Bengals Booth Podcast: Glory Days

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 Cramponds. I'm back to work after a family vacation that included a five day trip to Iceland. It was awesome, with the notable except of tasting fermented shark. Let me put it this way, the worst thing you have ever eaten is scrumptious in comparison. In any case.

One of our activities in Iceland was hiking a glacier, which required us to wear crampons. You can probably picture them. They are basically pointy spikes that attached to the bottom of your hiking boots. Well, I am here to tell you that they are remarkably effective no matter how slick or slippery the ice. So in conclusion, if you visit Iceland,

use the crampons and skip the shark. Now time to hear from the two players that you have selected to join Paul Brown, Anthony Munio's Ken Anderson and Ken Riley in the Bengals Ring of Honor. Isaac Curtis was the Bengals first round draft pick in nineteen seventy three and spent his entire twelve year NFL career in Cincinnati. He was a four time Pro Bowler and still holds the franchise record for career average yards per catch at seventeen point one. His world class speed was a big reason

why the NFL changed its rules. Chad Johnson used the nickname Ocho Sinko, but Isaac Curtis was the Bengals first great number eighty five. Isaac, let me start by congratulating you on becoming the first wide receiver in the Bengals Ring of Honor. I know that you are in the San Diego State Athletic Hall of Fame. I know you're in the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame. I imagine there are others as well. What does this particular honor mean to you. It's probably the most prestigious that it

means the most to me than anything. I mean, you know, I think when you grow up, you know, my you inspire you play football in high school and college and you look to get into the NFL, you know, And so I mean, this was a goal and to have, you know, to be honored to be in the Bengals Ring of Honor, it's you know, it's a it's the best thing, best honor that I think that I have received in a sports You were chosen by the fans. There were fifteen former Bengals on the ballot, including some

more recent stars like Chad Johnson and Bloomer Asias. And is it nice to know that the fans remember how great you were even though it's been more than three decades since you played. Yeah, I think so that's that's what's really surprising, because it has been a long time since I've played, and I'm sure there's a whole new generation of fans that are in the stadium that maybe did not have the opportunity, you know, to see myself and some of the guys that played in the early

early early seventies. But so yeah, I was. I was. It's it's really great to have been selected and to have the fans that still remembered me, enough of them still remembered me that they voted for me. So I certainly appreciate that. And like I said, we have some great fans. I've always appreciated them, and certainly this is certainly a way that they show that they certainly appreciate my time in Cincinnati. I think I can hear a

little surprise in your voice. Is that accurate? To be selected the first receiver selected kind of kind of surprised me a little bit because I just thought that, you know, there's the generation the KIT people that are understands now there's a whole new generation, you know, and they probably forgot some of us, some of us older guys. Maybe I was thinking maybe they ought to have a senior committee so that they don't forget about some of us guys.

It wasn't necessary. Our guest is Ring of Honor inductee Isaac Curtis. You join your primary former quarterback, ken Anderson in the Ring of Honor. How quickly did you two guys click and why was it such a potent combination for so many years? Well, I think we clicked. We did a lot of work. I had to do a lot of work being a young wide receiver and actually only played wide receiver on one year in college before coming to Cincinnati, so it took a lot of work.

We put a lot of time on the field to work on our timing, and I put a lot of study time in and just listening and watching Kenny and I had some really some good veteran wide receivers that were there that that really helped me. Charlie joined our Chip Myers. You know that, I really that I really learned how to really learn how to study and really learn how to prepare for that position. And like I said, we just put a lot of time in with with

Kenny and Kenney just been an excellent quarterback. As timing was good, it didn't take long for us to get in get catch our stride. I think probably about the third or fourth game, or fourth week or the fifth week of the season, I think we finally caught our stride. And you know, we had confidence at each other and he finally realized that I was going to be where I was supposed to be. You spent twelve years in

the NFL, all of them in Cincinnati. You were part of the bengals first super Bowl team in eighty one. What do you cherish most about those dozen years with the Bengals. I would have to say that eighty one season. You know, I think everybody that that plays in this league, you know, inspires or would love to play in a super Bowl. And that was just such a magical season. I think everything from the players that we had, Uh,

we just had such good chemistry. You know, we got along with each other, well, we've had fun together on the field and off the field. And then having the opportunity to to go and play in a Super Bowl, Um, that was that. It was just a magical season and that I'll always remember that. But like I said, it was just a chemistry and that whole year and that whole season players a type of players that we had.

We had a lot of young guys and uh that that blended in with with some of the old veterans that were there, and it was just it was just a good. Uh, it was a good team. Did last year's Super Bowl team remind you of that? They did? They did? They They had some they have some great young players. You know, they got some steady, steady veterans there. But uh, you know, you got a great, you know, great quarterback. I mean Joe Burrows is just outstanding, you know,

and you got great wide receivers. You got a great running game, and uh you got you had a defense that was it was pretty really feisty. You know. Um, they do remind me of our our eighty one a super Bowl team. You know, they're young, and I think they're gonna be good for a while. Your first head coach was Paul Brown. Your first offensive coordinator was Bill Walsh, although I don't think he had the title back then.

But what do you respect about each of those guys and how big of an impact did they have on your success? You know, I respect both of them tremendously. I think Paul Brown, it was just the business. You know, it was a you know that you really understood. You know, your job is really understand this game and understand your business. And this is a business and you need to you know, you you there's a way to go about it, you know. And uh, and with Bill Wallace, I mean he was

just such a tremendous offensive mine as well. I mean he was just, uh, you know, you can come in at halftime. He put a game plan to get you coming into a half time. He'll look at you and say that they do this, they do this. We're going to make the changes. He'll make it all the all the adjustments that you want to make. But just a great, great offensive mine imagination. You know, they were. They were both just tremendous coaches, geniuses in their own in their

own right. Isaac, as you mentioned, you were only a wide receiver for one year in college at San Diego State, who'd played running back and run track at Cal prior to that. Do you think you could have had a long and successful NFL career as a running back. I do not. I do not. I think I may have had a career, but I think eventually I would have been moved to wide receiver. You know, I was. I was kind of a long, lanky, kind of a running act um, you know, a nine three sprinter, So I

had I had outside speed. It was not it was not to be in the in the backfield. And one of the reasons I'd transferred to UH to San Diego State now and I had that opportunity was, you know, I kind of felt that wide receiver was my position. And so when I when I looked at going over to San Diego State with Don Creele there, um, I was going to be moved to a to a wide receiver, and I was, and I thought that was a more natural position for me. So I always say that was

the best move I ever made. What about track? Had you concentrated on track, do you think you would have won a medal in seventy two and the one hundred meters? I think that I certainly would have had an opportunity to UH to win a medal. I think I would have had an opportunity to to make that to make that that track team, the Olympic team. Um, you know, I was running well that year, but that was the year that I transferred from from cal to San Diego State.

So and it was my senior year and I was changing positions from you know, from running back to wide receiver. So if I made the if I made the team, I would have missed the first part of the football

season and I was a football player first. You know, I love track, but I was a football player first, and uh and I you know, that's one thing I wish I could have done and it would have worked out because I love track and I would have loved to have that opportunity to run for the you know, the run for the US, represent the US in the in the Olympics in Munich that year. Of course, we had some issues even our track team that that year

with their starting time. Our sprinters missed the US miss the prelims right, and only one American ultimately was in the final for the one hundred meters that year and he won the silver medal. Isaac, part of your legacy is the Isaac Curtis Rule. Following your rookie year, the NFL changed the rules. Paul Brown helped make that change where defensive backs were only allowed to bump you in the first five yards. After that, What was it like to play wide receiver before that rule was passed. Well,

I'll tell you what it was. It was a lot of work, you know, I mean it it was it was a battle getting up and down the field because you know it was kind of open game. I mean, cornerbacks can come up, they can bump you. They can bump you up and down the field. I would I got cut. I would get cut every now and then. Every now and then a corner would would roll would come up on you, and then outside linebacker would come and try to cut your leg from under you, or

a corner would roll up and just cut you. You know. And as long as the ball wasn't in the air, they can they can do whatever they want. And so you you really battled getting up and down the field, you know. And I never really complained about it because that back then, that's just the way the game was played, you know. And that's uh. And it was the same for everyone. But you know, it certainly opened up the game. And what it's done to the game today. It's certainly

a passing league. And uh, it's it's tough to cover some of these wide receivers, uh, you know, when you can only bump them, uh five with the five yards off of the off the line of scrimmage. These guys are big and fast and talented and uh, but it's an exciting game. But it was a it was a good route change. I I was all for it. You helped make professional football a much more entertaining game. That's the bottom line with the Isaac Curtis rule. Well, let's

it opened it up. It certainly opened it up. Yeah, I've teased a couple of guys in the past about that. You know, I said, well, you know it's such, it's you know, the game is open. I mean, you guys ought to give me a percentage of hitting now. But uh, you say it was enjoyable when I played, But it was. I certainly opened a game up and uh made it made it Uh made it fun, made it fun, Isaac, I think you can make the case that the Bengals have had more great players at wide receiver than any

other position. As I mentioned, Mike has told me on several occasions he considers you to be the best. But there are other great ones like your former teammate Chris Collinsworth, Chad Johnson, A. J. Greene, now Jamar Chase and T Higgins. It's quite an impressive list. Who do you consider to be the best? Guys, I'll allow you to remain modest and not include yourself on the list, But of the others, who did you enjoy watching the most? Well, do you

know what I enjoy watching this whole crew. But smart Chase, I really, I really, I mean, he's so exciting, you know, and so explosive. And but but all Higgins, all those guys are fantastic receivers, you know, really really top receivers. But but Chase is probably is probably my my my favorite. He's the one that I really enjoy watching. He's so he's such exciting player. When he scores a touchdown, he

does the gritty dance. When you scored a touchdown, you had one of the coolest, most low key touchdown cell librations of all time where you casually dropped the ball over your shoulder. Where did that come from? You know? That came down at up San Diego State. We were before the season. There was a lot of a lot of the wide receiver were all kind of stretching and warming up down in the end zone getting ready for practice,

and a lot of the new guys. And I was kind of one of the new guys there because I was only there for one season. And one of the guys were kind of kidding around what kind of spikes where they're gonna do if they score? And one of the guy looked at me says, well, Isaac, what are you gonna do? You know, when you scored testdown, I said, just handed back to the referee. You know, let's you know, you know know, that'd be about it. And he says, no,

you gotta do something. So he tossed me the ball and I just dropped it over my shoulder and I said, that's it. And so that's kind of where that where that came from, and it kind of stuck. I think it fits your personality. You were very cool, not only in the way that you played, but the way you looked. Everything about you is kind of graceful and cool. You find that to be an app description of your playing days. Oh,

I don't know. I try to keep a level head, you know, for the most for the most part, you know, I always saw always tell guys, I said, you know what, I don't like to slam the ball and throw it in defensive backspace or make a you know, kind of embarrassing I said. I said, I don't. I don't need to give him any more incentive than they already do to try to take my head off. So I just

casually throw it tossed behind mine my head. But I was telling I was talking with Mel Blunt, you know, the Pro Bowl one time, and one time, you know, he was talking about that my spike, Well it wasn't a spike, but he says, you know what, that upset us more than anything, as you act like it was no big deal. You know, we would have you know, if you would have jumped up and got excited and threw the ball down, you know, we would just say, okay, yeah,

you should be excited if I'm scoring with us. But when you score, if you scored, you act like it was no big deal. That really upset us. Fantastic, Isaac. Let's talk a little bit about your expectations for the twenty twenty two Bengals. You alluded to it earlier. You think they can be good for an extended period of time. What do you think about this upcoming season and what do you consider the biggest roadblocks to be coming off the Super Bowl appearance. Well, I think that, like I say,

I think they're going to be good. They got you know, they got their said at quarterback, they got great wide receivers, they got great running backs. They've upgraded their offense, their offensive line, which was you know, probably something that most people looked at and thought might have been suspect a little bit. But but you know, it's just repeating. It's always tough for to go back and try to do it,

do it, do it, do it again. But I think potentially with the talent that these guys have, um and uh, you know, they're just seemed they're well coached, and they just seemed to got their heads on. They got a lot of confidence. I think, uh, you know, it's been a young team. I certainly field that they probably feel like, you know what we can we can do this again, and we're gonna and this time we can we can go all the way with it. But I think they're

gonna have a good year. You know, I can say it's not gonna be easy, but it's uh, but they got a lot of talent. One of the highlights of the year will be week four, Thursday night football Bengals Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium. That will be the Ring of Honor game where you will officially be inducted. Is there anything specific you are looking forward to about that

night and who will be there? Well, I'm just excited to see all of the you know, all of the other you know players that are coming in, that will be you know that have been nominated, that are coming in. It's always great to get together to see you know,

to see all the all the players. And just so my appreciation to the fans that have voted, that voted me in, um, certainly appreciate that my my my of course my my wife will be there here and since Natie, my son, and since Nattie will probably be there, we'll know we're going to get a whole whole big crew of a family coming out from California because we're going to be there two weeks earlier because my youngest son

is getting married in September. So nice, we're coming out and then we're coming back and then we turn around coming back. So so um, but we are, but we are looking looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to the to the ceremony and the induction, but most of all also looking forward to seeing all of all of

my former teammates and all of the other players. It's always it's always great to get together and see the guys and talk about the old times and you know, let this is the story I could like they say, the stories always get bigger. Sounds like September is going to be a very special month in the Curtis family. We look forward to Yeah, we look forward to having you back in town for that game. And congratulations again

this bit of recognition from Bengals fans. It is well deserved and we are thrilled to see you entering the Bengals Ring of Honor. Congratulations, well, thank you, thanks for having me. In that conversation, I mentioned the Isaac Curtis rule that states that a defender is only allowed to bump a receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Here's Mike Brown on his father Paul pushing for that rule in part because of Isaac Curtis, offense in the

National Football League had ground down. The defense had come to dominate. And back in those days you had to pass protect with your hands against your chest, and you had to run patterns against cornerbacks who could bump you, push you, cut you, shove you all over the field. Well,

that made it hard to throw the ball. And there came the time when finally my father, who was on the competition committee, Don Shula Textram, they were the competition committee, and they met about the predicament the league had found itself in and they came up with the changes in the rules which allowed the use of the hands to some degree on past protection and limited bumping a receiver to five yards down field. Well, that opened the game up.

For most of his career, Isaac played under the old rules. Just at the end when he was probably at the downside of his career, he had the benefit of the new rules. But if he had had the benefit earlier, I think he would have rewritten the record book, not just the Bengals, but the National Football League record book. He was a splendid white out. He had a great, great speed. He was fast enough to try out for

the Olympics, and he was close to making it. He had great hands, And I told the story maybe you've heard it, where he went down the sideline against Cleveland on a go pattern and he was on the right side and reached up with his outside arm his right arm and just pulled the ball in with one hand in stride and ran away from the cornerback. And later in the game he did the same thing on the other side with his left hand and just two one

handed catches that kept him right in stride. And I've never seen anything like that since let alone to see it twice by one player in the same game. I remember we played Houston one time. We had to win to get in the playoffs, and he caught a ball with Hurdley. It was like so extra time. I mean, the clock was gone and he caught the ball and ran through about their whole team for fifty yard touchdown score And it was a great, great critical play for us.

He was a top receiver. Many people would say he was the Bengals all time top receiver, and I wouldn't argue with him. Before we get to our next Ring of Honor inductee, here's a reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game. This past season, Ultimate Bengals awarded a weekly winner during the course of the year with tickets, autographed merchandise, and money can't buy experiences all up for grabs.

Find Ultimate Bengals in the app store and Google Play. Willie Anderson with the Bengals first round pick in nineteen ninety six and spent twelve years in Cincinnati before ending his NFL career with one season in Baltimore. He was a four time Pro bowler who remarkably only gave up sixteen sacks in his entire career. He is widely considered to be the best right tackle of his era. Willing congratulations on being chosen for the Bengals Ring of Honor.

There are five players now who have been selected, including the best left tackle en franchise history, Anthony Munio's and now the best right tackle in franchise history. Yourself, what does it mean to you not only to be picked, but to be one of the first five players selected. He's definitely an honor and being a part of the first five, it's something that I think everybody's fans, players, and everybody's been included, been warning from from the Bengals

the Ring of Honor for a long time. So um always thought that a lot of the older guys should go first. But I'm so appreciative of the fans and people picking me. To Gordon with a great gallet Isaac Curtis um can we kind of like both blend the generations. You know, him being from the seventies and I think myself being the first person who actually played in Paul Brown Stadium to be selected for the Ring of Honor. So definitely a great deal. Humble by it, and I'm grateful.

Have you gotten to know Isaac well over the years? On fourth, I haven't um the guys I know. I know obviously Kenny Anderson very well. UM coach, He's one of my coaches. When I played for the Bengals in the last couple of years. I got to know Ken Raleigh very well. So I'm definitely excited about getting to get to know Isaac and get to know the original

eighty five Willie. I saw you a few weeks ago when you were in Cincinnati for Bengal Jim Foster's Jungle to the Hall rally, which is an effort by Bengals fans to raise awareness for the players who deserve to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame from Cincinnati, and your appreciation of the fans port was really obvious that day. Can you articulate what that means to you?

This means a lot, especially as an ex player. You know sometimes in this generation of of of media that that go so fast the former guys, it's in the music business, sports, everything. When you're a former guy, you kind of get left behind because information goes so fast now, So the fans are the Bengals fans to me have inspired guys like myself, UM and other former guys because the love and passion they show for us, you know,

doing retirement. You know, I've been retiring now for thirteen years, I think, and just through social media, guys like Bengals Gym and you know, all these guys that that are doing things for the for the ex players. Um, this gives us hope, gives us hope to give us since the pride, because you want to be um involved with your organization that that you put so much time man so for the fans to keep things like this going.

I know for myself personally, with these guys been doing for me, along with media people like Jeff Hobson and guys for the Hall of Fame push, it's great. Um. I remember talking to Ken Rally before he passed away. He told me that he wished things like this would be happening a lot sooner and he got a chance to see it a little bit. But the push the fans been doing for guys like him and Kenny Anderson and a lot of these famer guys included myself, has

been just tremendous. Our guest is the great Willie Anderson. You had the misfortune of joining the franchise when the Bengals were struggling and didn't make it to the playoffs until your tenth year. Does the recognition and the adulation that you are getting now helped make up for that? It does? It does because like when you when you do retire, you played on bad teams early in my career,

like I did. I remember a couple of years ago talking to Tequila's fights and we both said, man, we just come come to the conclusion that our careers are part and I'm never going to get seen by anyone because no one's going to pay attention to that era of Bengals, you know what I mean. And this was

before just run they're going on right now. So, um I it doesn't makes us feel better that that we're getting this kind of publicity retired, because there's there's so many guys and people in general that have never seen us play before. You know, all my kids and even my college and programs at my academy here, they've never

seen me play before. They've seen my videos got post on social media, but they you know, get for those people right there to get a chance to see um our career and see that we're being honored this late in our lives. Um, it's definitely a great feeling and you know, good thing to see be involved in. Those kids should queue up one of Corey Dillon's two hundred

yard games. Hey man, I talk about Corey all the time, you know, I tell people all the time I got like CD, if you put him with a top just an average passing game, I guarantee all these kids would know who he was, you know. I mean the things that Corey had to fight through. Um, you know, just eight to nine man boxes and you know those kids they've never seen an eight nine ten man box right

now in the days, well because of the spread offense. Well, you know, Corey Dillon was running out of the our formation and offset formations, and he didn't have the best of quarterbacks for most of his career with the Bengals until he got to you know, Tom Brady, and you know he set records. You know, So City is a record setter that I wish more people would see and more people would talk about because he is one of

the big time players NFL history. In my opinion, I imagine he is one of my answer one of your answers to my next question, which is who are some of the guys you would like to see get in next after you and Isaac Curtis to the Bengals Ring of Honor. Like I said, I said last year when they first came up with it, I said, I wish the older guys are boarding first, because let's be honest, we're about thirty years behind, you know, on having a

sting right now. So there's guys like you know, I had a chance to play with one of the superstars of the Bengals organizations in Boom Size. You know, I mean, I watched Boom as a kid in nineteen eighty eight. I was thirteen years old watching him go to the super Bowl. Then you know here eleven years later, I had a chance to play with him for a year, so to me and that that was a big deal for me. And the guy was the MVP of the league, and and and and and and brought a lot of

motor rider to this team. But a guy like Boomer and of those of those older guys like that, um, I personally wish we had more than two guys going in so we can get some of the older guys in. Then we can get guys in like a Corey Diller and Ojo, you know, Tequille Spikes and you know guys some guy some our era. But I do understand first if the people who picking though the U, the season ticket holders, you know, I would love to see some of the older guys get you know, get established. The boomers.

Um your chim crumb rise guys that that you're Reggie Williams. Got a guy who I talked to on Facebook a lot, and um, you know, he keeps his he keeps his his name kind of going along because I tell Reggie all the times that man. When I was younger and the eighty eight, watching you guys down in Mobile, Alabama, I thought Reggie Williams was a mayor. I literally, I literally thought he's an mayor of Cincinnati and he played

football because I always saw him in suits. I always saw him at different meetings and involved in the city, whether it's doing the stripe blocked out or he was doing things and helping the city out. So I thought as a kid, I thought, man, this guy was a mayor and he really played for the Bengals. I thought that was so cool. As a kid, so um guys said that, UM just just just bridging those gaps from the older guys who played before us and some of

my teammates all guys that played in my era. So do you have a favorite game or favorite moment in the Bengals uniform. It's a weird, it's a weird one. I could say all of the Russian records that we sat. I was a part of two Russian records. But the Old five game in Detroit, you know, like you said, after ten years, I wanted to be in the playoffs and just that feeling of, you know, we're in the locker rooms. We had shirts made up and Margaret was

so pissed off at the shirts. I remember that. I couldn't understood that too, Like you know, we just wanted the vision. But you know, I waited ten years to win the division and just seeing I think we blew the I think we brew the lines out the game and they were down. You know, their franchise had been down with us too for a while too, but at that point in time, we were up. We had Carson, we had Rudy and o'chill and TJ. We had a really good offensive line, had a defense that was turning

the ball over at a rapid rate. So me, a lot of those guys thought that feeling was normal, but I knew better. I knew I waited ten years for that moment to happen and get to the playoffs. And I remember getting to the playoffs and a lot of my teammates from a lot of guys around the league who I played with him at college, like my boy Wayne Gandy, who played at Pittsburgh at the time. He was calling me that morning the playoffs. You know, we

were eating breakfast that morning. Hey man, you finally made it to the playoffs, like, you know, ten years in and you know, I knew how hard it. I knew how long and hard I waited for that moment. A lot of guys on the team had, you know, they hadn't been in that long to witness. I think it was just like myself, Brad Saint Louis and Richie Brown, guys who have been around, you know, since the mid nineties.

I think Brian Simmons to experience that the hard time was in the nineties and now finally reaching over the hump and oh five. So that game of Detroit part of my fondest memory because as a team, we just played so long, you know, for that national recognition that happened for us. It's interesting that you mentioned that game because I've talked to Mike Brown over the years about

some of his most memorable games. Obviously he's been there for all of them, and he also picks out that game and specifically describes sitting in his front row bus seat that he's always in first seat of bus one looking out the window and seeing all of you guys and the joy on your faces from getting over the hump and ending that long streak of not going to the postseason. Yeah, I mean, definitely it was a big moment. Man, Like Marvin had been there for what that was the

third year correct we got out the hump. We had a couple of eight and eight seasons, get a figure Oh two was two and fourteen. So and the next year Marvin got there, we were one game my way from going to the playoffs, and I think oh four, we missed it about two games, so then oh five. For those things that happen and everything, you know, you know, accumulated that day in Detroit. You know, we're just like, hey man, we we we we got over one hurdle.

That hurdle was getting to the postseason. We're visiting with Willie Anderson. You're widely considered to be the best right tackle of your era. What do you consider to be the most important traits that helped you excel? Just being able to I spoke at a clinic a couple weeks ago in Dallas, just being able to evolve, Like I came into the leagues. If you see all my rookie all my rookie cards that they hand out rookie, my rookie player cards, they all said role grading run blockers.

So for all people who gives me credit for being a devastating pass blocking a great pass blocker of my career, I came in the league. You know, the league was all about running football. You know, the the quarterbacks were not yet the superstar the superstars where you're running backs, and in particular in our division, we had some of the all time great running backs in our division along

with Corey and then they don't get rooted. Um. So me being able to evolve my career from the mid nineties where it was a devastating, you know, run blocking league. You know, tough guy on tough guy, you know what I mean. You know, I was moved to the right side as my rookie year because we didn't have anybody strong enough and big enough to play on that side, because the Russias on that side were big power for men, you know what I mean. And you're faster, the more

athletic guys so called, we're over the left tackle. So we didn't have anybody in our team to do it, so they didn't move me over there, and and it worked. But my game evolved over the years because I say all the time, the Russias went from being as big as Reggie White and Michael straighthand and Judas Peppers sixty

five to sixty seven. Peppers was m to oh five Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeni is six foot one and we have never we have never seen guys that size at defense end before in the history of the league. They were coming in doing spin moves, they were ducking under guy's arms. So they were two day were the small love with duck under your arms. So seeing those guys have been able to evolve my game over the years.

I think then once you look into all the pro football focus and the Pro Football Reference they ranked my pass blockings one in last twenty years. That's all time best. Um so for being a run blocker to you know, a shutdown pass protector later my career, you know, I said, just being able to evolve my games. I think I'm biggest straight. Anybody that follows you on Twitter has seen the videos that you post working with young offensive linemen. You seem to love it. What do you get out

of that? Just a joy and a promise I made to myself and God that you know once I once, I made it that I would always look back for kids because when I was younger then I had had a weird. I had a weird I thought. I kept dreaming, like why won't Michael Jordan Oprah Winfrey comes to Mobile, Alabama and just show us how to make it out of here? Like those those are two most famous people that you know that we looked at it and our in our err and I'm like, God, dog, like how

do you make it? Like? What things do you have to do to make it throughout high school? Then? Because now there's so much, so much information for these kids now, I mean they can go get a step my step boklet to follow and I kind of called myself that that eight to Z guy helping these kids make it

from high school, you know, to college. And even the kids who are not gonna play college football out of my cademy, you don't, we have some kids that just want to be high school starters and their parents wanted to make the team and be a starter and mom and dad going to your form on Friday night. Um, I have those kind of kids all the way to the guys like the Paris Johnson was who if Lloyd wouldn't things were right, it could be it can be a first round drift pick next year that had PJ

since his ninth grade year in high school. So just just just fulfilling that promise I made the guard that the healthy kids out, Um, I can be a lot more famous, probably training a bunch of pros and my gym I had a bunch of pros and because the NFL media would eat it up. But my joy and passion comes from a last year we had fifteen kids

to signed scholarships out of my academy. We we hit, we worked there, worked there recruiting, and we training, and to me, that's fifteen families that these kids stay in school, they'll leading school with no no college debts. They're on a free ride. And to me, that's that's bigger than me, than me having a bunch of pros and kind of saying, hey, I trained this guy. I trained this guy, but you know I trained a five foot ten left guard at

this high school. You know what I mean? Who travels and Alabama Enterprise Alabama travel to Alata two and a half hours to come of training me. He's probably gonna play Division three ball at best, but he's he has the willing and the power, you know, the willpower drive for two and a half hours to come see me. It's one of the reasons why I give kids two hour sessions. We never have an our sessions. I have kids driving two and a half hours sometimes to come train,

sometimes out of state. So I try to give him more than what they give me. And that gives me my joy and pleasure to help these kids because because I wanted someone to help my son, and my son only made it to college because I had a group of guys around him that were really good people who really loved him, and they weren't really worried about just making money off him. They really wanted to see him to see so I have a right to pay that back as a skill developer of these big guys. That

is awesome stuff. Let me ask you a couple of questions about the current team. What do you think of new right tackle la L. Collins else? Who will play your own position? I ain't got my old number on them. So he is the third right tackle we've had that seventy one after me. So, but I worked at l LC. I didn't Dallas before twenty eighteen out with the Cowboys working with them and training camp and mini camp and had a chance to build a relationship with him then. Um,

he's definitely kind of guy. Um, I think the Beagles needed right tackle. He's a he's a He called himself an enforcer, and you watch him play, he plays like an enforcer. I think right now with Joe Burrow at quarterback, we need some enforces up there. We need those kind of guys along with Jonah Jonah at the left tackle. We finally got those two book ins you know that that we had back when you know it was Andrew Witworth and and Andrew Smithton. Before that was myself and

Levi Jones. You know what I mean, the Beagles always has success they've had two dominating tackles, whether it be the great the Goat, Anton Muyos and my mentor Joe Walters, you know what I mean. So this this team's had success when they've had those kind of two tackles. And I think um Ulya provides an attitude because we have to have an attitude adjuster. He's a dominating run blocker.

He's a guy who shuts down guys and pathbitecture and the guy who's gonna live to me as the right tacle position going to play at a Pro Bowl level or you know, so or high just just just what he's done the whole time he's been in the NFL. Let's played a Pro Bowl right tackle. How about Jackson Carmen. I know you gave a stamp of approval before he was drafted last year. You've worked with him some in the past. What does he need to do to become the kind of NFL player you think he could be.

Just keep developing his game and and and and focusing on the game and um you know, it's a different it's a different aspect playing. Let's tackle your whole career of high school in college and then coming to play left guard, like Jackson's a tall, big guy, and those guards, those tackles deferent the tackle down, you're gonna look at a guy like Aaron Um, the guy out of you know, I'm having Aaron don bad. He's got six foot one,

you know what I mean. And so a guy like Jackson having to been down and play at that leverage. So it's a whole different game in him playing tackle and guard. And I think the more experience he gets um you know, all season things he continues he does, and the things he gets to do it and training him, I think, you know, just getting just getting more and more reps. I think the more the more reps he

can get, the better he'll be. But it takes some time for tackles to go into guard because there's less space, and I mean the time is more faster. The guys are are are probably more you know, not just as big as him, but sometimes they're biggest, big big as he is. Sometimes they're smaller, more quicker, more explosive guys. So him figuring that part of the game, I think something big adjustment for him. I think he bigble should

be able to do it. WILLI That Ring of Honor game will be in week four, Thursday night game against the Miami Dolphins. Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to that night and who do you plan to have in attendance. Um, I'm talking to some of my teammates right now. Obviously my mom is coming, Um, Um, my brother Pastor Floyd walking up then Cincinnati right now. Owner,

happiest pieces my brother, He's coming. But what I'm looking for is some of my teammates to come back, because you if you look at the years past, when other teams you know, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or you see you see the patients every year doing it, the former guys come back, you know what I mean? And and uh fortunately and unfortunately for us, we only second year doing it, so we don't have as many guys. They're gonna be they're

gonna be wearing the jackets. But I do what some of my teammates to come back, because you know, those guys help, you know, build a legacies that we have. And so many guys have helped me make it to this level. All the guards I played with, from from Mike Golf to my boy Bobby Williams, the guys that that man, Ken black Man's guys that haven't seen in years, you know what I mean. Talk to a lot of guys out. I know we have a big group text

of being us. My boy Levi Jones talking about coming up and so guys at that man, guys that you know, Richie Brown, talk to Richie all the time. You know, guys at that who who helped my career out. Um, I want to be able to celebrate this with them and hopefully those guys being a couple of years so hopefully hopeful, hopefully guys coming back in the Austin, you know, the former guys coming back, get a chance to come back and have a good time and see this all right?

Final thing, you look great. You've lost a ton of weight. You're gonna look great in that jacket. I can tell you that on Ring of Honor night. What motivated you? And how do you feel? Feel? Good? Man? I feel great,

you know, I man, I've lost seventy five pounds of things. Um, just just my health, need to just I spent so much time, you know, last five you know, my son's high school career, just trying to help him out and got him, you know, traveling him around the country trying to you know, just training, and I was doing way more things for him that I was doing for myself and even into his college career at Georgia Tech. And

I just decided, you know, doing COVID. Hey man, you know, I mean, I'm too doug on big right now, you know what I mean. And you know, I had some health issues I'm dealing with and all different things that so I think the weight loss would I figured the weight loss will help those things out. I feel better, you know what I mean, you know, and I need to do it, man, you I need to eat better and I need to stay moving a lot more. Doing COVID.

I started doing these crazy long walks because because we couldn't go to the gyms, and we were all listing in the Zombie World Zombie a Populous World, and we thought they're working to go outside. So I started going outside, man, just walking and you know, walking fifty minute walks. And I kept doing it from from then and so so since two twenty one February, when I started growing this beard, I made a committing myself to start you know, walking

crazy and late night gym sessions. I can't go too hard in me, Jim, because my body is still hate hurts every day. But just walking and staying active man, and not you know, the late night eating stuff stop. You know, lost the weight man. I feel good, you know, I mean hopefully I look good. You do look good. Congratulations on dropping seventy five pounds. That's not too easy to do. But more importantly, congratulations on being one of the first five players selected for the Ring of Honor.

It's well deserved and we looked forward to seeing you in week four on Thursday night for Hey. Thanks that last year, Willie was one of fifteen Modern era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and while he wasn't elected, he was one of only two offensive linemen on the ballot, and the other one, Tony Basselli, got in. Here's Mike Brown on a worthy candidate to join Anthony Muno's in Canton. He was special. Willie was massive, and he had quick feet, the feet of dancer. He had

long arms. When anyone got to him, it didn't do him much good because he was so big and strong and they couldn't throw him off balance and he could dance with them, glide with them to the outside when they tried to get around to the outside, so they couldn't go outside, They couldn't go inside, they didn't go anywhere. They just stayed where they were, and we had a right tech that was as good a right tech or as this league is seen. He should be in the

Hall of Fame along with Anthony. As a pair there was. There wouldn't have been two better than those two. Hopefully Willie will eventually get his gold jacket, but we do know this, he and Isaac Curtis will get their Bengals Ring of Honor jackets on Thursday night, September twenty ninth, when the Bengals host the Dolphins. That's going to do it for this episode of The Bengals Booth podcast, presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead of the twenty

twenty two season. It's free to play next level fantasy football with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get it now on 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 Bengals Booth podcast