Bengals Booth Podcast: Hometown Glory

H I get everybody on Dan Horde and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Around my Hometown addition, as the Cincinnati Kid, Sam Hubbard joins me to discuss retirement, life after football, and spending his entire NFL career in Cincinnati. Then it's five questions with one of the guys in line to succeed Sam, first round draft pick Shamar Stewart, followed by five observations at this stage of the off season.

Yeah, you know, I announced my retirement in March. I was so thankful for the reception I received.

All the love. It was very mutual.

You know, I have so much love for this team, this city and everything that it means. But I you know, first things first, I focused on getting married, But now I'm back in town, and like you said, we're hitting the ground running. Got a lot of exciting things in the works, and now that I'm retired, I'm kind of surprised that I've gotten ten times busier.

But it's a great thing.

I'm very thankful for it and thankful for all the support from great partners like Fifth Third.

I wasn't aware of your dad's connection to Third. A fifty thousand dollars gift is pretty telling.

Yeah, definitely. You know, you worked here for twenty three years.

They've supported us for Fifth Third has supported my foundation for the last three years. But a gift like this

There are a lot of former Bengals in this area, particularly dating back to the first two Super Bowl teams that have been very generous with their charitable efforts. Anthony Munoz, Dave lap On, David Fulcher, the list goes on and on, but it was almost like there's been a gap to a current generation. Have you given any thought to kind of being the next wave of former Bengals that can use your platform to help You know, all.

I've looked at from those guys is, you know, the guys that have done it right, Like you said, Munho's Ken Anderson. They've just been such great examples for me on how to further their legacy to continue to make an impact after their playing days. And I really admire those guys and want to be like them, So you know, I hope to do the same to future generations and that cycle can provide a lot of good And that's

For the first time I've seen you, since you're retired, I'm sure you could have kept playing. Why was this the right time?

You know, I had a great career, I had a great run I took a lot of snaps, a lot of wear and tear in my body, and I felt like I had done enough to where I'm transitioning into the next phase of my life and I'm excited about it.

And it's been it's been great.

What will you miss most and what will you miss least?

I'll probably miss the connections and the everyday conversations that you have in the locker room, you know, messing with each other, just you know, the banter in the locker room. Those those memories are you know, they can pick you up when you're you're down after.

The worst loss. So they're very special.

And I'll miss least probably the the ban being banged up on Monday after game day, injuries and such, but that's part of the game.

How meaningful is it to you to have spent your entire career with the Bengals.

Yeah, I mean that's so meaningful. It means everything to me. Partially why I decided to not try and play anywhere else. I wanted to be a Bengal for life, being raised here, drafted here, built my whole legacy here. I didn't want to go to another team and kind of retract from that and start from the ground up.

But that's, you know, a huge factor in my decision.

You were a mentor to some guys who'll be looking to fill your shoes now, Joseph Osai and Miles Murphy, cam Sample and others. What are your hopes for them going forward as they try to fill that spot opposite Trey.

Yeah, they're ready for That's something I'm very confident about. Just great people, great guys. They're ready, not only physically and.

As a player.

But they're ready, as you know, they've grown up in front of my eyes. They're ready to be leaders, ready to bring the other guys and young guys around them up to speed. And I'm sure they're excited about I know they're excited about the opportunity. I've talked to them all and yeah, I have utmost confidence. And I also like the new pieces we've added. Talked to Zach, congratulate them on the draft and think that they're in a good, good spot.

You came within ninety seconds of winning a Super Bowl. You're part of a team that ended the playoff drought. You had arguably the most famous play in franchise history. Did you accomplish just about everything you set out to accomplish.

After I cut the touchdown from Joe, Yes, one hundred percent. But now I realistically I never could have when I got drafted. Picture that you know that those would be part of my resume, but the fact that they are just as a testament to trust in the process and hard work and doing right by the people around you and always trying to you know, put your best foot forward and.

You'll find yourself in positions you never dreamed of.

So it's it's been a it's been a great story still being written.

That final play is pretty amazing. I mean Ted Williams ended his baseball career with a home run and his final at bat and a defensive end, ended his NFL career with a touchdown catch on his final snap.

Yeah, can't draw it up any better. That's a storybook. So I didn't want to. I didn't want to get greedy and try and go create something better.

That's almost too good to be true.

Last thing, Sam, you've been on kind of a hamster wheel of football training for the last decade, at least between Ohio State and the Bengals. What are you looking forward to doing now that you could never do over that time period.

Oh, that's a tough one.

I've been doing a lot of things, a lot of a lot of more time on my hands. First thing I was very focused on was getting married in my wedding, which was an incredible experience that I'm very thankful for. But uh, you know, I I would never think that I would go to a tailgate or a Bengals game, or or I have a watch party and watch the games on TV here, you know, just see the game from that side.

I've been playing.

Since I was in third grade, so to be a spectator, it's a whole different ballgame. I'm sure I'll have my opinions and just like anybody else that's not on the field, but it's a transition.

It's fun.

There you go, Bengals fans, Sam Hubbard could be coming to your tailgate. It's a possibility. Congratulations on a great career. Thanks for all you're doing in the community, and we look forward to touching base in the years to come.

Yeah, me too. You're my guy, Dan. We'll talk soon.

If you would like to learn more about Sam's charitable efforts or find out how you can help, go to Sam Hubbard Foundation dot com. I did something last year on this podcast that people seem to enjoy, so I'm bringing it back. It's called Five Questions. As we begin getting to know the Bengals rookies by asking them five questions that they don't hear over and over again. Up first, first on draft pick Shamar Stewart, the twenty one year old from Miami who spent the last three years at

I forgot who exactly gave it to me, But I got it back in high school, going every day trying to get better. So of course I'm a practice hard, you know, micking hard for our office, you know, playing hard in prize, going to make our office better, and on in the games. You know, I'm just all over the field and I'm just a little menace on the field.

What does the word menace represent to you?

Somebody always be instructive, So I feel like that that defines me very well.

So I broadcast the Bengals games on the radio. When you have a sack, would you like me? And my broadcast partner, Dave app I'm.

To say, a sack by the menace, I would love that. I will love that, all right.

Well, hopefully there will be a bunch this year. Question number two. You have been compared to a Texas A and M legend Miles Garrett for obvious reasons, your similar size, similar athletic ability. What do you think of Miles Garrett, What do you think of the comparison?

Man, He's a great player, and I feel like that's a blessing because the way he's doing it right now, he's coming the game, and I feel like that's a very great, great comparison. I feel like we look we match up body wise. I'm not I'm trying to match someone play wise.

Was it a goal of yours to top the numbers that he posted at his combine?

Kind of? Sort of?

You know, I feel like if I could get what he got, people will look at me a different light. So I tried my hardest. He got me in some areas, and I got him in some areas too.

You got him in the forty, you got him in the broad jump. He got you by one inch in the vertical. That's pretty impressive.

That's crazy because I felt like I jump jumped out my spine. It's crazy.

All right, we're visiting with Jamar Stewart. Let's get back to athletic testing. Those numbers were freakish that you posted in Indianapolis. What do you consider to be your greatest athletic achievement? Did you dunk at a really early age? Yeah, what what stands out to you?

Uh?

I dunk.

I got my first dunk in sixth grade.

Sixth grade, yeah, five nine.

Yeah, I was booming that balls is grade.

That's amazing.

You wore a beautiful green suit to Green Bay for the NFL Draft. You also had an eye catching necklace on. You are wearing it right now. Give me the history of that necklace.

Uh So this necklace, my dad made this logo for me back in high school, and I thought, like, why not make it to a chain? No for a big moment, and she central, c's like a England a rapper from England. He had a reversible chain, so took inspiration from that and made it reversible.

And what exactly is the image?

It's a gorilla in his eyebrows. It's two s's social mar Stewart.

All right, your dad's got some talent. Fifth and final question. On draft night, you did a phone call with reporters afterward and you didn't specifically remember meeting with the Bengals at the combine. And I get it. It's speed dating. You're going from team to team to team. It's like, you know, fifteen minute meetings with all of these teams. When you came into Cincinnati and you saw Zach Taylor, and you saw El Golden and you saw Jerry Montgomery. Did it click back in? Did you remember?

Oh?

Yeah, those guys.

Yeah, it's kind of hard, like you gotta remember. I had twenty two formos, a couple infemos, and then I had fifteen thirty visits. So my mind is just all over the place. I'm ready for it to be over. I'm ready to be in one place. So when I seeing him like, okay, I'm deafmember medio.

The important thing is that they remembered you really well.

Thank god they remembered me. Damn my memory. I'll barbayd be cooked right now.

This has been fun and I can't wait. Can't wait to tell people that you dunk for the first time in sixth grade at five nine.

Yeah, true story, true story.

I promise you, no lies, no rap gap.

Great to have you in Cincinnati, Welcome, Thank you. A lot has been made about the fact that Stuart only had four and a half sacks in thirty seven college games. Well, somebody pointed out recently that five time pro bowler daneil Hunter also had four and a half sacks in his college career, and he played in thirty eight games at LSU. In nine NFL seasons, Hunter has ninety nine and a half sacks, including six seasons with ten or more. If Shamar Stewart comes anywhere close to that, he'll be one

How about the.

Trey Hendrickson situation in Cincinnati. We saw what they did in the draft, right, so most people I think we're looking at them drafting Shamar Stewart as this is the end of the Trey Hendrickson error in Cincinnati. And Zach Taylor came out and was like essentially shooting that down of like, this doesn't mean anything. This just we are

How there's the money growing trees over there.

They seem to be trying to move money and get creative with finding ways to get Tray the money.

To take a hometown discount.

How can you look at this and think he's not going to And I'm sure his side if they heard this right now, they tell me to shut up, we're taking a hometown discount. Yeah, but I think he wants to be there. They want him there once again.

That was courtesy of the Athletics Scoop City podcast. All right, I think the last part was one hundred percent accurate. The Bengals want to keep Trey for this year and beyond, and I do believe that it's his preference to stay. Unlike Diana, I can't say that I've been getting particularly good or bad vibes lately, but I do think it's more likely than not that Trey is a Bengal this season.

I always say he's like a psycho, but like in a good way. I mean, he's just always on top of things, and he makes sure that things are cut and dry. There's no gray area, everything's black and white. And then you work the things that he preaches, like we're talking about ball disruptions, so we're going to work

I tell people when he was here previously, it always seemed like he was on the go, like you couldn't even interrupt him because he was racing to do the next thing.

Walking to the next thing. Yeah, like how you doing?

He he asking you how you're doing as he's walking by, Like did you really care what my answer was?

No?

That thing is just he's just wired like that. But then it's funny because like how he is during the week is like the complete opposite how he is on game day. Like he's like just calm, cool and collected, and I always think he's like ahead of the adjustment

It also sounds like he puts in so much time and effort during the week and what hits game day, It's like, all right, guys, We've done the work. It's up to you now.

It's like the saying the hayes in the barn.

I mean he puts all the hay in the barn on the week, so that that game days are so called easy, you know, easier for him because he's looked at everything.

He's prepared the right way.

And I think he's I don't know, if I don't know how much he actually sleeps.

During the week.

Sometimes it takes the game day nap, I know, because he's probably didn't sleep.

Much during the week and he's exhausted.

But he tires himself out and he goes he goes all in with this kind of stuff, which is which is great.

Is the off season going to be significantly different with him as the DC in terms of, you know, what he's teaching during these periods in the you know, mandatory mini camps and stuff like that.

Oh, you know, I think he'll have his own way of going about it. You know, I think there's going to be I think they're trying to tax this more mentally with because everything there's a lot of new stuff and new terminology more than anything, and so tax more mentally during this time so that when we come back in for training camp, like it's a lot of us just recall, but I think that that's kind of what it's going to look like.

Last year at Notre Dame, Golden's defense was fourth in the country in points allowed, first in takeaways, first in defensive pass efficiency, and tied for first in defensive touchdowns. I expect the Bengals to be significantly improved on defense this year. Topic three, What can Brown do for you? I was looking at the latest fantasy football rankings. ESPN has Chase Brown ranked nineteenth among running backs, pro Football Focus has him fifteenth, and Yahoo Sports ranks him thirteenth.

I think it's awesome. Those guys work. It's really hard to get where they're at.

And a side of that, I mean, they're great players, So having them back in the locker room and you know, them being able to continue to build that relationship and that like explosiveness with Joe is gonna.

Be a lot of fun to be around.

Plus Mike and bringing some my j back and you it's a loaded skill position group.

No doubt, no doubt, We're gonna make a lot of plays, and you know, we were really explosive last year, so it's gonna be really cool to see how we upgrade this year.

Has your focus this offseason been about becoming a better receiver again or was that like last year's thing and now there's something else this year.

I'm just trying to be a better football player overall. I feel like you can't.

You can't.

I can't build up my receiver ability enough. I know we're pass first offense, but uh, you know, and I also know my role on this team too, So I'm just trying to, you know, build my role, continue to make a ton of plays and uh yeah, man, just have a lot of fun on Sundays.

Are you and Augret working with that same guy?

Yeah, we were working together all off season. We both got a lot better. It's crazy just to see the growth that we made in one year and.

Going into year three, it's just you're just more comfortable. You know the system, you know your teammates more so, just continue to build that relationship with guys in the locker room and then you know, putting it out on tape on Sundays.

So maybe a cliche, but everybody says fatherhood changes you. How has it changed you?

I mean, just seeing my son has changed my perspective on life in a way that I can't really explain, but I think people that have kids understand. But outside of that, I mean, I have a great partner. She She takes a lot of like the heavy load with my son at night, and you know, allows me to pursue, you know, what I need to every single day to be a really good football player. So just seeing him grow and you know, watching her become, you know, a great mother, has been special.

The wide receiver specialist that Brown and andre Yosi Bosch work with is Drew Lieberman, whose program has called the Sideline Hustle. Kendrick Pryor, who spent most of the last two years on the Bengals practice squad, also worked with Lieberman this offseason. Topic four Dax Hill. The Bengals picked up his fifth year option last week, meaning Dax is under contract through next season, and it's worth pointing out that it's still possible to sign him to a longer

Yeah, I thought Dax was doing a phenomenal job, especially for somebody making a transition. You know, within a year, he was really playing extremely consistent. The game against the Ravens, he was actually starting at corner and starting at nickel because Mike Hilton was gone, and uh, he was on his way to have a good game that week. He was you know, really playing the best, uh, out of all the corners to that point of the season. And uh, that was a tremendous loss. You know, when we lost Dax,

Outside cover corner is one of the most difficult positions to play. It's why the top ones make more than twenty million dollars a year. Did Dak show you that he has the ability to be one of those guys?

And you know, I've never doubted that really since he was drafted. You know, I always believed that the Dax could play outside corner, and you know, we made that transition. You know, he didn't blink. I didn't blink. I actually felt that we had drafted the first round corner this year, you know when we made the switch. So I definitely see it from an ability standpoint, But more importantly, Dax has the mental makeup of being able to play that

So the big question now is where is Dax going to play. Mike Hilton is a free agent, leaving the starting spot open at slot corner, a position that Dax played in college. But outside corners are so valuable, perhaps the Bengals would be better off to leave him there and use Josh Newton or Jalen Davis in the slot.

What he ends up doing will be up to Uzach and Now and his staff.

The bottom line is to get your best guys on the field, and it will be interesting to see how that situation unfolds at training camp. The fifth and final topic is safety. Gino Stone led the Bengals with four interceptions last year and Jordan Battle finished the season on a high note after moving into the starting line up with six games to go, but overall, the position group needs to perform better this season and the Bengals did not address it in the draft. I discussed that with

It's a combination of both. Safety is a position that we valued a number of guys in this draft at different levels, and there were a lot of guys that were in the discussion in almost every round that we could have addressed that safety position. Like you said, it didn't work out. That's just not the way the board

Tyson Anderson and Dejon Anthony are also in the mix, and there are still some veteran free agent safeties out there. If the Bengals determine that the position group still needs help, that's going to do it. For this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast brought to you by pay Corps. Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by All to Fiber future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health