Sunday. One of the categories is apparently loafs. 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:05.200 You get punished for loafing, and as a defender of 0:20:05.400 --> 0:20:06.960 the worst thing you can do is loaf to the ball. 0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:08.879 If all other teen is running to the ball and 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:11.400 you're that one that's have a jog and sticking out, 0:20:11.800 --> 0:20:13.840 it's gonna be seen. You're gonna get called out. So 0:20:14.560 --> 0:20:16.440 I kind of put that not just on the secondarybody 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:17.920 as a defense, as a whole, like, we want to 0:20:17.960 --> 0:20:19.800 be fast, we want to be physical, and we can't 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:22.520 have no loafs. All right, let's get to some wildcard 0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:26.240 categories for Mike Hilton. Who is your all time favorite 0:20:26.240 --> 0:20:30.919 athlete in any sport? Any sport? Man? I have to 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:33.880 go with the King, Lebron James Man. He's the goat. 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:35.920 He's the best to ever do it. And I'm kind 0:20:35.960 --> 0:20:38.239 of saying his career slowly coming to an end, but 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:41.040 you know, I've enjoyed watching him my whole lifetime. Have 0:20:41.080 --> 0:20:43.040 the other chance to meet him, I haven't, but you know, 0:20:43.040 --> 0:20:45.199 hopefully one day, whether he's still playing or not, I 0:20:45.240 --> 0:20:47.879 have that opportunity. All right, what do you like to 0:20:47.920 --> 0:20:52.919 spend your money on? Oh? Man, we're getting personal. I'm 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.240