Bengals Booth Podcast: I Like It, I Love It

Plus in this week's fun Facts Conversation, I'll throw a wide variety of questions at Andy Dalton, ranging from how he felt about having bright red hair as a kid to what kind of swag he received for playing in the Rose Bowl as a college senior. All of that is straight ahead. But first, 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 on iTunes, Stitcher,

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be glad. Let's get to football. The New York Jets entered Paul Brown Stadium on a roll, with a three game winning streak in which the Jets had scored thirty four points in every game. Sure enough, they drove right down the field to start the game and took an early lead. Out of the hold of the punter Lochlin Edwards, Thomas Hennessy snaps it back. Here comes the kick, a high spinning end over end kick. It is good, and the Jets score on their opening drive for the sixth

consecutive game. But with Andy Dalton back in the starting lineup for the Bengals, that three nothing lead didn't last. Dalton under center now. He takes the snap, fakes a handoff to mix and he's looking left. He loads up and throws. What a catch by Haddon Tate as he extends those gigantic arms and reels it in for a

first down at the eighteen yard line. Marcus mayon coverage and the Bengals have entered the GoldStar red zone, and on the very next play, the Bengals took the lead as Dalton made history first and ten at the seventeen

of the Jets. Dalton fakes a handoff from the pocket, throws over the middle of it is caught for a touchdowne by Tyler boyd Andy Dalton threading the needle between two New York Jets defenders and with that touchdown pass, the red rifle full stands alone career touchdown passed number one ninety eight in his NFL career, more than any other quarterback in Bengals history. They both wear number fourteen, Kenny Anderson, Andy Dalton, and I'll tell you what this

throw is unbelievable. A few completions later, Dalton also passed Ken Anderson for most completions in Bengals history, and Dave Lapham talked to him about it after the game. My roommate was a hell of a quarterback, Kenny Anderson. You broke his record for touchdown passes today with one hundred and ninety eight, and you broke his completion record during the course of today's game. Number four team has been good to this franchise. You and Kenny have both wanted

with dignity for sure. How big is it to break those records you now? It feels good. I mean it's you never go into it, you know, with the mindset of breaking records and all that kind of stuff. I think the whole thing is been fortunate to be here for a long time and been a part of some really good teams, and with that comes records and touchdowns and all this all this stuff that comes with it. It's been fun getting to know Kenny throughout the years.

Just feel very thankful that he let me wear fourteen, first of all, and I think it's just been cool to just kind of follow him his footsteps, what he established here in Cincinnati with number fourteen, and then trying to carry that on. Andy's touchdown pass to Boyd gave the Bengals a seven three lead at the end of

the first quarter. It should have been fourteen to three early in the second, but c j Uzama dropped a nobody near him TD pass from the six yard line and that forced the Bengals to settle for a field goal, a twenty four yard try out of the hold of Kevin Hubery catches the ball, puts it down, spins the laces, and bullocks kick is good as the Bengals take a seven point lead. Believe it or not, that equaled the Bengals'

biggest lead all season. The next time they got the ball, they went up by two scores for the first time. Second and goal from the five, two receivers go out to the left. Dalton catches a shotgun snap. He hands it off to Mixon and Joe Mixon charges straight ahead and takes it into the end zone. Touchdown. Bengals. Nice shop inside. I'll tell you what, Jordan Trey Hopkins, John Miller, nice shop inside. A Sam ficken field goal with four seconds left and a half made the score seventeen six

in favor of the Bengals. Here's Andy Dalton. We've played good halves before this year, but we couldn't let it just be one half. We had to play a complete game. And I think we understood that and guys responded and we got that done today. The key in the second half was the Bengals pass rush. Donald blowing on his hands, he is ready for the shotgun snap. He drops back to throw from the middle of the end zone short pass. It is caught, Lady on Bell tackled. There's a penalty

flag in the end zone. Could that be holding in the end zone for a safety? It is, that's a safety. Yeah, if there's if that's a whole, that's two points. B W Web made the tackle holding offs number sixty eight in the end zone. Andrew Brown drew the penalty that gave the Bengals in nineteen six lead. You scored two points today. You drew a holding penalty in the end zone. You're responsible for two of the points, Yes, sir, A man. That's the first one I ever had in my life. Man,

So thank god? How quickly did it sink in that that just happened. As soon as I looked at the refereef and as soon as they say hold it on the number sixty and then he put the safety. So I ran to the silo, let's go point man. Following the safety, the Jets had to kick it back to Cincinnati from the twenty yard line, giving the Bengals good field position that led to a forty seven yard Bullock field goal that made the score twenty two to six

going to the fourth quarter. Carlos Duneline lap took over from there. Darnald ready on third down and seven from his own twelve, single high safety Cincinnati showing blitz, they send five. Darnald in bubble sacked at the five yard line. Carlos Dunlap got there first second and ten at the Cincinnati thirty eight. Donald back to throw, looking left, Here

comes Dunlap. It's got him again. Third sack of the day for Carlos Dunlap back at the forty three for a five yard loss, and Brandon Shell got beaten again once again. He's a shell of himself. With three sacks, Dunlap is up to seventy eight in his career, only five and a half from Eddie Edwards all time franchise record, and with the Bengals up by sixteen points with less than two minutes to go, one more dunlap pass rush helped put the game away. Darnald back to throw, He's

being chased by Carlos Dunlap. He will fling it out of bounds, and that is coffin nail Bam bam. After oring one hundred two points in their previous three games, the Jets managed just two field goals against the Bengals. Sam Darnold was sacked four times and hit nine times. Here's Dunlap on Cincinnati's relentless pass rush. We all were swarming after the quarterback, you know, big shoutouts, our secondary, everybody was on covers, a lot of cover sex today.

But Dlon, you know, we finally got to do we all are blessed to do, you know, get after the quarterback stopped and running, you get a chance to get out to the quarterback. In that game against the Patriots, Sam Darnold said he saw ghosts. He saw Dunlap today in his face. Six quarterback hits, right. I hope he saw ghosts today. I think Sean told me that he heard him say it again. The final score Cincinnati twenty two,

the Jets six. It was the Bengals first win of the season, ending a thirteen game losing streak that dated back to December sixteenth of last year, a span of three hundred fifty days. Here are Dalton and dune Lap. This one's big. I just think, you know, we've been working hard all year for this, and you know we were hoping it wasn't gonna come week thirteen. But anytime you win, it's huge, and so this one means a lot.

Dad getting his first win as a head coach. You know a couple of the records that were broken today, this one's this one feels really good, So a big burden lifted off of our shoulders. We've been working for this for so long, and we came up short so many times. But one thing about this team, when we kept coming in, kept going to work, whatever it takes, focusing in on that week, focusing on that week, what we got this week, what we got Boom. We're not

looking back, We're not looking forward. We're just focusing weekend, week out, and now we get to celebrate. One of the bengals most articulate players is tight End cju Zama. I caught up with him after the game. We're in a very happy Bengals locker room with tight End c j Uzama. Give me a couple of words for how this feels right now. Absolutely relieved, UM, much deserved, uh, togetherness, camaraderie.

I don't know, it's it's a great feeling, honestly, man. Uh, knowing how hard we've words, how hard this team's works, Um, what we've kind of sacrificed up until this point is just a huge relief getting this first win and getting this just for everybody. You know, you can see how happy we are for every single person in here. You know, we're happy for coach Coach Taylor and this entire staff.

We're getting their first win. But you know, we're happy for all the guys that I mean, I'm I'm graduating everybody, tb Andy, um, GEO, I mean everybody who's who's just um, you know, as a late of desion to get this, to get this chip off our shoulder and get this first one. We're not obviously, we're not happy with with how long it's been since since we've gotten one, but we are happy to get this first one for sure. What was Zach Taylor like when he came in here

after the game, I mean, you know, you can only imagine. Man, he was happy as anything. Uh Andy presented him with the game ball, and um, I know we had to dunked him a little bit after. I don't know who was I kind of backed out of the way. I was trying to congratulation, congratulating when I was like, I'm not it's cold. I can't I'm not trying to deal with that. But um, I mean he was just happy.

He's happy for all of us obviously, you know, for for all the work that we put in, all the hours that we put in, all the hours that they put in. Um. I think that's kind of why we wanted to just win more than anything. Man, I wanted to win for the staff because I really think that we're buying into um kind of what they're selling us, you know, and we think that their game plan and everything that they've been doing four and to us is um has been good and we just haven't, you know,

climbed out humping today we did. What did Andy Dalton's return do for the offense? You know, it was just that that veteran spark man. We wanted to win for him, for him to excuse me, um, but yeah, he stood in there. Uh dealt some dimes out there. Um, I dropped one. We had a few drops. But UM, it was just good to have have him out there and smiling and just you know that that that veteran presence of just saying, all right, this is a big down,

this is a big drive. This is you know, we need to get here, we need to get points on the board, We need you know, to do certain things and It's always good to have that voice in your head like all right, he's he's right, you know this is this is a chance and the opportunity for us to get the ball rolling and kind of put this put this game out of reach for him. So, um, it was awesome to happen back there. Since this is radio,

I will clarify that that was a normal cough. You weren't getting choked up at the mere mention through it. I wasn't. No no tears, No tears right now, all smiles, all right, Since you won, I can ask this question. Is that the easiest touchdown pass you have ever dropped in your life? Probably? Um? Yeah, there's no excuse. Honestly, there's there's I don't know exactly what was going on and what happened, but I got off my fingertips and I dropped in and I'm not happy about it. Um.

The boys were off. I mean, that was unbelievable. How many people came up to me and they were just like, look, we know you got that, we know you'll catch another one. We know we know you got us. Um and and it's kind of also reassuring. But the next drive, you know, I got the opportunity to catch two more. So obviously I'm not happy about it at all. I know I'm gonna get you know, I'm gonna watch film and be just disgusted with dropping it. Um, but it is what it is. We got the win, and um, I got

another another opportunity. So uh yeah, that's it was a productive day for you. Five catches, fifty one yards, Auburn wins the iron Ball, the Bengals beat the New York Jets. Come on, I got the I got the I got the Auburn. Did you wear that under your jersey? I should have. I should have. I didn't. I didn't. It would have been a fine or something. I don't know. They would have got me for something. But yeah, war eagle. Who day, great day, great weekend for sure. Congrats You're

really happy for all you guys. Thank you very much. One of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Tom Landry, who took the Cowboys to five Super Bowls, winning two, went oh eleven and one in his first season. So Zach Taylor is off to a better start. After eleven losses, he is finally in the win column, and he talked to lap about it after the game. It felt good.

You know, our guys came out and we started fast and a lot of different phases, and they carried that over in the second half, kept putting pressure on that team and defense got some points for us with the safety and it just you know, it felt like everything clicked today. And really proud of our guys. You know, when you hold an offensive football team to no touchdowns, I don't care who, that's a heck of an acomplish

from the NFL. When you hold a team to six points, I don't think they got in the red zone today. If I recall, right, that's a heck of a defense performance. I mean, seventeen points, sixteen points, now six points. They're stringing them together. They've been building off of each performance each week, and the confidence keeps growing and we keep stressing the turnovers. You know, that's huge. We got to create some turnovers, so to get it that way without

getting in the turnovers was huge for us. That was the other thing. I mean, Carlos has three sacks, you know, Brown forces of safety when they hold in the end zone. I mean you only gave up one sack, so the sack ratio was in your favor and the yards. They hidden yards with that, and then Hubert kept pinning them back. I mean they started I think six or seven drives inside their own ten yard. It was nuts. We in pregame we talked about field position was gonna be huge

with the way that the elements were outside. It was gonna be about ball security and field position. And so you know, into the game zero zero with the turnover battle. But Kevin did a great job, the punt team did a great job. We felt like we won that battle. So Andy Dalton, it looked like to me, I saw him in the locker room with a big smile on his face, smiling the whole game. I mean, it looked like it looked like he was out there just having fun. And that's what you want to have, right, I mean,

that's what it's all about. It was we were playing with a lot of confidence on offense and felt like we were getting some good looks, some things we've worked on and we're gonna be able to take advantage of it. So proud of the way that the guys executed. You look and first have some of the catches those guys made, and then Andy was putting into position to go get it. Just really proud of the effort and the preparation those guys put into it carried over to the game and

it was a good win for us. It seemed like there was an effort to get Tyler Boyd off, you know, early in the football game. I think he had five targets in the first quarter and caught like three or four of them, and uh, that was good to see. It was you know, again, all those guys made plays, you know, I saw CJ makes some plays, Odd made

some plays. All those receivers, good job getting yards after catching some critical situations, and that in the protection up front did a great job, you know, and they kept guys off of any and Andy was able to deliver. Going into the football game, you had the fourth fewest penalties in the league and the second fewest penalty yards. You guys have been disciplined, not you know, not shooting

yourself in the foot today. The first penalty wasn't until the second half, and it was questionable on Hodd and Tate. I mean, for that one to be the first one, you gotta be proud. I think it was only two penalties on the day, so I mean that part of it has been very clean. All season long. I think that as a carryover from the discipline that we've really tried to instill in everything the meeting is to practice everything those guys carried over to the game. And just

proud of those guys. So you get the first one, you get the first notch on the belt, get that first NFL win. Now here come to the Cleveland Browns and uh, you know, to get a division win. I guess the next one the docket, right, Yeah, it's it's a great opportunity for us. They're really good football team. You know, we've we've seen him on some crossover tape, so we're gonna have our hands full. But you're right,

we gotta go fight to get this divisional win. You know, I really thought watching Greg Williams on tape, it looked like you guys kept yourselves out of situations that he tries to take advantage of your average like almost six yards per plan first down in the first half, and you only got to third down four times, converted two of them. I thought your first down excellence really kept him off balance in terms of how much he wanted to try to heat things up. That was really carry

over from last week. We put ourselves in so many third nine pluses. I think we only had three that were less than that the entire of the game. So we're playing in third and twelve, third and thirteen, and it's hard to manage on offense like that. So we stressed all week being more efficient on first and second down, and our guys did an excellent job there. Auden Tate, you know, I know it's been tough not having AJ Green,

having John Ross just for you know, a cup of coffee. Basically, Hopefully John Ross is back for the Cleveland game coming up. I think you could schedule be back and AJ is still week to week, but Audm Tate has proven that he is an NFL caliber wide receiver headning. Yes. I mean every time his numbers called, it seems like he makes the play. He's a big, physical guy's got aggressive hands, does everything the way you want it done. He's exactly the type of guy we like to add on this team.

It sounded like, uh, there was a it was fun in the locker room after the game. We're outside, you know, listening a little bit. The music was cranking. Every everybody's excited, and you know, I remember those those kinds of those those days are why you play the game of football. And I know it's it's been a long stretch, you know, eleven weeks of not being able to sweet taste the sweet nectar of victory. To taste that nectar is pretty

damn good, isn't it. You took for granted what winning felt like, you know, when you go through a stretch like this, and again, just you couldn't be proud of everybody involved in this operation because no one pointed fingers. Everyone took responsibility for their actions, kept raising the standard and it paid off today. And coach, you know, and

attribute to you, your staff, your players. I'd watch the tape and guys around the league that I trust that watched the tape of the Bengals play, everybody was like, man, the situation they're in, they play hard. I mean, there's there's not anybody on that football team that's not given effort. And that's a heck of a tribute because it's not going to get any tougher than it's been, that's for sure. And have to have the guys, you know, deliver what

they would delivering effort wise, is big time. It's something that's great to build off of. You want to get that type of character, you can build on it, and it's gonna lead us to some great things to come in the future. Now time for postgame analysis. Let's start with the defensive performance. Carlos Dunlap with three sacks and the Bengals held a team that had scored thirty four points in each of its last three games to two field goals. I don't care who you're playing against in

the NFL. You hold a team without a touchdown during the course of an entire football game, sixty minutes of football, it's a great defensive effort. They've never got in the red zone, never sniffed scoring a touchdown, had to settle for two field goals. That's that's a great performance. No turnovers in the football game for either football team. But the Bengals won the sack ratio plus three. They haven't done that very often. Four quarterback sacks, three by Carlos Dunlap.

They also got two points out of a pressure when Andrew Brown was held, So I mean you get a safety, you get points put on the board due to pressure. That's what we hoped would happen. The Bengals defensive line getting healthy. They have eight man rotation instead of a six man rotation they've been struggling with and had shown up the last few games, and today it showed up big time. The Jets couldn't handle it. They really pressured Sam Donald into a lot of bad decisions. Sam Donald

didn't see ghosts. He saw Dunlap, Hubbard, Atkins, Brown, Lawson, etc. No doubt, I mean, Carlos Dunlap had a huge game. Seven tackles, three quarterback sacks, other quarterback pressures, hits. Sam Hubbard played linebacker, played defensive end on both sides of the of the line of the formation, and he was

relentless in his efforts of pursuit. So last three games seventeen points, sixteen points, six points, getting progressively better and those kind of point totals you allow those, you're gonna win a lot of football games. A very satisfying day for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. He became the franchise as all time record holder for touchdown passes and completions. But more importantly, he gets his chance to come back in and lead the team to victory. What do you think

his presence did today? A lot? I think it was everything. I mean, there was a lot of confidence. He brought a lot of confidence to the huddle, brought a lot of confidence during the week of preparation. At practice. You know, guys were like he had a chip on his shoulder and it showed all week long. And you know, he was talking about swagger. You know, let's let's let's bring

the swagger. Let's And the thing I noticed from the very beginning, you know, I walked through the locker room in the morning and he had gotten a text from Ken Anderson and Kenny saying, you know, cut it loose, let it happen, and he, you know, broke two Kenny's records. He had a smile on his face when he was showing me. That smile on his face out on the football field, good batter. In between, he was enjoying himself.

He was enjoying the game of football. And I think that's a big thing to take out of this, you know, I mean, the pressure starts to build, you almost become a different person. You know, you have to realize you're a grown man playing a kid's game and getting paid to do it. And that's what it looked like today for a lot of guys. They were having a lot of fun and Dan quite honestly the most complete game they played all year, a complimentary football field position dominated

by Darren Simmons's group. They're going to be number in the NFL by far now with these numbers. I mean, their average drive start was a thirty six yard line. The Jets was their eighteen yard line. That's crazy. That's over ten possessions. That's almost two football fields, and that's what they were looking at. They they were backed up. The Jets started five drives from the fifteen yard liner

inside the fifteen yard line. I mean, that's crazy. They were on long field after long field, and the Bengals enjoyed some short ones. Kevin Huber had two touchbacks, doubling his season total, but he was crushing the ball whether he was into the wind or had the wind at his back. Yeah, And it was a lot of short field stuff because the Bengals didn't have a three and out till the fourth quarter, you know, so they're moving football.

So even if you're not getting points, you're moving the ball and pinning them back instead of one, two, three and out backed up and now they're getting good field position, and that's what was happening. In the first half, the Jets were going three and out and the Bengals were generating good field position off you know, the Bengals would pin the Jets back three and out, they'd get it at midfield and you know, score points and that's what you want to get done. So all in all, I

mean offense, defense, special teams. Everybody's supported and complimented each other in this football game, more so than any of the season. Andy Dalton has given a game ball after the game for setting those records and for leading the Bengals to a victory. And Zach Taylor also got a game ball as he records his first win as a head coach. Well earned, well deserved by both of them.

You know, two quality guys as we know, and had to be a difficult situation for both of them, you know, both of them having to deal with what they've had to deal with. The decision that Zach had made had to make was gut wrenching. You know, he knew the effect that would have on Andy Dalton. But you know, Andy Dalton stood up to show that he's a man and he's a man of faith and a family man.

And I think those two things gotten through it, and when the opportunity presented itself, he was ready and he never you know, he talked about why be bitter? You know, at first I was better. Anybody would be better. You know, he's a human being. But he got out of that gold room quickly. And Andy Dalton has done a lot for this organization. And I asked him after the game, you know, you've you've had a lot of very, very

satisfying wins. Where does this one rank? He said, right up there, Old olive him because of what he's had to deal with. So, you know, hats off to Andy Dalton, Zach Taylor, everybody. Up next a road game against the Cleveland Browns, who are on the cover of Sports Illustrated before the season with a big headline that read the Browns are back and a smaller headline that said bold

prediction Cleveland's first Division title in thirty years. Three months later, the Browns are five and seven after losing to Devlin Duck Hodges and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. There are currently four teams ahead of Cleveland in the battle for the AFC's final wildcard spot. Now time for this week's fun Facts Conversation. As we get to know the person under the pads this week, in honor of a record

setting day. It's quarterback Andy Dalton. I've recorded a couple of fun Facts segments with Andy over the years, including one in his rookie year. Here are some of the most interesting answers from those two conversations. High school football and Katie Texas. Is it like Friday Night Lights? It is very similar to Friday Night Lights. You know, everybody, the town shuts down, everybody goes to games and it's a lot of fun. Who were your childhood heroes? Um?

You know, I definitely watched you know, some of the Cowboys, Troy Aikman. Uh, you know you saw what John Elway did too, so that and you've seen what Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, some of these other guys have done too. So I've definitely watched a lot of a lot of guys. We're doing fun Facts with d Dalton. Your last game with TCU was the Rose Bowl. When you go to those BCS Bowl games, you get good gifts. What was the swag from the Rose Bowl? What I got this

past year was a recliner and it's awesome. It is it's a free feet recliner. Did everybody in the team get a recliner? No, you had a chance to pick your gifts, so they had a bunch of different options. So I went with a recliner. That's impressive. I've never heard of that as a ball gift. All right. One of my favorite things every year is right before the draft when John Gruden sits down the top quarterback picks and does those sessions. You did a good one with him.

Did you enjoy it? It was a lot of fun just to go there and to see his production and see everything that he's got got going. So he definitely helped me out something. We're doing fun facts with Andy Dalton. You're known for your accurate passing. How did that develop as a kid. Did you have a tire hanging in the backyard? Did you, you know, shoot footballs at cans on a fence? What did you do? No? I mean there,

I didn't have much like that. Uh. I feel like every Saturday I would watch college football with my dad and we'd always go just throw the football out during a halftime of a game or something like that. And uh, you know, I had really good coaching growing up, So I think that all kind of helps out with that. What did or do your folks do for a living? My dad is an attorney and my mom stayed at home with all of us, so it was it was definitely fun to have her around. You were a second

round draft picked by the Bengals. Second round picks get paid pretty well. What's been your biggest splurge so far? Jeez? I bought a TV. That was about it, and I haven't really got anything too big. I hope it was a good TV at least, oh it was. It was a really good TV. But that's been my biggest purchase so far. All right, this is going to be hard to believe now, but I had red hair as a kid, and lots of it. I know, very hard to believe. But I hated it. I hated being called karat top

and all of that. How about you, I've I've liked it. It's uh, you know, I never really got made fun of, like people calling me red and all that kind of stuff. Care top. I get that a lot of ginger, all that kind of stuff, but that's never really affected me. And now, of course, red Rifle, have your wife or any of your friends and jokingly use that. Yes, I have had some. Definitely, some people jokingly use that with me. Andy. A few years ago, you enjoyed and your wife started

a foundation to help sick kids. Now that you're a dad, does it mean that much more to help children? Absolutely? I think you know, you've got a better appreciation and understanding of what we're able to do, and so um, you know, I feel fortunate to be able to help these families and to help these these kids and so, but definitely have a better appreciation of what we're able to do. You take being a role model very seriously,

don't you. I do you know there's a lot of a lot of people that look up to you, not only kids, but I mean just people in general. And so I mean you can either use your platform for good or for something negative. And so um, I mean to have the understanding that everybody's watching you, kids are watching you. You know, you want to be a good rule model to these people. Changing the subject a little bit, you never know what you can find on the internet.

I found an old baseball scouting report on you, right handed pitcher Andy Dalton from a high school showcase. Apparently an eighty four mile an hour fastball back then a decent curve corner infielder. According to this scouting report, when did you give up baseball? I gave a baseball. I guess it was after my sophomore year. I was started out on the team my junior year and then realized that I wanted to play football and I want to

put all my all my focus on football. And so a funny story the first, you know, the day that I told the baseball coach I wouldn't be playing anymore, I got a letter in the mail, thinking it was for football, and it was actually for for for baseball, and so from from a college, and so, uh, you know, I think it's worked out all right for me, I would say so, And it leads me naturally into my

next question. The story of how you got to TCU intrigues me because, if what I've read is true, you and your dad before your senior year of high school basically hopped in the car with some highlight tapes and drove to some colleges trying to draw them up. Interest. Is that pretty much the way I win? I mean,

it's something like that. There was a you know, all these colleges have camps all over the place, and so, uh, you know, I probably went to eight ten different camps that that summer before my senior year, and uh, you know, I had my high school highlight tape on a VHS and was going around and handing them out. And so I've been to I think I went to TCU maybe

three times. I think they had a camp it, you know, and where I'm from up up in Fort Worth, and I went and visited for their spring game and different stuff. So I think they had an idea of, you know, of me, and then I think just the way my senior year started out, when they ever they offered, I think I committed about a week later. Andy, I've met your dad a few times on Bengals road games, and it seems like you two are very close. What do you admire most about your father? Yeah, he's He's giving

me so much support. Um, you know, I don't know if i'd be here if it weren't for you. I was driving around doing things like that, you know, to get recruited in different stuff. But uh, you know, he's a godly man, and you know, I look up to him a lot. You're very open about your Christian faith, and I understand that when you were a third grader, you expressed to your parents the desire to be a Christian.

I did. It's, uh, you know something that's you know, I grew up in a Christian home and uh, you know, at such a young age, Um, you know, I met with our pastor and had had an understanding of, uh, you know what what it means to be a Christian, know that you know, Jesus died on the cross for for my sins and so, um you know, at that point, I, uh, you know, became a Christian, and you know it. As time's gone on, I feel like I've grown and grown out in my faith. We'll do a few more fun

facts with Andy Dalton. Long before you were nicknamed the Red Rifle, you have a grandfather nicknamed Red. Is that correct? Yeah, my mom's dad had red hair, and so naturally everybody called him Red. A couple of years ago, Marvin Lewis challenged you to be more of a jerk, are you? I guess in my own personality, I might be. I think it's just, you know, have the expectation of being every have everything go exactly how it's supposed to do, and if it doesn't, make sure everybody knows that We're

going to do it the right way. Earlier this year, you were wired for sound by NFL Films. Did you have a code word to remind your teammates there's a mic on me just in case you or they didn't want what they were saying to be hurt. I walked around the locker room before the game and told everybody that was miked up, so you know, I think everybody knew.

Here's a quick invitation to join us on location this week on Friday afternoon from three to six, we'll be at Buffalo Wings and Rings in Oakley for the Bengals pep Rally Show. A current player will join us and we'll have plenty of giveaways too. That's going to do it for this episode of the podcast. If you haven't done so already, don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and if you have a minute, please give it a rating or share a comment. Those five star

ratings help more Bengals fans find our podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Boot Podcast.