Hi again everybody. I'm Dan Board and thanks for downloading the Bengals Booth Podcast the I'mready, I'mredy audition. As the Bengals wrap up the preseason against the Colts and can turn their attention to the regular season opener against New England coming up, radio replays, locker room comments and postgame analysis from Dave Lappham. Then, in this week's fun Facts Conversation, you'll get to know of Bengals rookie who can play
the violin. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Core, proud to be the Bengals official hr software provider, by Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now 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 Happy Gilmore two. I was a minor league baseball announcer from two thousand and six to twenty eleven, and there were a handful of comedies that I saw many times on late night bus rides, including Happy Gilmore. To this day, it remains one of those movies that if I'm flipping around on my TV remote and it's on, I'm probably going to watch for at
least thirty minutes. Well nearly thirty years after the original came out, a sequel is in the works, and it even has an NFL tie, as Adam Sandler shared this week that Travis Kelcey will make a cameo. I doubt he'll have one of his hands bitten off by an alligator like Chubbs in the original, but I suppose that NFL defensive coordinators can hope. Now, let's get the football and the radio replays from Thursday nights preseason finale against
the Colts. In seventeen days, the twenty twenty four season gets underway here at pay Corpse Stadium as the Bengals host the New England Patriots. But first, it's the final game of the preseason between the Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts, and it is time for the big skin to fly here in the jungle. Three receivers out to the right. Now Pittman motions to the left, second in goal from the nine, shotgun snap, Richardson, looking left, looks over the middle,
throws caught at the six. Aden I Mitchell accelerates into the end zone for an Indianapolis touchdown, and Richardson's in the shotgun. On second down and ten from his own nine catches a low snap, quick.
Popping touchdownn Bengals. A beautiful read by Jordan Battle.
He caught it on the run and took it into the endzone for the Bengals touchdown.
I'll tell you that that ball was thrown behind the receiver by Richardson, just not a herry accurate throw whatsoever. And boy did did Battle make him pay.
Richardson catches the shotgun snap, short drop, pump fakes begins, scrambling, gets hit the side, loses the ball and it looks like the Colts have it justin blaze it coming from the blind side, stripped it away from Anthony Richardson, but offensive lineman recovered. I think it was bouncing pigskin for Indianapolis.
Might have been Nelson that recovered it.
Fourth and goal from the three. The Colts could run it now since it's fourth down. Ellinger back to throw from the ten, forced to scramble to the left in trouble, throws off his back foot in completing the end zone, and the Bengals get a stop on fourth and goal from the three, Cedric Johnson and Devin Harper putting the heat on Ellinger and forcing the incompletion lake lock at four, Logan would say, ready blitz coming woodside, gonna lob it deep for Burton up the goal line.
He's got it.
Touchdown Bengals Jermaine Burton with his second touchdown catch of the preseason. He beat clay Fields and the Bengals score.
There's no question that this guy has got some physical talent that is not being disputed. What he has to do is to get himself totally with the mindset of being a pro every single day, doing everything he possibly can to get himself mentally ready to play, because physically, this guy has got it.
One forty nine left, Indy up by six. The Bengals have one time out remaining, third down and four for the Colts. Slovis hands it off and it's a first down run and much more, it's going to be a touchdown for Indianapolis as Dimitric Felton takes it forty yards to the house against the team that employed him on the practice squad a year ago. Rocky Lombardi takes a knee for the final time and the remaining thirty one
seconds will run off the clock. Zach Taylor on his way out to the fifty to shake hands with Shane Steichen, and that'll do it tonight here at pay Court Stadium. The final score the Indianapolis Colts twenty seven the Cincinnati Bengals fourteen. Now time for a few postgame stats. Stopping the run with the biggest problem, as the Bengals allowed one hundred and eighty three rushing yards on thirty seven carries.
That's four point nine per attempt. But the starting defense didn't play at all, and the second team defensive line didn't play either. Miles Murphy is hurt and Chris Jenkins, Zach Carter, and Joseph Osai had the night off. Offensively, Logan Woodside basically went the distance at quarterback, except for a few kneel downs by Rocky Lombardi at the end of the game, and Woodside went sixteen for twenty twenty one with a touchdown, no picks, and a passer rating
of one hundred point nine. That all sounds good, but the passes were mostly dinks and dunks. His woodside only threw for ninety eight yards in the game. He also coughed up a fumble. Linebacker Devin Harper led the team in tackles with eleven, and Muma Jong Medow was close behind with nine. Ryan Rico punted six times and it was a mixed bag as they ranged in distance from twenty nine yards to fifty seven. He could win the job by default, though, if Brad robbins Hip doesn't heal
quickly enough. The bengals only offensive touchdown came on a twenty one yard catch by Jermaine Burton, who scored two of the three touchdowns that the offense put on the board in three preseason games. The third round pick finished the preseason with eight catches for one hundred and fifty seven yards. That's nineteen point six per catch, which is about a yard life that what he averaged at Alabama last year. I went one on one with Jermaine after
the game. Another touchdown catch two in three preseason games. How did you feel the preseason went for you?
Overall it was smooth.
Still a lot of things to get better on, regardless of what it is or what it looks like. I still have.
I still made a lot.
Of mistakes throughout preseason even practice, and that needs to be fixed. So, you know, more than blissed to make the players that I did. But at the end of the day, it's still about the details. So I'm trying to focus on what I did wrong.
Describe the touchdown pass. It looked similar to the one that you had in the first preseason game, except on the opposite side of the field, running down the right sideline this time instead of the left.
Yeah.
Yeah, it was pretty much just uh he was press covered, so converted to a go.
Yeah.
And when the ball is in the air and it's you versus one guy, I think if you're on the ability to win that battle.
Yeah for sure. Uh you know, I kind of I praised myself to that, and uh, you know, I just want to make the best of you know, my NFL career. So any opportunity I get, you know, I just hope to make a memory out of it, you know, and and if it's if it doesn't go my way, then learn from it. So you know, yeah, more than blessed to make the place that I did. I'm just trying to just trying to keep working a getting better.
We're chatting to Jermaine Burton, as you said, trying to clean things up, try to eliminate some of the mistakes that rookies make. Is that just kind of par for the course when you're making the jump from college football to the NFL.
Oh, it can be you know, it depends on how some guys handled it. You know I could have been with I could have been better on how I've been handling my business and uh in my preseason, you know I could have you know, I could lock in more on my details and like I said, the things that I did wrong.
But you know, it's all about how you handle it.
You know, it's all about what it means to you. And you know, I feel like I need to do a better job of showing how much this means to me because I know my potential as a player, and you know, it's about that time. You know, it's about to get real, it's about to be regular season. So I'm just trying to you know, prove to my coaches and still gain trust to my quarterbacks and my teammates that I can you know, continue to make those kind of plays.
That's pretty candid. I mean, it sounds like there's some good self awareness on your part that you can take it up a notch.
Ye one hundred percent. Uh, you know, nobody's perfect, but at the end of the day, you don't want to get caught up in, you know, even the plays that I made and stuff like that, like yeah, like you know, that's why they that's why they got me, and that's you know, that's what they drafted me for. So I just want to keep doing what they drafted me to do.
And you know, regardless, I still got to watch for my mistakes I make and still worry about those more than the set like the touchdowns and stuff and catches.
Well, the touchdowns are fun to call, and you have averaged more than twenty yards I think on your preseason catches, So congratulations on that. Keep grinding and look forward to the regular season starting in two and a half weeks.
Yes, sir, thank you.
I need to do a better job of showing how much this means to me. That's quite a statement by your Maane Burton. If his actions match his words, going forward, the Bengals could have a special player. Now, let's hear what head coach Zach Taylor had to say. Is he spent a few minutes with Dave Lapham after the game.
Trade Yon Williams of pros Pro. I mean the guy goes out there eleven carries sixty six yards. I mean, he does exactly what he's supposed to do, doesn't he.
Yeah, he hasn't gotten a lot of carries in season obviously, so I think it's important for him to get his work now and kind of feel that rhythm that you can get into if we need to call upon him in a game.
Jordan battle with a big pick six, huge, huge play. But he also he's been playing very consistently on special teams this preseason in last year as well, didn't he.
Yeah, he's taking the next step there in that area. Obviously put a lot of defense at Alabama, So again he's been a solid player for us that continues to improve.
What else do you did you see that you liked out there?
I thought the defense played with a lot of energy. You know, in the first half. Offensively score some points, take the pressure off of them. But they got seven points. They got some big stops that were playing against starters. I thought that was good to see. I thought pass protection wise on offense, our guys did a good job. Obviously gave up one against their starters early in the game, but we're able to give Logan a.
Chance there half.
I think it was one penalty for five yards and didn't turn the football over. So I mean, in terms of that part of the cleaning that part of the game up, it was a major improvement.
It was good.
And I just got to score points, you know, that's the name of the game. And I think we ran forty plays maybe, so it's about as few as you ever get to do, and so you just got to maximize opportunities to give yourself more more more.
Plays getting past the midfield. You were getting into there, tib but you didn't have a red zone snap until at some point I think in the third quarter or something like that.
Yeah, I mean, some those are things going backwards on, nakeds and screens and some things that you typically are not counting on going backwards on, and tonight was just kind of one of those nights.
So I guess now the big decisions come. I mean, we talked about it in the pregame. It's it's always a difficult time. It's celebratory for a lot of guys that make a football team, but then other guys that might have been with you for a while or gave everything they had that they weren't with you for a while and wasn't quite enough. That's tough, isn't it.
It's tough.
There's tough conversations. You've invested, got relationships with them. The blow is a little bit softened now that the practice squad sixteen guys, so there's more guys that you get an opportunity to keep around. But still it's a tough conversation with a lot of guys.
And then once the fifty three man roster is set for the first time, I mean there's some tweaking that can go on. I mean there's a few days there where you can add and delete, right, I.
Mean, twenty four hours later there's a claim and then there's another claim waiver, and so always be looking. I think that's what Duke and his staff do a great job of always assessing how to make our team better. But at the same time, we've invested in a lot of these guys, and so it's right to give them an opportunity.
You have pushed your team. I mean I thought the practices were very, very competitive, and then when you had the joint practices they were uber competitive. A lot of energy there pre season work. I mean, there's been a lot of snaps out there. Do you feel good about where the team is.
We've gotten the right amount of work with the right physicality, with the right opponent in multiple cases, and so I think these guys are ready to start preparing for New England.
Appreciate your time as always, sir, I appreciate it. Thank you.
The Bengals finished the preseason oh to three after going two to one a year ago, but it's hard to put much stock in the record considering how little the starter's played. The good news is that all of their projected starters are healthy, unless you think that Amrius Mims would have won the right tackle job over Trent Brown, and who knows, perhaps in two and a half weeks Mimes will be healthy too. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the
Bengals official HR software provider. By Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now time for the radio guys recap lapt The preseason ends with a twenty seven to fourteen loss to the Indianapolis Colts. I think we
have to start with Jermaine Burton. Four catches for fifty six yards, including a touchdown, his second of the preseason. The talent jumps off the screen. This kid has to master the playbook, where to line up, what routes to run, etc. Because if he can master those kinds of things, he can be a major weapon for the Cincinnati team.
Absolutely. I mean there is no questioning his physical attributes, his talent. But I mean he's got miles to go before he rests in terms of learning how to prepare to be a professional. And it's like you can't overdo it. I mean, you can't put enough time into the playbook. If you think you got it, you've got to go over it again. You just got to make sure you can't take it for granted. For him, I guess it's almost sad to say, but Unfortunately, his talent is at
such a high level. He's just been able to not do that part of it, you know, and be able to thrive, not just exists, but thrive. And then you see plays he's making out there. I mean, he's two incredible touchdown catches and other plays for the Bengals during the course of preseason. He is gifted. I mean, God has blessed him with every physical talent that you'd want
to have if you're a wide receiver. And I mean, if he would put more time and effort into the other part of it, the mental part of it, I mean, think how really great he could be. And honestly, it's like if he doesn't and the first time in a critical situation he's not where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there and number nine is looking for him and he's nowhere to be found, or number nine puts it there and he's not there and the
other team gets it, that'll be that. I mean, there's no trust at that point, and you'd hate to see that, that's for sure.
Talk to him after the game, he sounded self aware. Hopefully he will do exactly what he needs to do to be the kind of player he can be, because again, the talent is extraordinary.
No question. I mean it's as good as you know on so many levels, so many things that he does. He runs really good routes, he's long arms, I mean, he's fast, he's short spaced, quickness. There's not one thing that he doesn't have physically. It's amazing, it really is.
On the flip side, Travion Williams not blessed with unbelievable speed or size or anything like that, but the solid pro that's the reason why he's lasted as long as he has as a member of this team. Eleven carries sixty six yards, five catches for eleven more and played a lot for a guy who's certainly going to be on this team. In the final preseason game.
Yeah, and Zach looked at it like he hasn't had a whole lot of carries, you know, in the last few years. So he's going to get his carries in the preseason. He's going to fine tune his craft in the preseason. And Travion has no problem with that. You know, check the ego at the door. Don't care who I'm playing with, I don't care when I'm playing what stage of the game. I'm playing football. I'm a football player,
I'm a professional football player. I'm going to give every ounce of effort to every single snap that I possibly can. A great example for a Burton, tremendous example. I mean, Trevion Williams will do anything he's asked to do to help his football team get better and win games. And I mean he had fun talking to him after the game to look on his face and the satisfaction a job well done. And he enjoys football, enjoys everything about it. And you can't have enough guys like that on your roster.
The Bengals first touchdown was scored on defense Jordan Battle of the fourteen yard pick six. It's going to be interesting to see how he develops this year because he's probably not going to get a ton of playing time with Genostone and Von Bell set to start at safety, but he'll get in there in certain situations. And furthermore, he needs to be a sponge around Von Bell because Von's not going to play forever and when he's finished, Jordan Battle has the ability to be Von Bell like.
Oh absolutely, I mean, Jordan Battle has got football IQ there's no question. Now it doesn't have you know, as many repetitions and the experience that that Von Bell has under his belt. But the thing that impressed me about him, he took another step in terms of special teams playing the preseason from what he was doing last year. And that tells me that this guy is serious about, you know,
about his career and playing the game of professional football. Yeah, they're gonna run plenty of three safety packages in this division the way they run the football, so he'll be on the field, you know, in those three safety package things. But it'll be interesting to see how how creative lou gets and how much how much time he will get, how many snaps he will get, and you know, God forbid one of those guys get snicked up. You have a guy like him, that's a that's a good feeling
for lou Anirumo and the coaches to have. On the defensive side of the football. You can't have another froster depth at any position really in this league. But yeah, he's I think he's I think he's got what it takes. You know, he's he's in a situation where he's naturally a pretty big body guy and he's always trying to make sure that you know, he's at the weight that they want him to be at and all the things
to go along with it from a conditioning standpoint. And he's there, and he's he's worked hard to get there, and I think he's going to have a big year. I think that you know, he's he's not gonna plateau. I think he's going to continue to as send Let's put it that way.
The Bengals have to make roster cuts between now and next Tuesday. The lineback position is going to be really interesting. That fifth linebacker spot. Muma John Meta has had an excellent preseason, will lead the team in tackles at the end of three preseason games. Devin Harper gives you more special teams value, and he played well in the final preseason game. The Bengals obviously owe it to themselves to
see who's out there on the waiver wire. Maybe linebacker is a spot that they will target, But that's one of the more intriguing decisions. I think that's coming up over the next few days.
Yeah, I agree with you, Dan. I mean, you know, Shaka Hayward is played well at training camp. It's it's not like, you know, forget about him. I mean, he's in the competition. Muma has played exceptionally well, as you say, and Harper has been going into tonight's game three special teams tackles. You know, we're amongst the league leaders. So and he's done that well, and he's going to continue
to do that well. And and when you're making the evaluation, I mean, Darren, Darren will probably stand up and say, look, he's going to get a lot of special teams for me, snaps for me. How many snaps will Muma get defensively, And he's not might not get as many special team snaps from me as Harper might. So all of that, you know, is in the discussion, and then somebody might be out there it's like, wow, you kidding me, this
guy's out here. This guy is going to make our linebacker corps you know, a lot better, a lot deeper. And so yeah, it's it's going to be interesting to see the juxtaposition of you know, all the rosters in the National Football League, just not here in Cincinnati.
The final preseason game is always an interesting night for somebody like justin Blazek Division III guy out of Wisconsin, Platfell really hadn't done all that much in practice or in the two preseason games prior to this one, but he was excellent tonight, had a strip, sack, a bunch of tackles. If this turns out to be his final football game, and hopefully for his sake, it isn't, but if it is, he had a great night on national TV.
Absolutely. I mean I think you know, he realized I got to go, and he got himself up and he played at another level. And that's all you can do, is the best you can do. Lay it all out there. It's not good enough, so be it. But the last thing you want to do is say, oh man, I wish I just you know, finished that player given a
little bit more offert on this one. That's the worst feeling in the world is you put your head on the pillow, you know, after the last preseason game, when it's like this is your last opportunity, you think, did I leave it all out there? That's terrible feeling. He's not gonna have that feeling. He'll sleep like a baby because he gave it all. I mean, he he put
it all on the on the field. And if it if it's good enough for somebody or somebody's practice squad, whatever the case may be, mission accomplished if not give it everything, you had no regrets.
What'd you think of Cedric Johnson tonight?
I think he showed that you know, he's he's got he's got some juice, he's got a little bit of a little bit of game to him. I think he's somebody that I think the Bengals are going to try to develop. But again, you know, if you if you waive them to get him on your practice squad, they have to clear waivers. So, uh, you know, it's like now, now you have to make that decision do I do I keep this extra extra you know, young guy? And the fifty three happens and you know he know now
now is he gonna clear waivers? Again? It playing playing the roster game is a tough one. You gotta you gotta, you know, guess right and hope that nobody out there, you know, uh, claims the guy that you're trying to slide through and play roster games with. So he he may fall into that category, or he may be somebody like, hey, he showed enough where you know, we're thin at that spot right now. But again on the wave wire. There may be somebody with a little more experience who's at
the same level as he is right now. But you know, you don't know what his ceiling is. I mean, he's raw, he's he's young, he's raw. You developed this guy, his ceiling may be a heck of a lot higher, and you don't want to miss out on that opportunity as well. So it drives you nuts trying to figure all this out, and uh, and just you just hope that that everything all the pieces fall your way.
You know, at the beginning of the broadcast, you did lapse keys to the game tonight, the first thing on your list, no more injuries to peer you got your wish.
Yeah, I think they I think they came out clean that way, which is which is good because man, to lose three guys for the season in uh, in the preseason, that's that's tough. That's tough. And uh, you know, how long how long will Murphy be out? They're saying four to six weeks. Hopefully that's you know, no longer than that, and hopefully it's on the short side of that. Hopefully
it's so a month down the road. And then you know that might be a couple of games that he that he might miss, but you know, at least it's weeks and not months, so you know that looking on the bright side of it. But yeah, that was enough from the injury standpoint, that's for sure.
Does an zero to three preseason record bother you at all?
It really doesn't, because I mean, you know, I look at I look at how the other teams approached it, how the Bengals approached it. I'm not shocked that that was the outcome in terms of how they handled personnel for those games. I'm looking at more of from preparation for the the regular season. How hard did they work at practice? And they had so many team periods and you know, situational periods. They at practice, they did a
lot of football. You know, it wasn't it wasn't you know, shorts and T shirts and running around and playing underwear ball. They did a lot of football, and they I thought they grinded pretty well, and they get tired of each other a little bit, and then you know, start playing in the joint practice and they get tired of the joint practice situation a little bit. So I do think that I do think that from a physicality standpoint and
a workload standpoint. I'm not I don't feel like they're not ready, you know for that opener against the Patriots, and uh, you know, number nine he's healthy and ready. That's that's that's a big tie breaker right there for sure, man.
And hopefully throwing to number one sometime soon.
No question about that. I mean, that guy is not only one of the best receivers in the game, he's one of the best football players in the game. And the bubble up is going to happen. I just hope that that bubblers percolating sooner rather than later.
Appreciate the time, Go get some sleep.
You do the same, sir. Great job.
So now the Bengals will go through the process of trimming the roster. They'll have to cut thirty three players to get down to fifty three by Tuesday at four o'clock. Then the following day they can bring a significant number of those players back on the sixteen man practice squad. It'll be interesting to see if they claim anybody on waivers. Linebacker and running back would seem like possibilities, but it
obviously depends on who's available. Last, but not least, it's time for this week's Fun Facts Conversation, where you get to know the person under the pads. Time for Fun Facts with Rocky running back Elijah Collins from the Motor City, Detroit, Michigan. What are some of your favorite things about home.
Or say the food primarily, I'd be the first thing, either my mom's cooking or the surrounding areas. You know, I'm always down for a coney dog, big Detroit guy obviously, But those two things and the ultimately my family probably my third biggest thing.
You attended a prestigious high school Detroit Jesuit. Was it strict and did you have a dress code?
It was very strict.
They wanted you to be on time, They wanted you to, you know, dress properly. They want you to learn how to tie a tie at a young age. I mean, it's all part of it. But it helped me develop and be the man who I am today.
So you were wearing a tie every day to high.
School every single day. If I didn't have a sweater. Sweaters were the only times you can get out of wearing the tie. But or yeah, because I mean if you had a dress code, then you definitely had.
A tie on.
We're visiting of Elijah Collins. As a sophomore, you played on an undefeated state championship basketball team. I've read that you were the defensive stopper. Was that the case?
Oh yeah, undoubtedly. That team that he was very loaded, has a very prestigious atta. He's playing that team with me as well, Scottie knows, and Cash's Winston.
I mean, the list kind of goes on.
My whole team is either playing Division one sports football or basketball, So I mean being part of that team was kind of it was a dream, and being the defensive stopper was definitely one of the things that we needed. Catches a lot of facilitating and scoring the ball. I mean, we had somebody to shut down their best player every single game, and that was my primary role.
So as the story goes, former Michigan State coach Mark D'Antonio comes to your school in the winters during the basketball season. He sees you with the basketball team and says to your coach, what position does that kid play on the football team? And your coach said, he doesn't play football, and coach D'Antonio said, well he should. Why weren't you playing football in tenth grade?
So in the tenth grade, me and my dad made a decision to I mean, to chase goes and things that we had, and one of the things that we had coming off of a short ended freshman campaign where we ended up being the final four and losing. That was my last year playing with my brother in high school, so it was kind of, you know, at that time, one of the biggest moments in my life, very detrimental to a young kid who was just getting the field
for everything my freshman year on varsity. So it's like it really kind of it really meant a lot to me. So after losing that game and realizing that, like it's a chance that we have a chance to go all the way, me and my dad said go, And it was like, we're gonna give the whole summer, put away football, put away track, all of that just to play basketball and commit and see how far it goes and what we would get from. And we got what we wanted, won the state championship undefeated and got them so.
That's pretty cool. Then it was back to football in eleventh and twelfth grade. I was reading about a game you had in high school with six touchdowns in the following ways, three rushing one, receiving one is a kick returner had to pick six on defense. I'm not sure that I've heard of a game like that. What were the next few days? Like after that game?
After that, I knew that I could do something special on the football field. I mean I was breaking records left and right, like people were telling me that I had a good chance I played at the next level. So it was just like, well, how can I do that? Like what does it take? And as you can see from that game, I was willing to do anything. Return the kicks, played defense and honestly scored the ball and whatever fashion.
When it came time to pick a college, you decided to stay in the state of Michigan and play at Michigan State. What appealed to you about going to East Lansing.
Well, I wanted to be away from home, but not as far so my people could come still to the game. And then on top of that, me and Mark D'Antonio had a really good relationship outside of just like football, like, we talked a lot. He was always in my ear as a process went on. He was very thorough with communicating. As you can see, he came to the basketball game so he was more interested in me as a person
than so much as a football player. And from then on, I mean, me and him built the relationship and then when the time was time, I mean, it's kind of a easy decision.
You spent five years at Michigan State and earned your degree, but because of the COVID rules, you had an extra year of eligibility and decided to spend it last year at Oklahoma State. Why did you want to play for the Cowboys?
First and foremost, I mean, just the lineage in the history. Coach Gundy has a great team and he has a great process over there. He knows how to win games and get things rolling. They've always had a good running game, So for me, it was like just betting on myself and also going somewhere that I mean that also bettered me as a football player, and that's a running back. With the running back over there, they do everything they run, black, catch, and even motion to mount. So just added more to
my game. And knowing that they had the skills and the coaching that could do that, that's really what I wanted to do going to Oklahoma State.
One of your teammates last year was Ali Gordon, who led the nation in rushing. When you were at Michigan State, one of your teammates was Kenneth Walker, who was second in the nation in rushing. So you were teammates with guys that had phenomenal years and I'm sure you were thrilled for them when you were running back on the same roster. That means fewer carries for you. Is that tough?
I wouldn't even say it was tough.
It was just the best way to learn, because I mean, you gotta understand that there's other great players out there. You're not the only one. So it's just like learning from other guys, watching them go out there and the way they practice, the way they compete, and I mean just taking what I can from them, given that both
of them both can. In all they both younger than me both, but seeing how they practice and approach the game from a different viewpoint allowed me to change and add things to my game that ultimately led me here and honestly gonna leak I'll lead to the NFL, and I mean can to continue to do great things with the Seahawks, cause I mean like watching it and competing with both of them. I mean, those are two of
my brothers. I go talk to them both right now, and it's just like, you know, we always sharpened each other,
like we always competed, we always supported one another. So it was just like, I mean, I was just happy for my brothers, like both of them, honestly, because without that, I mean, I might not have learned or it might have been different for me, you know, telling So it's just like, I'm actually very for both of my brothers in those situations, because it's just I mean, if it's not me, I definitely wanted to beat them.
Visiting with running back Elijah Collins, you were a game captain last year when Oklahoma State played Oklahoma the final game of the famous Bedlam rivalry. At least for now, Oklahoma State won. Fans charged the field, they ripped down a goal post. Did you stay out there for the celebration or did you hustle to the locker room for safety?
So honestly, the fans got to me before I could even move, So I mean the game was over, like we stormed the field, But like I mean, as it was happening, I'm looking across the field and I look back into a wall of fans. I'm like, ah, so the fans kind of got to jump on me. I
missed all of this. I'm sitting there looking for my girlfriend at the time, who was still my girlfriend today, and we ended up finding each other by the grace of God, if I'm being honest, And that's probably one of the biggest and best moments of my life really being because I mean, I know how important Reverie games are, I mean, coming from a different conference and trying to like get adjusted to that, and it also being the
last Bellum. Like, it was a lot of hypes around in the game and before the game, I mean people were talking online and everything, but I don't do too much talking, just all about play. And we went out there and did that as a team. We won the Last Bellum.
You signed with the Bengals as a college free agent right after the draft. What appealed about Cincinnati.
Cincinnati was the same way, just like Oklahoma State, they could do everything with the back I mean, sort of fits my play style. Kind of the schemes that we do. We get the back outside, get the back to the receiver position. We get the back one on one I mean, pick up and pass pro run downhill, and the schemes are sort of similar, so everything is kind of it
sounds the same, but it's called something different. So for me, it's just adjusting about or adjusting with just I guess the NFL level NFL skill in the speed of the game.
But I mean the.
Bengals were probably just my best option genuinely speaking, I mean they had interest in me and interest was mutual.
So a few wild card topics now for running back Elijah Collins, who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport?
That's tough.
I mean, growing up playing a lot of basketball, it probably would be Kobe Bryant genuinely because it's mentality.
I admire that.
A lot about him is his day and day out work mentality, and it's like, well, I'm gonna work while you sleep, and I kinda I kind of live by that sort of now to this day, like that mama mentality where it's just like, no matter what day it is, i'ma my best for forward and really chop as hard as I can, because I mean, you never know when it might be your last day at practice or your last game, your last scrimmage, So it's just like giving
it y'all all the time. And with every time that you got so that I mean, number one, you're prepared, and number two that I mean like you're not like I said, you're not youn't gotta get rid.
You always prepared. That's just probably my biggest thing.
You had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. How do you celebrate your birthday in the middle of your first NFL training camp? Do you so?
I mean it being my birthday on August first, it's been that way, so like my entire life's been that way, genuinely, so, I mean, me and football got a real special relationship, if that makes sense. I've really never celebrated my football football, but my birthday outside of football, it's always been just I mean, well five happy birthday, you know.
Back to practice. But luckily this year I was able to.
Have my parents come down and after practice they were able to watch practice with me and be there, and then after practice I was able to take the pictures with them and go out to eat for like an hour or two. So it's kind of nice having them be here for a change versus just just being me and my teammates all the time.
But that's genuinely how I do it. Just for practice.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I grew up playing the violin, so like, I haven't played the violin in a long time, but like I always want to get back to it. But as you can see, I'm doing other things playing football, but playing violin is probably my most hidden talent. I don't really tell it to me people that or people don't really know that about me.
I haven't had many players tell me they played the violin over the years. What did you do in the Rookie Talent Show?
Oh?
On the Rookie Talent Show, So we did a little like game show kind of thing where we did some impersonations and me and my good friend Noah Kane running back made as you as we beginning to know each other, we kind of talk a little bit, and we kind of figured out we make a little skit, you know, to make people actually laugh, try out to do nothing to quaranty you know what I mean. We wanted to get some chuck with out of people. So we impersonated one of our strength coaches in I mean, the room
loved it. He loved it, and we talked about it too. Actually we wouldn't try to, like know, had no hard feelings or nothing.
It was all love, so outstanding. Final fun fact for Elijah Collins, This one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history, living or deceased, who would that person be?
It had to be one and only Jesus Christ. The reason being is just I really wouldn't have any questions. I just wanted to, like, I mean, just see him,
you know, if that makes sense. I know that I'm you know, covering his blood and everything, but it's just like seeing him definitely would have made like I don't know, I guess more of an impact not only on me but people around me, because then it's like, well, now that I've seen him, now it's something that's kind of like concrete that I can walk off of and I read about him every single day. But it's just like it would have been just that much more seeing him.
If that makes sense, it absolutely does, and you're off the hot seat. I appreciate your time, Thank you so much, and best of luck going forward.
Thank you.
I appreciate everything, appreciate this interview and getting the you know, speak to you as well.
It's a pleasure.
Elijah finished the preseason with twenty nine yards rushing and thirty nine receiving That's going to do it For this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast brought to you by pay Core, Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.
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