Bengals Booth Podcast: Can't Stop The Feeling

and analysis from my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's fun Facts segment, it's an entertaining addition with the Bengals Director of Strategy and Engagement Elizabeth Blackburn, the first person to ever bring up the astronomer Galileo in one of my fun Facts interviews. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the App Store

and Google Play. And here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since Marlena van Huss Marlena sang the national anthem on Sunday, and for my money, nobody does it better. The twenty six year old, who was born blind, began singing and playing the piano at age two and has the voice of an angel.

So Marlena, if you ever want to sing the first line of a popular song to begin this podcast, it would be an honor to have you. Now, let's get to Sunday's game. It didn't start well for the Bengals after the two teams traded punts on their opening drives. Patrick Mahomes through a pair of touchdown passes to give Kansas City a fourteen nothing lead. Tyreek Hill motions and lines up in the slot to the right. Mahomes with a play action fake. He's going to air it out.

Teep down Field, caught in the end zone for the touchdown, reeled in by DeMarcus Robinson. Mahomes fakes a handoff. He's back to throw short pass, has caught at the goal line Travis Kelsey with a touchdown catch. The Bengals were down by two touchdowns in the first quarter and needed a spark. Jamar Chase provided it on second down in seven from their own twenty eight, trailing fourteen nothing. First quarter, Burrow catches a shotgun snap, drops back three steps, throws,

got a man wide open at the forty. It is caught. Chase the barfield come right away to the forty. The chegs thirty two, chege twenty the ten, the five touchdown, Bengals seventy two yards Burrow to Chase. The throw from Burrow covered twelve yards. Jamar ran for the final sixty after the catch, and it couldn't have come in a better time. According to Zach Taylor, I would agree with you there just because it was it was just pretty

a stand or third down play. He ran what we call pressure route ten to twelve yards speedout, caught it as more of a cover two inside hole shot, and then put his foot in the ground and outran the whole defense for touchdown. Are you know? And you can't coach that, that's just that's just Jamar Chase being Jamar Chase. But a few minutes later the Chiefs answered with Patrick Mahomes being Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs at their own thirty five

crowd getting into it. Mahomes back to throw, has time, He's gonna fire deep down field and it is caught at the Bengals thirty and running out of bounds with a huge gain as McCole Hardman at the Cincinnati eleven yard line, he's chased out by Hilton. That fifty three yard pass led to a one yard touchdown run by Darryl Williams to put the Chiefs back on top by fourteen,

but not for long. First and ten from the eighteen Burrow throwing it toward the end zone, Chase feats his man shoulder throw, touchdown Bengals as Jamar Chase goes into the Gritty Dance for the second time in the first half, and the Bengals answer again. The inventor of the dance, Alan Gritty Davis, was in attendance as Jamar's guest. That touchdown made it twenty one fourteen, but in the first half,

the Bengals couldn't stop Mahomes. He led the Chiefs on their fourth straight touchdown drive, ending with another one yard run by Williams that made it twenty eight fourteen. With two eighteen left and a half before the game, the Bengals won the toss and elected to defer, giving them the chance to end the first half with points before opening the second half by scoring again. They got three in the final minute of the half. McPherson is set the snap to put down the swing of the right

leg and it is beautiful. A forty six yard field goal by Evan McPherson made it an eleven point deficit at halftime. Not ideal, but it could have been worse. Here's Zach Taylor. We weathered the storm. We didn't think this was going to be easy. You probably don't think that you're gonna shut the Chiefs out. They're gonna make plays, and they've got some of the premier guys at those positions.

And in a lot of the plays they made the first half, you know, he created some We were good initially in coverage and he created some time and they made some plays down the field, and that was kind of a message a halftime is they've made some great plays. We've been in pretty good position, they've made some outstanding plays. So our time's gonna come. We just gonna calm down, keep putting the pressure on on offensive scorn points and let our defense kind of get settled down a little bit.

And that's what they did, and ultimately that's how we won the game. On their third play of the second half, the Burrow to Chase combination proved deadly again. Burrow back to throw, good protection, fires deep down the stee Chase one open sprinting down feet of the twenty the ten touchdown BEng on real sixty nine yards Burrow with his second long touchdown of the day to Jamar Chase had his third overall the Nubau Uno, a seventy two yarder in the first quarter and that sixty nine yarder in

the third. The Chiefs tried to frequently blitz Burrow and play man coverage against Chase, a strategy that failed miserably. Here's Burrow. You know, if you're gonna flame one on one, you know a lot of time, it's gonna be a long day for you. And now he's a great player. He's gonna be a great player for for a long time. Great person too. He doesn't care if he gets two hundred and sixty yards and three touchdowns or if he gets zero yards, and everyone else, you know, makes all

the all the yards. So great guy, having your team. The Bengals trailed twenty twenty four going to the fourth quarter and put together their longest drive of the day, an eighty six yard march that ended with burrows fourth touchdown pass shotgun snap, Burrow retreats looking, throws into the back of the end zone. Yea, Tyler Boyds got it. Ye touchdown Bengals. Hey steer the back pylon. Tyler Boyd with great footwork. And now he sits up in the

stands and flocks his boat biceps. Has the Bengals take the lead for the first time today. That's just field awareness, that's body control, and on top of everything else, that is just a perfect throw by number nine. After throwing for five hundred twenty five yards and four touchdowns last week, Burrow followed it up with four forty six and four more tds. In the process, he broke Andy Dalton's team

records for passing yards and touchdowns in a season. After the game, Zach Taylor was asked if he could put into words what Burrow means to the franchise. No, I can't. I don't think anybody can. You know, he's we had great expectations for him, and so far as say, he's exceeded the expectations. And of course he's got championships on his brain. He's not about winning big regular season games. You know, I know that that's that's why he's here.

He's a he was always playing for championships in high school, winning championships in college, and his expectation has always been to elevate this franchise to be able to compete for championships here. And it's not going to be easy. M We've got a lot of work to do. We're not even close yet to doing all those great things, but

certainly a big step in the right direction today. And then there's no question that Joe is at the forefront of leadership on this team, and this team jumps on his back and he'll carry us as far as at him. The Bengals had a thirty one twenty eight lead, but there were nearly twelve minutes remaining, and after punting on both of their possessions in the third quarter, the Chiefs drove to the Bengal sixteen before getting stopped on third and five. They settled for a field goal to tied

the game at thirty one. The Bengals got the ball back with six minutes to go and Burrow took charge. Burrow extends the hands, Here comes a blitz. He's back to throw, He's gonna fire down the sideline. He chase those up and over his defender makes the catch for another huge game. He had two oh one before that catch and reels in another big play before going out abounds at the twenty four of Kansas City Ward in

coverage and Jamar Chase is a man among boys. That thirty five yard pass put the Bengals well within field goal range, but a holding penalty and a sack cost them seventeen yards and made it third and forever, third down in twenty seven at the forty one of KSEC thirty one, all is the score. Here comes a blitz. Burrow is going to throw it four Chase. Chase has got it. He's got it and goes out the boat

for the first down. Real unreal. At the twelve yard time he beat char various forward and now Jamar Chase is getting close to Chad Johnson's all time record for receiving yards in a game. Chad's record was two sixty and Jamar broke it with eleven catches for two sixty six, including one hundred and five yards after the catch. He also set a new record for receiving yards in a season by a rookie in the Super Bowl Era with

one thousand, four hundred twenty nine. That's twenty nine yards more than the fourteen hundred posted by his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson last year. On Draft night, Jamar said he was going to break every receiving record the Bengals have, and it looks like he wasn't kidding around. I mean, I know I could do it. I mean something, you know, if you put him onto it, then you can do it, you know, And that's what I wanted to do. I

came in here with that plan. My rouda donna came in with that plan, and I'm gonna stick with it. I'm just I just gotta keep working. Still a long way to go. After the game, Chase was shot to learn that he had seven more receiving yards than Mahomes had passing yards. I don't think I did that in a way I did. Oh sorry, sorry, excuse him up. Apology accepted. After Chase's final catch of the day, three straight Joe Mixon runs gave the Bengals a first and

goal at the one with two minutes to go. Burrow tried a quarterback sneak and got stopped. He tried another and got stoned again. The Bengals handed it to Mixon and he didn't get in. It was fourth and goal inside the one, and rather than kick a field goal to take the lead, Zach Taylor went for it and a pass to Mixon didn't work. He got tackled inside the one, but there were offsetting penalties and the Bengals

got to try again. The Chiefs crowd the middle of the defensive line, Burrow back to throw, rolling to the right, looking back to the throws into the end zone. Another homeplate penalty flag in the end zone. A hand of the face penalty gave the Bengals a first down at the one with forty six seconds to go. The Chiefs were out of timeouts, so the Bengals took the clock down to two seconds and called on Evan Money mac

McPherson to attempt the game winner two seconds left. This will be a twenty yard attempt from the middle of the field to send the Bengals into the postseason. Kevin huber Is ready catches the snap, puts it down. The kick is on the day. Yeah, he's good. The Cincinnati Bengals clinch the AFC North and prove they can beat anybody as they rally from fourteen down on three separate occasions and beats the Kansas City Chiefs thirty four, two thirty one. They beat the AFC West Champs six times

in a row. They beat the perennial champs in so doing. How about that, sports fans, So a five year playoff drought is over. The Bengals will open the playoffs at home after capturing the AFC North with one game to go. Right now, they're the number three playoff seed in the AFC, but the Bengals could climb to number one and get a buy if three things happen in the final week. The Bengals beat the Browns, the top seeded Titans lose at Houston, and the second seeded Chiefs lose at Denver.

Here's Zach Taylor. You gotta play your best football at the end of the season going to the playoffs, and right now I think we're playing pretty good football. The confidence is really high in the locker room. You don't want to take a team into the playoffs. That's just feeling like, oh man, we fit a loll and And again, I think these guys are really good. Spot mentally right now. Taylor was a little choked up at the beginning of his postgame news conference, and Joe Burrow is thrilled for

his head coach. I had my first meeting with Zach at the combine. I knew, I knew exactly what kind of coach that we had, and I knew exactly where I wanted to be. He's a great offensive mind and a great leader of men. You know, he's a great job. I couldn't have asked for a better situation. And lead it to two Ohio kids, Burrow and Sam Hubbard, to describe what it all means to Cincinnati, I would say

it means more because I'm from Ohio. I know the history of the Bengals, you know, I know the ownership that we have has taken a lot of heat. But they, I mean, they do a great job and have done a great job building this team. And so you know, a lot of credit to the Brown family for doing that. And like I said, they did a great job hiring Zach. Couldn't have asked for a better situation from ownership all

the way down. Yeah. I just had one of the people involved in the organization tell me how happy Mike Brown was, you know is on the verge of tiers, and that just is really a special feeling because you know, it really is a great family run organization. They take care of us, and to get this win for the city, this team, it's it means. As he did after winning the National Championship a couple of years ago, Burrow lit up a victory cigar after the game, one that was

mysteriously left in front of his locker by Joe. Mixon actually answered me a couple of weeks ago and I came in and it was sitting on my chessboard and I didn't really know who gave it to me until today, and he said, I gave it to you a couple of weeks ago. I said, oh, thanks, Joe, appreciate perfect timing. The Bengals are ten and six and head to Cleveland next week. The Browns have been eliminated from playoff contention

and faced the Steelers on Monday night in Pittsburgh. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game. Ultimate Bengals will be awarding a weekly winner during the course of the season with tickets, autograph merchandise and money can't buy experiences all up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals in the App Store and Google Play.

Now time for postgame analysis with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham So Lap the Bengals not only wrapped up the AFC North, but they beat a team that was the number one playoffs in the a FC and had an eight game winning streak in Kansas City. What does that say about the Bengals ability now to possibly have a run in the postseason. Yeah, I mean, I think it says a lot. I think the Kansas City Chiefs are

obviously playing for the number one seed, you know. Now there's no guarantee of that, you know, depending on how how things unfold. So it wasn't like the game didn't mean anything to them, and they obviously had to overcome

some issues up front with their offensive line. The Bengals did as well, and this was a classic game of even really really good football teams going to lose football games if they make critical mistakes a serious, very important moments of the football game in Kansas City, honestly, down the stretch made more mistakes than the Bengals did, So I think it is it does signal that we're here. We can beat anybody if we play our type of football and play smart, intense football and don't don't make

mistakes that are going to hurt you. Jamar Chase had the best performance by a Bengals wide receiver ever eleven catches, two hundred and sixty six yards, three touchdowns. What amazed

you most how very rarely was he wide open. I mean he and Barrow have that innate connection where if you're even that guy's lost, I mean Jamar Chase and Joe Barrow is going to throw the football if Jamar Chase is just anywhere close to being even with a guy, never mind beating a guy, and he's going to throw it to a spot that Jamar Chase knows he's going to throw it too, and Jamar Chase is going to

make a play in the football. And just his ability after the catches I think what jumped out to me today. I mean, they played so much just straight man on him, and it really wasn't terrible coverage. But he is so physical. I mean guys bounce off him when they he just he just throws people around. He's a man amongst boys in that regard and his yards after catch on the seventy yard touchdown. I know, we're sixty yards right there.

I don't know how many of his two yre and sixty plus yards were after the catch, but I'd say at least half of them, you know, maybe close to two thirds of those bad boys or after catch. And it's just it's remarkable the trust that's been built between Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. I mean, Joe Burrow throw will throw him the football in the process of him running a route where it's like, why did he think that Jamar Chase was going to be able to make

that play? And he basically when he sees man coverage, he believes Jamar Chase is inmunicipal. Last week, Burrow through for five to twenty five and four touchdowns. His passer rating today was even better than it was last week, one forty eight today one forty three point two last week. Should we be looking at Joe Burrow as an MVP candidate. He's making a push, I think, I mean, there's there's

no question about it. The Bengals, for the first time all season, have a three game winning streak of the most opportune time to have it, and it clinches them the AFC North, I think he should be in the conversation. You know, there's like, okay, comeback player of the Year Dak Prescott obviously is like the lock, the lock on it. Joe Borrow, what about Joe Barrow? Are you kidding me? I mean that guy should get a lot of consideration MVP. You know, there's maybe a couple of candidates are more

of a lock. But he's in the conversation for a lot of things. I think the way he's playing football right now, and honestly, I'm not sure that he shouldn't be in the conversation for highest IQ in the National Football League. This guy, he is very, very difficult to fluster. I mean, he's always calm, never confused. If he is confused, he certainly doesn't give any indication with the outward appearance that he is and that is that's so calming for teammates.

I'm sure his demeanor in the huddle must be like such a confidence builder, you know, I mean, we weren't the types that we're coming to the huddle and be a swashblower. All right, We're gonna go kick their butts collectively. You know, he'd be that kind of guy. I think Kenny and Joe Burrow's demeanor are very similar and that you know that their computer like mind is on point, and it's like this guy's in total command right now. All I have to do is do our job and

good things are going to happen. And picturing Matt Damon and Goodwill hunting with like the mathematical formulas and stuff dancing in the air burrowin Chase are the headliners, and for good reason. But how about the defense Because Kansas City scored on four straight drives in the first half, had twenty eight points at halftime, scored three points the rest of the way. Yeah, and I think I think that part of it is the offense supporting that. But

the defense did a good job. I mean, defense responded in the second half. And in Kansas City gives you a lot. I mean, Andy Reid gives you a lot of things to think about, and they're difficult. You know, he's specific to he does and how how he gained plans people open and he changes things on a week to week basis, and he just he makes you adjust that you know that you go when you go into a football game, it's not like, oh, I know exactly what Andy Reid is going to do, and here's how

I'm going to stop it. It's it's that high level chess match. You know, he's he's in the category with Belichick. I love when when Bill Belichick and Andy Reid go head to head, because Belichick will Bill Belichick will say, I just like Andy Reid is uh, he's he's a he's an unbelievable scheme guy, you know. And and it's it's like two master chess players going at it head to head and um, adjust adjusted the adjustment and man, check not checkmate, no, just check. It's it's really fun

to watch that. And I think I think he he puts a lot on your plate. And I think for the defense to make the adjustments they made at halftime or big. And I think that's a good indicator too, because you're down fourteen points three different times too. You know, the Scus the only team that had clinched a playoff spot in the AFC, and you beat them. Have to being you know, after trailing by fourteen points, not once, not twice, but three different times, you know, you think

you're mounting to come back. Oh the answer, Oh, they're not rid of you, yet you're mounted another comeback, they answer, and man to do it three times and then ultimately take your first lead in the fourth quarter and win the thing that's saying a lot. I don't know about you. I'm happy the Bengals don't have to go to Cleveland desperately needing a win to make it to the postseason. It's nice now to go there playing for playoff position.

Right now, the Bengals are the number three seed. Tennessee moved up to number one, Kansas City number two, Cincinnati number three. Those three teams have clinched their divisions, and who knows, maybe the Bengals can climb up another notch. I'm thrilled they don't have to go up there, And you know, I mean, I'm not saying that they couldn't go up there with all of it on the line and get it done. But I've been in both cases. I've been in both situations, and I know what that's like.

And it's not a to take care of business the way they took care at against against this good of a football team, and to make the statement that they made, people were like, this is a statement game. They made a huge statement and I think I think all that's positive. I mean, honestly, the way Joe Burrow's limping around, I know it's early, but if he is at the least bit limited or hindered, you don't have to play him. You don't have to play Joe Borrow in that football game.

It gives you a lot of and I'm not saying that's going to be the case, but it's good to have that luxury. What if they hadn't worked out and they lose a heartbreaker and Joe Burrow's limping around like that, and you're like, oh my gosh, you're gonna go to Cleveland and be Cleveland up in the lake and Joe Burrows limping and gimping around right now, what are we looking at? All of that pressure is off, So it's

it gives you, gives you a lot of options. And I think they're going to go up there and try to win the football game, though Be says, yeah, you're you're trying to. There's depending on how other things turn out. You know, you never know what seed you might be able to achieve. If you know, you're still plan for as high as seat as you possibly can. What an awesome game. I mean to see Mahomes and Burrow trade heavyweight uppercuts for four quarters tremendous theater, and they get

incredible results different ways. I mean, Joe Burrow is like like the doctorate in football geometry. He reads angles, he reads trajectory, he knows exactly all this stuff, you know, computes to I have to put the ball right here, and I'm good enough from forty five yards out to put the ball right there and nowhere else. And he did it over and over and over, or as Mahomes

just throws I mean rockets. He has no trajectory or little trajectory on his football, and man, that guy, I'm sure, I'm sure many a receiver have a cross on their chest from when that ball has slipped through their hands, you know, and in the tip of that football just leaves a little tattoo on your chest. He is something to watch Strow the football. But I think they're both incredibly intelligent. But honestly, from the neck up, I'm not sure.

And you know, I guess Tom Brady obviously he's done it for so long and he is so brilliant, But there's not very many guys from the neck up that I would take over Joe Burrow. I don't think i'd take Brady. I mean, at this point, how much longer is he gonna do it? Joe Barrow is on the initial stages. I mean, when you think about what he and Jamar Chase can do. Twenty five and twenty one years old, My goodness, I mean, those numbers could be sick.

They really could. In our first five years together as broadcast partners, the Bengals went to the playoffs. They've missed the last five. Now, this would be nice to start another year of at least another streak of at least five years. That's right, the tiebreaker five good, five not so good, and let's let's make this the beginning of a run. I just felt so good too, to see the just childlike, raw exuberance of Zach Taylor, the coaches, the players. I mean, I'm telling you, Dan, I've been

fortunate enough to experience it. There is no better feeling than the unbridled joy that you feel as a grown man playing a kid's game and working out the way that you want it to work out when there's so much on the line. And uh, it's just has been said so many times and It's true, there's not another business like it. I mean, you can you can close deals big you know, big deals and all that, and

you can, you can feel tremendous accomplishment. But that emotional, that raw emotion, that unbridled whatever, that uh, the adrenaline rush is just unbelievable. I don't think these guys are gonna be able to sleep tonight. I know, when we won the m Our first playoff, qualified for the playoffs, no sleep, when we beat when we win against Buffalo first round, no sleep, Freezer Bowl, no sleep for a

lot of reasons. And then lose the Super Bowl. No sleep because I'm pissed, but you know a different reason. But those those even even though the utter depressed feeling of losing a Super Bowl, I don't think i'd I don't think i'd uh, I'd try to change the outcome, obviously, but even knowing that I wasn't maybe gonna feel that joy. Just to feel what you feel in those situations is amazing.

It really is. More On Sunday's when joined Lap and Lance McCalister for Bengals Line Monday night from six to nine on seven hundred WLW. Now time for this week's fun Facts segment, and it's not with a player this week. Instead, it's a member of the front office talk for some fun facts of the Bengals Director of Strategy and Engagement, Elizabeth Blackburn. You attended your first Bengals game when you

were seven, not seven years old, seven days old. You obviously don't remember that, but what are some of your earliest Bengals memories. I remember being in the pool at Wilmington College during training camp. That was I think the first time I ever swam. I remember dressing up in the like little kid cheerleader costumes with my sister. That was both on game days and on weekdays. And I

just remember the yellow seats at Riverfront Stadium. And I think, really until we got to Paul Brown Stadium was when I was more remembering like the game game day atmosphere. Yeah, Riverfront, I just remember the yellow seats. For some reason, those really stood out. They made a strong impression. Former Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Blake was your first favorite Bengals player.

Do you even remember why? I mean probably the touchdown passes, but I'm saying that after watching a bunch of footage recently with Jeff Blake, and the Moonballs and Jake and Blake, like, that's all stuff that I've learned honestly coming back here, so I can say maybe subconsciously the touchdowns, but I just I loved Jeff Blake and I loved his smile. He does have a great smile. I agree with you. There. We're chatting with Elizabeth Blackburn. You were born a year

after your great grandfather Paul Brown passed away. Have you spent a lot of time reading about him, asking your grandfather about him, and learning about his life and legacy. I have, and I know I have so much more to learn. I started reading his book by Jack Clary before I moved home last year. And you know, I've really enjoyed talking to my grandpa about his dad, through the Ring of Honor project and just being around more.

But I feel like I'm just scratching the surface. Your grandfather, Mike Brown, gives you credit for helping to convince him that it was time to start the Ring of Honor. Did you make a formal presentation or was it just casual conversation. Yes, I did make a formal presentation. I mean several I think my grandpa, my family, and many other people that I have the pleasure of working with here know that I came from a consulting background and love PowerPoint presentations, so it was it was a mix.

I definitely gave formal presentations to outline how it would work, and he was really engaged and wanted to know the detail and know how thoughtful we were being about the selection process, about the induction process in ensuring that it

would remain prestigious into the future. So that was a mix of formal presentations and I did a ton of research on Bengals history and operational stuff as well as just some really fun conversations over lunch and before work in the morning and having our own internal debates of who we would want to see and fun conversations like

that as well. We have something in common. In the twenty fifteen playoff game against the Steelers when Vantes Berfeckt intercepted the pass with a minute and a half to go and it looked like the Bengals had won, I've said many times that was the happiest moment of my life. We're talking my wedding day, the birth of my son. I am only half joking, that's how happy I was. I read an interview where you said, I've never felt that high. Did that moment impact what you're trying to

create at Paul Brown Stadium? It was the best feeling of my life, and I want to replicate that, and I want that feeling to last way longer for me and so so so so many other people. What does a packed Paul Brown Stadium and the crowd going nuts due for the city of Cincinnati. Honestly, Dan, it's similar to that last question, because it creates a feeling and an energy and a community you cannot get anywhere else.

For fans who have been to games, hopefully this red and eates, and for fans who haven't, I would really encourage you to come check out a game because in person, being surrounded by sixty five thousand other people, being a part of something way bigger than yourself, it just feels different and it's amazing and it literally gives me chills and like this incredible mix of emotions you just can't

get in any other setting. You published a mission statement in February and it included the following, we want to bring Super Bowl titles to Cincinnati. We need to. It is the singular purpose that drives my family and the one goal at the top of my mind every day. The Bengals haven't historically said things like that, there's been kind of a Midwestern modesty that is admirable in a way, But did you think it was important to change that? I did because I felt like things were getting lost

in translation. I think that culture and people have shifted a bit, and while I absolutely want to continue Midwestern modesty and humility, I was sensing that people were not appreciating modesty and instead under interpreting things in ways that were not correct, and I felt that it was important to give our fans clarity and certainty that there is no doubt what this franchise is about. Let's talk a

little bit about your background. You went to Dartmouth. Was it nice to have some anonymity and not be known for your connection to the Bengals. Yes, it was critical. It gave me an opportunity to be myself and ultimately proved to myself that the Bengals were core to my identity, and I loved them, and I loved Cincinnati, and I wanted to come back on my own volition and not

because it was the only thing I knew. It was also really important to go be in a setting and make friends and prove that they liked me and trusted me as a person without knowing anything about me. And that's something, honestly, I kind of hope and try to take here, even though I know that's not fully possible, but proving myself as an individual is really important to me. How did you follow the games? Is there a Bengals bar in Hannover, New Hampshire? There are like no bars

in Hannah. Now I feel like Joe Burrow and I'm probably gonna get slighted by anyone who loves Hanover, New Hampshire. There are wonderful restaurants and fraternity and sorority houses in Hannoveringhamshire. Following the Games at Dartmouth was one of the kind of most special and cool connection points to my grandpa because my grandpa has a friend from Dartmouth and actually

from Cleveland. They were a year or two apart and played football together and grew up together in Cleveland and both went to Dartmouth, and his friend still lived in Hanover when I was in school and he had Sunday ticket and he and his wife would invite me and one of my friends who I went to high school with and went to Dartmouth with me as well as

now my fiance. The three of us kind of became this crew that would go over every Sunday and watch the Bengals games at my grandpa's friend's house, and it was wonderful to get to know him. It was like a new connection point to my grandpa and my family

and his time at Dartmouth, which was really cool. And it was also a really nice home experience away from home when you're just at college seeing other twenty two year olds all day, and instead I would go over and they would cook his dinner and it was the sweetest, most wonderful way to spend a Sunday. I'm sure it was awesome for your grandfather's friend too. You majored in

engineering and economics. Were those subjects that you were interested in or were you specifically thinking of things that would be helpful if you chose a career in the NFL? Both? And I'm very lucky to say that I love problem solving and I love kind of like real world operations, and that's where economics came in. I love business, and I also love teamwork, and engineering proved to have a lot of group projects and teamwork related to that work.

So those were two things I enjoyed. There were things I was naturally good at, and I knew that they would set me up, not necessarily for working in sports, but I knew that those would give me really good tools to apply to just have a successful career after college. Your mom, Katie has been called one of the most powerful women in the NFL. She cringed when I brought that up in one of these conversations, but it's undeniably true.

What do you admire most about your mom The fact that she cringed when you told her that, Because she is the most amazing role model I could ever ask for, and yet she is so humble about it. It's amazing. This is kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history, athlete, actor, statesman, religious figure, living or deceased, who would that person be? Just one? Now, if you want to go with more than one, that's fine, Okay. I've gotten this question as a nice breaker before of

like what three people would you eat dinner with? And that was actually one of the first times I ever sort of made the connection of how disconnected I was to my great grandfather, and so I pick him. I definitely would pick Paul Brown, and then if I get a few others, I would love to sit down with Queen Elizabeth of England. She had such a long reign in a time when female leaders were nearly unheard of

and was so successful. And maybe like Galileo, you know, I get the sense that your great grandfather, Paul Brown and Galileo would hit it off. Both geniuses, obviously, but inventors who envision things that nobody else had thought of exactly. And that's why I wanted to give you multiple because I think the inter room dynamics would make it way more interesting than you just getting to talk to one person. See at my dream table, I'm just sitting there and listening,

yes exactly. I hope to not say anything except for can I top off your glass? All right, you are off the hot seat. I appreciate your time. Happy holidays, and enjoy the rest of what's been a great season. Thank you, Dan and Jude. That's going to do it for this episode of The Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the app Store and

Google Play. And if you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Begels Booth podcast