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Bengals Booth Podcast: Welcome To The Jungle · Bengals Booth Podcast

0:03
Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horden.
0:05
Speaker 2: Thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast, the Welcome to
0:09
Speaker 2: the Jungle edition. I was surprised to realize I had
0:13
Speaker 2: not used that song before as I go one on
0:16
Speaker 2: one with three Bengals newcomers, Tied End, Mike Kasiki, Running Bag,
0:20
Speaker 2: Zach Moss in Safety, Geno Stone. The Bengals Booth Podcast
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0:45
Speaker 2: reminder that you can have the latest edition of this
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Speaker 2: subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing
0:55
Speaker 2: since a new home locker room at pay Core Stadium.
1:00
Speaker 2: For the third year in a row, there's a massive
1:02
Speaker 2: construction project going on at or near pay Corps Stadium
1:06
Speaker 2: to give the players state of the art facilities. Two
1:10
Speaker 2: years ago it was the indoor practice bubble. Last year
1:13
Speaker 2: it was a three million dollar expansion of the training
1:15
Speaker 2: and recovery areas, including things like a hyper barrick chamber
1:20
Speaker 2: and float beds, and this year it's a completely redone
1:24
Speaker 2: home locker room. The team research the latest and greatest
1:28
Speaker 2: in the NFL and college football, and the player's new
1:31
Speaker 2: digs are sure to be first class. Now let's get
1:35
Speaker 2: to my one on one interviews with three Bengals newcomers.
1:39
Speaker 2: Tight End Mike Kasiki signed a one year contract reportedly
1:42
Speaker 2: worth three point twenty five million dollars to join the
1:45
Speaker 2: Bengals after spending the first five years of his NFL
1:48
Speaker 2: career in Miami before spending last year in New England.
1:52
Speaker 2: The former second round draft pick out of Penn State
1:55
Speaker 2: has averaged eleven yards per catch in his NFL career.
1:59
Speaker 2: It has had a couple of huge games in the
2:01
Speaker 2: past against Cincinnati.
2:04
Speaker 1: Man, get your second experience in free agency. Aside from
2:08
Speaker 1: the financial aspect, what were you looking for this time around?
2:12
Speaker 3: Really just looking for, you know, an opportunity, you know
2:15
Speaker 3: first and foremost, and then you know to play for
2:19
Speaker 3: a championship caliber team, which is what the Cincinnati Bengals
2:22
Speaker 3: are And definitely doesn't hurt to you know, have have
2:28
Speaker 3: number nine back there either.
2:29
Speaker 4: So that's definitely something that I was taken into account.
2:32
Speaker 1: There's been a storyline in the Cincinnati area over the
2:35
Speaker 1: past couple of years that between a number nine Joe
2:38
Speaker 1: Burrow and tight ends coach James Casey, the Bengals can
2:41
Speaker 1: help a tight end boost his career. Were you kind
2:44
Speaker 1: of aware of that storyline and did you discuss it
2:47
Speaker 1: with your agent? So?
2:49
Speaker 3: I wasn't aware of the storyline that it was like
2:51
Speaker 3: a you know, public knowledge, but I definitely was aware that,
2:56
Speaker 3: you know, some guys have been making plays in this
2:58
Speaker 3: passing game at my position and then you know, saw
3:03
Speaker 3: that you know, there might have been an opening, uh
3:07
Speaker 3: and an opportunity, So, you know, something that I was
3:10
Speaker 3: excited about and you know, looking forward to.
3:13
Speaker 1: We're chatting at Mike Kasicki, you've had as many as
3:15
Speaker 1: seventy three catches in a season in seven hundred and
3:18
Speaker 1: eighty yards in a season. No Bengals tight end has
3:21
Speaker 1: ever had that many catches. Only a couple have had
3:23
Speaker 1: that many yards. What do you think you bring to
3:26
Speaker 1: the Bengals offense.
3:27
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think just you know, a vertical you know
3:31
Speaker 3: another another vertical threat. I think that you know, this
3:33
Speaker 3: offense has you know, a ton of playmakers on already,
3:36
Speaker 3: but you know another vertical threat, and you know, a reliable,
3:41
Speaker 3: dependable guy to go out there and make plays, whether
3:44
Speaker 3: it's on third down, whether it's in the red zone,
3:46
Speaker 3: whether it's a specific matchup that you know you like
3:49
Speaker 3: because of size or you know speed within you know,
3:52
Speaker 3: different matchups you get on defense, and uh, you know
3:56
Speaker 3: somebody that's gonna come in here and work hard and
3:58
Speaker 3: you know, earn every opportunity that he gets.
4:01
Speaker 1: The Bengals have seen at firsthand. You had six catches
4:05
Speaker 1: for eighty two yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals
4:07
Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen, nine catches eighty eight yards and a
4:12
Speaker 1: touchdown in twenty twenty. You think it was a factor
4:15
Speaker 1: and why they were interested.
4:17
Speaker 3: I'm not entirely sure, you know, I don't I don't
4:21
Speaker 3: know if if that played into it. But I had,
4:25
Speaker 3: you know, definitely some success against against Cincinnati in the
4:29
Speaker 3: past as an opponent.
4:30
Speaker 4: But I'm excited to be on the good side. Now.
4:34
Speaker 1: What do you like in respect about Joe Burrow?
4:37
Speaker 3: Obviously, you know, first and foremost the things that that
4:40
Speaker 3: he can do with the football.
4:42
Speaker 4: I mean, it's it's special, you know.
4:45
Speaker 3: Helping make the job of a receiver you know, easier,
4:50
Speaker 3: and you know.
4:51
Speaker 4: Putting the ball exact where it needs to be.
4:52
Speaker 3: And obviously, you know a lot of this comes with
4:54
Speaker 3: timing and chemistry and all that kind of stuff, which
4:57
Speaker 3: which you know, I'll make sure that we get.
5:01
Speaker 4: But I mean.
5:02
Speaker 3: He's obviously, you know, one of very few people in
5:07
Speaker 3: on the planet that can you know, play the quarterback
5:09
Speaker 3: position the way that he does.
5:11
Speaker 1: We're chating to be tight end Micah Sicky. You've been
5:13
Speaker 1: in the league for six years. You were on some
5:14
Speaker 1: good teams in Miami and went to the playoffs a
5:17
Speaker 1: couple of years ago, but you haven't been on a
5:19
Speaker 1: team that advanced yet in the postseason, had a lot
5:22
Speaker 1: of personal success. Is team success what you're craving at
5:26
Speaker 1: this point?
5:27
Speaker 4: Yeah, it is. It is.
5:28
Speaker 3: I'm I'm I'm looking forward to, you know, being on
5:31
Speaker 3: a team that has, you know, experienced that. Like you said,
5:35
Speaker 3: I was in Miami and you know we we went
5:38
Speaker 3: to the playoffs my last year there, my fifth year,
5:41
Speaker 3: but you know, I didn't win. I haven't won a
5:44
Speaker 3: playoff game. There's the only one I've been to, and
5:47
Speaker 3: uh so I'm excited to you know, kind of you know,
5:50
Speaker 3: be around some guys that that have tasted it and
5:53
Speaker 3: uh that have experienced it and do hopefully I can
5:55
Speaker 3: have my name to that list.
5:57
Speaker 1: So I like to say, the most interesting man in
5:59
Speaker 1: the world world is not the dose Ekis guy. It
6:02
Speaker 1: is Bengals tight ends coach James Casey, former minor league pitcher,
6:07
Speaker 1: guy who played seven positions at Rice as a college
6:10
Speaker 1: football player. What if anything you know about James.
6:14
Speaker 3: I'm learning that that is a that is a a
6:17
Speaker 3: very valid point that you make that he's uh, he's
6:20
Speaker 3: very interesting and uh no, he's awesome.
6:23
Speaker 4: He's he's been great.
6:24
Speaker 3: Uh you know, we've been kind of you know, hanging
6:26
Speaker 3: around today and you know, he's been he's been unbelievable.
6:29
Speaker 3: So I'm really excited to work with him. I'm excited
6:32
Speaker 3: for him to, you know, help take my game to
6:34
Speaker 3: another level. And I've heard nothing but incredible things.
6:38
Speaker 1: Also, you had a last second game winning touchdown catch
6:42
Speaker 1: last year against the Buffalo Bills and did what I
6:44
Speaker 1: think was your version of the gritty after that touchdown catch.
6:49
Speaker 3: Is that what that was Yeah, that was uh, that
6:52
Speaker 3: was a lot of excitement and adrenaline all at once
6:57
Speaker 3: combined with with the greed. Yeah, it definitely needs some work,
7:01
Speaker 3: but I think the thing that makes it so good
7:04
Speaker 3: is the fact that it's so bad, you know, so
7:06
Speaker 3: that that that's kind of what people like about it
7:08
Speaker 3: at this point.
7:09
Speaker 1: There's plenty of room for improvement.
7:11
Speaker 4: That's right. There's there's there's plenty of that, and there's
7:14
Speaker 4: a there's a there's a guy here that knows how
7:16
Speaker 4: to do it pretty well, so no.
7:18
Speaker 1: Question about that. So you are a broad former Penn
7:21
Speaker 1: State and NI they lie on a school that's had
7:23
Speaker 1: a lot of great tight ends over the years, and
7:25
Speaker 1: you're right at the top of that list. What does
7:27
Speaker 1: that mean to you?
7:28
Speaker 4: It means a lot.
7:29
Speaker 3: There's like you said, you know, there's there's been a
7:31
Speaker 3: lot of talent and to uh, you know, to look
7:34
Speaker 3: back at Penn State and you know, still hold some
7:38
Speaker 3: of those records and to kind of have that that
7:40
Speaker 3: notoriety because of that.
7:42
Speaker 4: It's it's a it's a good feeling in school.
7:44
Speaker 3: It shows you know, a lot of you know, work
7:47
Speaker 3: that went into it and a lot of opportunity and
7:49
Speaker 3: a lot of coaches that.
7:50
Speaker 4: Helped me get there along the way.
7:52
Speaker 3: So, uh, we'll always be grateful to Penn State and
7:55
Speaker 3: you know what they what they did and will always
7:57
Speaker 3: be their number one.
7:57
Speaker 1: Fentke, We're excited to have you in Cincinnati playing for
8:01
Speaker 1: the Bengals instead of kicking tail against the Bengals. Welcome
8:05
Speaker 1: to the Jungle and thanks for the time.
8:07
Speaker 4: Awesome, Thanks Dan, appreciate you having me on them.
8:10
Speaker 2: Up next, running back Zach Moss, who led the Colts
8:13
Speaker 2: and rushing last year with seven hundred and ninety four
8:15
Speaker 2: yards and has averaged four point three yards per carry
8:19
Speaker 2: in his four NFL seasons. The twenty six year old
8:22
Speaker 2: signed a two year deal that's reportedly worth eight million dollars. Yeah,
8:28
Speaker 2: did you go into free agency with specific teams in
8:31
Speaker 2: mind or was it more like waiting for somebody to
8:34
Speaker 2: slide into your dms and show their interest.
8:37
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, definitely kind of wait for someone to
8:40
Speaker 5: slide to the dems.
8:42
Speaker 4: But you know, we kind of just took it, you know,
8:45
Speaker 4: day by day.
8:46
Speaker 5: We kind of had a good feel where we're going
8:48
Speaker 5: to be at and what teams are going to be
8:49
Speaker 5: interested in things like that, and you know, I didn't
8:53
Speaker 5: really you know, mind in the sense where I would
8:56
Speaker 5: be at.
8:57
Speaker 4: I just wanted to be somewhere where it's.
8:58
Speaker 5: Going to be a good situation and opportunity to win
9:02
Speaker 5: football games and you know, things of that nature, because
9:04
Speaker 5: that's what the game is about, and you know, being
9:07
Speaker 5: able to come to sensey h it is. I think
9:10
Speaker 5: it's gonna be a real good marriage, just because we
9:13
Speaker 5: have so many talented players and you know, we run
9:16
Speaker 5: the ball a certain style that I'm accustomed to and
9:20
Speaker 5: comfortable in and things like that. So you know, I'm
9:23
Speaker 5: definitely excited to kind of, you know, get to work
9:25
Speaker 5: with these guys in the next month and kind of
9:28
Speaker 5: you know, get these things rolling.
9:30
Speaker 1: You mentioned your style. I read an old scouting report
9:33
Speaker 1: that said watching Moss is like watching an exercise and
9:37
Speaker 1: controlled violence. Is that is that about right?
9:41
Speaker 4: Then?
9:41
Speaker 1: Would you add anything?
9:43
Speaker 4: I think it's about right, man.
9:45
Speaker 5: I try to, you know, go out there and be
9:46
Speaker 5: physical and kind of set the tone, you know, first
9:50
Speaker 5: for myself and then you know.
9:52
Speaker 4: Obviously for the team as well.
9:53
Speaker 5: And you know, that's always how I've played the game,
9:55
Speaker 5: and I've played the positions I grew up, you know,
9:59
Speaker 5: watching certain guys like you know Marshawn Lynch and you
10:02
Speaker 5: know Aaron Foster's guys that can get downhill, great tackles
10:06
Speaker 5: and just never really seem to be going, you know,
10:09
Speaker 5: the other way. So that's something I've always taken pride
10:12
Speaker 5: in and I tried to you know, you know, put
10:14
Speaker 5: into my game and you know, just try to do
10:17
Speaker 5: that each time, each every time I step.
10:19
Speaker 4: On the field.
10:20
Speaker 1: Chatting with running back Zach Mass, you've been in the
10:22
Speaker 1: a f C for the last four years. What stood
10:24
Speaker 1: out to you about the Bengals.
10:26
Speaker 4: Being in AFC the last four years.
10:28
Speaker 5: Obviously, the Bengals have had a lot of success in
10:30
Speaker 5: the last four years.
10:33
Speaker 4: You know, like I said, it's a ton of great weapons.
10:35
Speaker 5: Obviously, you speak about you know, the guys outside Jamar
10:39
Speaker 5: and t and you know, bringing their mic to second
10:43
Speaker 5: now having another big target across the middle. And then
10:46
Speaker 5: obviously you know, everything starts with with number nine and Joe,
10:49
Speaker 5: So you know, being able to play with guys like
10:53
Speaker 5: that and who have so much talent and have has
10:57
Speaker 5: assessed in this league and you know it, it's hard
11:00
Speaker 5: to turn that down and go somewhere else, and you know,
11:05
Speaker 5: and things of that nature. But you know, it's it's
11:07
Speaker 5: I think it's gonna be real good. I'm excited to
11:10
Speaker 5: play with these guys and you know, do my part
11:13
Speaker 5: and do my role at a high level and a
11:15
Speaker 5: consistent level, because that's you know, what I'm all about
11:18
Speaker 5: is you know, I'm not worried about you know, the
11:21
Speaker 5: glisten glamour and all that type of stuff. It's about
11:23
Speaker 5: doing the work and being consistent at the work.
11:27
Speaker 1: You got the biggest opportunity of your NFL career last
11:30
Speaker 1: year within they and you thrived one hundred and sixty
11:33
Speaker 1: five yards against Tennessee thirty carries on a road win
11:36
Speaker 1: in Baltimore. Did you feel like you finally got a
11:39
Speaker 1: chance to show what you could do at this level.
11:42
Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely.
11:43
Speaker 5: Know this league is all about opportunity, you know, It's
11:45
Speaker 5: it's you know, when you get to this level, everybody's talented.
11:48
Speaker 5: It's not much that separates guys at this level, and
11:52
Speaker 5: it's all about you know, I've always kept doing the work.
11:55
Speaker 4: I never cheated the work, never cheated the grind.
11:58
Speaker 5: You know, from my time in Buffalo or things may
12:01
Speaker 5: have not been in my favor, even when I got
12:04
Speaker 5: to Indie kind of just just doing the work and
12:06
Speaker 5: doing the work and stay consistent so that way, when
12:09
Speaker 5: the time did come for me to have an opportunity,
12:12
Speaker 5: you know, I didn't, you know, piss it away in
12:15
Speaker 5: a sense, right, So you know, that's that's what I'm
12:18
Speaker 5: all about, just being consistent and you know, doing those things.
12:23
Speaker 4: That allowed for success. So nothing's going to change now.
12:26
Speaker 5: You know, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to come
12:29
Speaker 5: to Cincinnati and you know, help his team win games,
12:32
Speaker 5: and that's all it's about.
12:35
Speaker 1: You were a top one hundred draft pick in twenty twenty,
12:38
Speaker 1: the same year that Joe burrow Is selected number one overall.
12:41
Speaker 1: Did you watch him when you were both college seniors?
12:44
Speaker 1: And what have you admired from afar?
12:47
Speaker 5: Yeah, when we were both called seniors. Obviously what he
12:50
Speaker 5: was doing at LSU with those guys, everybody, everybody was watching.
12:54
Speaker 5: It was hard to not watch. But the funny thing
12:58
Speaker 5: is we were ranked number five and truly at Utah
13:02
Speaker 5: and we were one game away from getting in hopefully, right,
13:05
Speaker 5: you never.
13:06
Speaker 4: Know what the college football playoffs, but.
13:07
Speaker 5: We were one game away to being in the college
13:11
Speaker 5: football playoffs, and you never know how that.
13:14
Speaker 4: Would have shut out.
13:14
Speaker 5: We probably would have ended up playing those guys in
13:17
Speaker 5: the you know, in the first round or whatever.
13:19
Speaker 1: So it was.
13:20
Speaker 5: Always I felt that close to running up against him
13:24
Speaker 5: and stuff like that.
13:25
Speaker 4: So it's cool to team up with him now.
13:27
Speaker 5: And you know, he's had a ton of success in
13:29
Speaker 5: the league, and you know that just kind of speaks
13:32
Speaker 5: to you know, who he.
13:33
Speaker 4: Is and the work that he puts in on a
13:35
Speaker 4: daily basis.
13:37
Speaker 1: With all due respect to Oklahoma, do you think Utah
13:39
Speaker 1: would have given them a better game in the semi
13:42
Speaker 1: finals had you been the fourth seed?
13:45
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think so.
13:46
Speaker 5: Honestly, if you look back at you know, Utah and
13:49
Speaker 5: big games in two thousand and four, in two thousand
13:51
Speaker 5: and eight, you know, against some big programs they've done,
13:55
Speaker 5: they held their own pretty well and come out victorious
13:58
Speaker 5: on those, so, h you know, it would have been
14:00
Speaker 5: it would have been nice, you know to see, you know,
14:03
Speaker 5: a PAC twelve team get in there, and you know,
14:05
Speaker 5: I think we would have the best chance in nineteen
14:08
Speaker 5: more than anybody else, you know, speaking from the Pac twelve.
14:10
Speaker 1: Well, he threw seven touchdown passes in the first half
14:14
Speaker 1: of that game, so I'm guessing that that Utah might
14:17
Speaker 1: have at least been able to cut that down a
14:19
Speaker 1: little bit hopefully the four We're chatting with Zach Mahs.
14:26
Speaker 1: So you're going to be in the backfield this year
14:28
Speaker 1: with Chase Brown. You were on the Colt sideline last
14:31
Speaker 1: year when he took a screen pass and went fifty
14:33
Speaker 1: four yards for a touchdown and hit twenty two miles
14:36
Speaker 1: an hour on that play. What did your Colts teammates
14:40
Speaker 1: say after that game?
14:42
Speaker 5: Yeah, I remember watching that play and it was right
14:46
Speaker 5: up our sideline and he was just moving in and
14:50
Speaker 5: I'm like, Wow, who was this guy that you know,
14:52
Speaker 5: I didn't know who he was.
14:53
Speaker 4: At the time, and I'm like, let just do his fat.
14:56
Speaker 5: But you know, that whole week, you know, everybody was
14:59
Speaker 5: just you know, talking about how athletic he is, and
15:01
Speaker 5: you know, you know, he wasn't playing a ton last year,
15:04
Speaker 5: but with the opportunities that he did get, he definitely
15:06
Speaker 5: flashed each and every time on the tape.
15:10
Speaker 4: So, you know, now getting the chance to team up
15:12
Speaker 4: with him.
15:13
Speaker 5: You know, hopefully I can just go into that room
15:16
Speaker 5: and help them, uh, you know, as much as I
15:18
Speaker 5: can share some knowledge from what I've you know, gained
15:22
Speaker 5: over the years and things of that nature.
15:23
Speaker 4: Just like you know, guys that were older than me.
15:25
Speaker 5: Vets did for me in Buffalo, and just do the
15:29
Speaker 5: same things down here for our room. And you know,
15:34
Speaker 5: it's gonna have a great time competing against each other.
15:36
Speaker 5: It's gonna be great to go out there and go
15:38
Speaker 5: to battle with these guys. And you know, I'm super
15:40
Speaker 5: excited to know, you know, we got some speed in the.
15:43
Speaker 4: Room like that. I don't know if I can pick
15:46
Speaker 4: I can clock at twenty two.
15:47
Speaker 5: But you know it's gonna be fun to, you know,
15:49
Speaker 5: see him go out there and excel and you know,
15:52
Speaker 5: just have fun and compete.
15:55
Speaker 1: Earning a contract like this, I'm sure it's a great
15:57
Speaker 1: point of pride. You gotta earn it, and all teams
16:00
Speaker 1: are not going to give out nice second deals to
16:03
Speaker 1: players unless they go out and show what they can do.
16:06
Speaker 1: In your case, I understand you're also a dad as
16:08
Speaker 1: of about a year ago. So what does it mean
16:11
Speaker 1: to you to to earn a like idea like this
16:14
Speaker 1: knowing that you're taking care of your family.
16:16
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, that's that's why you play the game.
16:18
Speaker 5: You know, it's it's obviously you know, this is our job,
16:21
Speaker 5: and we want to do our job at a high level,
16:23
Speaker 5: just like anybody in any role that they're in in
16:26
Speaker 5: their you know, own personal careers, and you know, being
16:29
Speaker 5: able to you know, put the work in, you know,
16:31
Speaker 5: with those who start when you get to the NFL.
16:33
Speaker 5: It starts for college, it starts in high school and
16:36
Speaker 5: little league, and it's something you always dream about to
16:39
Speaker 5: be able to be in this, this opportunity.
16:42
Speaker 4: And it's nothing I take, you know, for granted.
16:45
Speaker 5: You know, I'm super blessed to have the opportunity to
16:47
Speaker 5: you know, provide for my family, and you know, this
16:50
Speaker 5: is just one stepping stone, and you know, I feel
16:52
Speaker 5: like I still got a lot left to prove and
16:55
Speaker 5: a lot left to do, so you know, hopefully, you
16:58
Speaker 5: know I can add on to that, and you know,
17:01
Speaker 5: we'll kind of see where that goes. But right now,
17:03
Speaker 5: we take you know, take it a day at a
17:05
Speaker 5: time and just live in a moment and.
17:07
Speaker 4: Just be grateful and you know, extremely blessed.
17:11
Speaker 1: You earned it. Congratulations on this deal with Cincinnati Bengals.
17:15
Speaker 1: We look forward to seeing you in action this fall.
17:17
Speaker 1: Thank you, yes, sir, appreciate it.
17:20
Speaker 2: The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps.
17:23
Speaker 2: Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by
17:27
Speaker 2: Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business,
17:31
Speaker 2: and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
17:35
Speaker 2: the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
17:38
Speaker 2: the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Up next, it's
17:43
Speaker 2: twenty four year old safety Geno Stone, who had seven
17:46
Speaker 2: interceptions for Baltimore this year to finish second in the
17:50
Speaker 2: NFL behind Deron Bland of Dallas, who had nine. And
17:54
Speaker 2: Stone's not the only safety the Bengals are adding, as
17:57
Speaker 2: they are also bringing back Von Bell, who agreed to
18:00
Speaker 2: a one year deal after being let go by Carolina.
18:04
Speaker 2: Gino Stone got a two year contract, reportedly for fourteen
18:08
Speaker 2: million dollars to switch sides in the AFC North.
18:13
Speaker 1: Do you know the rumors of you potentially joining Cincinnati
18:17
Speaker 1: started pretty early? Were you anticipating the Bengals interest.
18:21
Speaker 4: A little bit?
18:22
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'll say a little bit, just seeing I mean
18:24
Speaker 6: after the season, I kind of look at the teams
18:26
Speaker 6: that safety needs there at the top of the list,
18:29
Speaker 6: because we know, I want to go to a team
18:30
Speaker 6: that had a really good quarterback, a team had a
18:33
Speaker 6: good head coach, you know, a team that had a
18:34
Speaker 6: really good defense and you know, some rock and knockund wins,
18:36
Speaker 6: so they're definitely the top of the list.
18:39
Speaker 1: So you're only twenty four years old, but you got
18:41
Speaker 1: four years of experience and that makes you a season
18:45
Speaker 1: vetch on this secondary with so many young kids. What
18:49
Speaker 1: do you think that means to the Bengals defense?
18:51
Speaker 6: No, I mean it means it means a lot, you know,
18:54
Speaker 6: because you know, coming up for me, you know, I
18:56
Speaker 6: had a lot of Vets in my room throughout my
18:58
Speaker 6: whole career, and I was able to learn from a
19:00
Speaker 6: lot of great guys. And now you know, me being
19:02
Speaker 6: one of the oldest guys in the room, that was
19:03
Speaker 6: kind of crazy.
19:04
Speaker 4: Uh you know, I could share what I've learned.
19:07
Speaker 6: And uh my knowledge I've learned throughout my years and
19:10
Speaker 6: uh you know, now I've seen we got Vaughn coming back.
19:12
Speaker 6: So it's never the guy that got a VET in
19:14
Speaker 6: the room. So I'm not the oldest guy in the
19:16
Speaker 6: room no more.
19:16
Speaker 4: So. Uh, you know it's gonna be great though, I know,
19:19
Speaker 4: be able to get all these guys knowledge.
19:21
Speaker 1: What do you admire and respect about von Bell?
19:24
Speaker 4: Uh?
19:24
Speaker 6: You know it's crazy because I go all the way
19:26
Speaker 6: back whenever I went to a camp at the House
19:28
Speaker 6: State and he was still playing there, and uh, this
19:30
Speaker 6: is the way he was interacting with me and took
19:32
Speaker 6: the time to talk to me. And you know, since
19:34
Speaker 6: then I grew a relationship with him. But he was
19:35
Speaker 6: able to talk to him more throughout the off season
19:37
Speaker 6: and stuff like that. When I see him down training
19:39
Speaker 6: in Miami and you know, he's just a great guy.
19:42
Speaker 6: And then you know the guy I watched on film,
19:44
Speaker 6: you know, throughout the years and God does things the
19:46
Speaker 6: right way.
19:47
Speaker 1: We're visiting the Bengals safety Geno Stone. As you know,
19:50
Speaker 1: the team struggled to prevent big plays last year. What's
19:53
Speaker 1: the biggest key defensively to eliminating those explosives?
19:58
Speaker 6: Yeah, you know, doing a job it take in the
20:00
Speaker 6: ball away, you know, taking the ball away and make
20:02
Speaker 6: sure make sure you're the right spots. That's something I
20:05
Speaker 6: think I did a really good job on last year.
20:08
Speaker 6: You know, something I want to continue to prove on.
20:10
Speaker 6: You know, I was already talking to some of the
20:12
Speaker 6: coaches about it. You know, some of the things I see,
20:14
Speaker 6: how I see things and how how I play, and
20:17
Speaker 6: you know, I want to learn from other people too.
20:18
Speaker 6: You know, I'm always open to learn because you know,
20:20
Speaker 6: that's that's that's how you grow, and that's what I
20:22
Speaker 6: want to continue to do.
20:24
Speaker 4: My best football is ahead of me, and I want
20:26
Speaker 4: to I'm waiting for that.
20:27
Speaker 1: Well, you alluding to it. You got a breakout year
20:30
Speaker 1: last year with seven interceptions. Was it simply a matter
20:33
Speaker 1: of opportunity for you?
20:36
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean everyone keeps saying, you know, all those
20:38
Speaker 6: things about me not getting you know, as many picks
20:41
Speaker 6: or look at my productions throughout the years, or the
20:43
Speaker 6: scheme or whatever it is.
20:44
Speaker 4: I just never got the opportunity.
20:45
Speaker 6: You know, if you look at my first ever game
20:48
Speaker 6: I actually played, it was my preseason year.
20:49
Speaker 4: My second year, I had two interceptions in the in
20:52
Speaker 4: the first.
20:52
Speaker 6: Half, you know, and I didn't get another opportunity till
20:55
Speaker 6: later on the in the season. And you know my
20:58
Speaker 6: productions there, it's just the opportunity.
21:00
Speaker 4: No, I finally opportunity. You know, Condig was on the slay.
21:04
Speaker 1: So one of those interceptions last year was at the
21:06
Speaker 1: doll line off of Joe Burrow in Week two. You
21:10
Speaker 1: fooled him and that doesn't happen very often to Joe.
21:13
Speaker 1: Did you think that that play was a significant factor
21:17
Speaker 1: in the Bengals interest.
21:19
Speaker 4: I would say, so something I hear a lot about.
21:21
Speaker 6: I know Joe joking with me, he said something up
21:24
Speaker 6: to the game too, and uh, you know they as
21:27
Speaker 6: a play. You know, that was a pivotal play in
21:29
Speaker 6: the game for them. That's what they keep saying to
21:31
Speaker 6: me too. So you know, I think I played off
21:34
Speaker 6: played a little bit of factor.
21:36
Speaker 1: For chatting with Gino Stone. The Ravens went to and
21:39
Speaker 1: zero against Cincinnati last year, but lost the playoff game
21:42
Speaker 1: in Cincinnati the year before, and of course that game
21:45
Speaker 1: featured the legendary Sam Hubbard fumble in the jungle. We've
21:49
Speaker 1: asked a lot of Bengals about that in the last year,
21:52
Speaker 1: but give us the perspective of what it was like
21:54
Speaker 1: to be on the other side of the field when
21:56
Speaker 1: that happened.
21:57
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean, you know sucked. I'll say that is.
22:02
Speaker 6: You know, I remember selling the bench. I'm like, we're
22:04
Speaker 6: about to score. When we're growing up, you know, it
22:06
Speaker 6: was it was at that point in the game where
22:07
Speaker 6: no one's really moving the ball, no one's scoring, and
22:10
Speaker 6: we step finally started moving the ball around and we're like,
22:12
Speaker 6: well then two or one yard line. I'm like this game,
22:15
Speaker 6: we're we're gonna get this, you know, score and get
22:18
Speaker 6: them get off the field.
22:18
Speaker 4: And you know we're to move on. And uh, that
22:22
Speaker 4: play was.
22:23
Speaker 6: Just like you felt the whole side line just you know,
22:26
Speaker 6: just everyone everyone felt just felt the same way. And
22:28
Speaker 6: it was just like you know, one of the plays
22:30
Speaker 6: in the AFC North game where the.
22:32
Speaker 4: One one big play happens. You know, you know what
22:34
Speaker 4: happens after the rest after that.
22:36
Speaker 1: How do you describe ANFC North football?
22:39
Speaker 4: I think it's the best football in all NFL. That's
22:41
Speaker 4: what I think.
22:42
Speaker 6: If you if you look at the numbers last year
22:44
Speaker 6: and just totally overall, you know, our division is speaks
22:48
Speaker 6: for yourself. You know, you know the type of ball
22:51
Speaker 6: you're gonna get every time you play a team in
22:52
Speaker 6: this division. Uh, you can't take any game lightly. You
22:56
Speaker 6: know every game is gonna be close game, no matter
22:57
Speaker 6: who it is, who's out there, it don't matter, so
22:59
Speaker 6: back about or third strainings. You know you're getting tight
23:01
Speaker 6: game because that's how this how this division is built.
23:04
Speaker 1: A couple more questions for Gino Stone. Some of your
23:07
Speaker 1: Baltimore teammates, including Lamar Jackson, have been joking that you
23:10
Speaker 1: are now dead to them because you are leaving Baltimore
23:13
Speaker 1: and joining a rival. In all seriousness, is it a
23:17
Speaker 1: little bit strange to go from Baltimore to Cincinnati.
23:20
Speaker 4: Uh? Yeah, I mean a little bit.
23:22
Speaker 1: You know.
23:23
Speaker 4: It's not something I ever envisioned. I'll definitely admit that.
23:27
Speaker 6: But at the end of the day, you know, just
23:29
Speaker 6: the team that has showed me the most opportunities that
23:32
Speaker 6: I could make for the most of myself and my
23:34
Speaker 6: family and my career. So I mean, I mean, you
23:38
Speaker 6: get a you get a pay raise, You're not gonna
23:39
Speaker 6: You're not never gonna decline that, especially uh you know,
23:42
Speaker 6: in his lead, you know, and and the opportunities to
23:45
Speaker 6: present itself from me.
23:46
Speaker 4: So you know, people might say what they want, but.
23:50
Speaker 6: Them guys joking me, they they all know how I
23:52
Speaker 6: feel for how I feel about them, and they I
23:54
Speaker 6: know how they feel about me. And you know, we
23:56
Speaker 6: talked about things all the time. But you know, I
23:58
Speaker 6: never thought it would be this team, but it is
24:00
Speaker 6: what it is. You know, I'll see the past twice
24:01
Speaker 6: a year.
24:02
Speaker 1: You answered my first question by saying you wanted to
24:05
Speaker 1: go to a team that had a great quarterback. Obviously,
24:07
Speaker 1: you played with one in Baltimore and you're gonna play
24:09
Speaker 1: with one in Cincinnati. Can you win a super Bowl
24:12
Speaker 1: without a guy like that?
24:14
Speaker 4: It's it's hard. I mean, that's that's the first thing
24:17
Speaker 4: that starts with every team.
24:18
Speaker 6: You need a great quarterback, someone that's gonna leave your team.
24:21
Speaker 6: You know, you need someone that's that's going to be
24:23
Speaker 6: able to manage the game right, someone I could that
24:25
Speaker 6: could take.
24:26
Speaker 4: Over the game at any point, at any point at a time.
24:29
Speaker 4: You know, someone you could rely on. And Joe's that guy.
24:32
Speaker 4: You know.
24:32
Speaker 6: Yeah, he showed him in college and probably I think
24:34
Speaker 6: he showed him in high school. Show it now, you
24:37
Speaker 6: know he's that guy. He's I mean, I think he's
24:39
Speaker 6: a guy gets back to the super Bowl.
24:41
Speaker 1: You know, you were not a five star recruit, you
24:44
Speaker 1: were not a high draft pick. You were selected in
24:46
Speaker 1: the seventh round. How has that shaped you and made
24:49
Speaker 1: and made you the person and player that you are now?
24:51
Speaker 3: Oh?
24:52
Speaker 4: It taught me.
24:53
Speaker 6: It taught me to be humble. H It taught me
24:56
Speaker 6: to be grateful for what I got. Uh, it taught
24:59
Speaker 6: me a lot of things. I'll say that for sure,
25:01
Speaker 6: because you know, without going through that, without my journey
25:04
Speaker 6: with thought, meeting the people I had, doing the things
25:07
Speaker 6: I had to do, and to get where I am today.
25:09
Speaker 6: You know, theyn't make me what made me who I
25:12
Speaker 6: am right now? No, And I would say that just
25:14
Speaker 6: just because you know that. You know, I'll blessed with
25:16
Speaker 6: the opportunity now to get a new contract.
25:18
Speaker 4: Things like that. I'm still gonna be me. I'm never
25:21
Speaker 4: gonna I'm not gonna change.
25:22
Speaker 6: I'm still I'm still that guy where I feel like
25:24
Speaker 6: I got the target on my back. You know, everyone
25:26
Speaker 6: saying I'm limited to things. I'm a seventh round pick.
25:30
Speaker 6: Everyone's gonna still have their opinions.
25:32
Speaker 4: You know, and I'm not. Guys can go and.
25:34
Speaker 1: Prove everyone wrong. You are a great addition to Cincinnati.
25:37
Speaker 1: You have earned every penny of this contractor are excited
25:40
Speaker 1: to have you. Thanks for your time and look forward
25:42
Speaker 1: to getting to know you better.
25:43
Speaker 4: Thank you, appreciate it. Hi.
25:45
Speaker 1: Thanks to Mike, Zach and Gino.
25:47
Speaker 2: And that's going to do it for this episode of
25:49
Speaker 2: the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by Paid Corps,
25:51
Speaker 2: Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider. By
25:55
Speaker 2: Alta Fiber future Proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home,
26:00
Speaker 2: business and community to a new level, and by Kettering
26:03
Speaker 2: Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health
26:07
Speaker 2: is the official healthcare provider.
26:09
Speaker 1: Of the Bengals.
26:10
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26:19
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Speaker 2: the Bengals Booth podcast.