Bengals Booth Podcast: Superstar

Hi, gain everybody. I'm Dan Board and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The if You Are what You Say you are the superst addition as five Cincinnati sports legends share their thoughts on Joe Burrow. Plus, I'll talk to tight end Drew Sample about his comeback from knee surgery. And then did you know that six current Bengals have been on Super Bowl winning teams? I'll talk to each

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Barry Larkin? What do you respect about Joe Burrow?

Everything?

Swag, calm, under pressure, leadership, the way he's brought the city together, the fact that he is philanthropic, He's giving of his time, He's using his platform for positive everything.

He's three years in. Do you have a favorite game or moment yet?

I just, you know, I don't know if there's a game, you know. I watch all the games. I just love I love the turnaround that the organization has made. I love I've always been a Bengals fan. I've always represented the Colors down in Florida, and a couple of years ago, it was not so pretty the response. Now there's a lot of hooday and going on down there, and you know, I just love I mean the Kansas City game. I love the fact that they beat Kenas City in the playoffs.

T Higgins, so you know all those guys.

How do you feel about the way he carries himself off the field.

I think that's the biggest thing. You know, it's one of respect.

And I think you know, Pete Rose told me when I came to Cincinnati just start playing as a young man. He said, you know, you got to respect the fact you're from Cincinnati and respect Cincinnati.

I think he respects Cincinnati.

Final question for Barry Larkin. He's twenty six, he's about to get a huge contract. Any advice for him at this stage of his life and career.

Just keep doing what you're doing, you know, I no, no, it seems like he's on top of everything. You know, just stay humble and continue to do what he's doing.

We go from one Hall of Famer to another. An eleven time pro bowler who is widely considered to be the greatest offensive lineman of all time. Anthony Munos, Anthony, what do you respect and admire about Joe Burrow?

Well, as I watch him, his leadership, and I guess I've shared with my two grandsons, who are very involved in athletics, I said.

Watch Joe.

I said, watch him, not because of what he does throwing the ball or run, but watch how he handles success and adversity. He doesn't get too high, doesn't get too low. And that's what I love when a leader, a guy that you can you know that guys are going to go and just give it everything they have

Does he remind you of anyone you played against.

Or win somewhat Boomer?

I think Boomer might have been a little more animated, But you know, having played nine years with Boomer, I love playing for Boomer.

I would play for him now.

If we would put flag football team to guy, probably snaps, I wouldn't have to move. But no, I think he has a little bit of that. Again, I think Boomer had a little more kind of I don't know, flare to him, but definitely a great leader.

The knowledge of the game.

You can tell Joe is very knowledgeable as rookie, and Boomer was that way.

So I'd have to say that, do.

You have a favorite moment from his first three years?

I guess the one I've had fun with is when he was just about ready to go out of bounds and through the touchdown pass.

And and I have fun.

With that because people say, well, do you think Boomer could have done that? I said, well, Boomer really never had to scramble and have to do that going out of bounds.

He would just say that and people laughing. Boy, But that was.

Probably the I mean the awareness of where he was and the accuracy that he threw the ball with. I guess that would be the one play that I was still Oh my, what.

Do you think of the off the field Joe Burrow? The way he carries himself, the wardrobe anything, you know.

It's uh. I laughed because I think I had a couple of those type of suits when I was going. I mean, you know, young guy, it's a new generation, you know, and to me, it's not my cup of tea. But you know, hey, it works for him and he looks good in it, so you know, I remember we had to get a suit. It was a navy suit and khaki pan for the lineman. It wasn't you know, the Ricky Dixon three piece and hat. But no, I have no problem with I think it's pretty cool that.

He does that.

Final question for Anthony Mullios.

He's about to get a big contract extension, a life changing contract extension. Any advice for him at age twenty six as he enters this phase of his life.

Yeah, if he needs someone to drive him around, I'd be willing to caddy for him. You know, I'd light his cigars and hold him as he putts out, you know, and I think, look that he's got you know, parents that seem to be, you know, very solid, so I

Our next Cincinnati Sports great spent twelve years in Major League Baseball, including three seasons in Cincinnati, and him an Iteen ninety World Series. He set a record by having hits in seven straight at bats. Outfielder Billy Hatcher. Billy Hatcher, what do you respect and admire about Joe Burrow.

I mean, he's a winner, he's a leader.

Uh, Cincinnati's been looking for someone like that for a long long time.

And you know, plus he's a good person.

I mean, you know, he uh, he represents the state of Ohio and the city of Cincinnati. He represents us very very well. Just keep on going and hey, we want to see us back in the super Bowl.

Do you have a favorite Burrow moment game, anything that stands out?

No.

I just like to watch him play. I mean he plays with so much heart. I mean, you see even when the team is going bad, you know, he always finds a way to lift him up. And when they're down, he finds a way to make it interesting.

And when they're winning, he knows how to finish it off.

Is there anybody from your sport that he reminds you of in any way?

It's very It's very hard to say because as a quarterback, you can control a lot of things. You know, pretty much only in baseball the one person that can control something is pretty much the picture. So you know, I would say he's like with me, He's like a Nolan Ryan, and Nolan Ryan, when you needed him the most, he was always there.

What do you think of Joe Burrow off the field?

He's not in the paper for anything negative.

You know, when you're a superstar, when you're a Joe Burrows, a person like him, you know you always have something that they've done. But this guy, I mean, you never hear anything the only thing you hear about him is good things, and that's a good thing about it.

He's twenty six, he's three years into his career. He's about to become very, very wealthy. Any advice for him going forward at this stage of his life and his career.

Don't change. He got you this for it. You're good people. You're a good person, You're a good leader.

The city of Cincinnati loves you, and I know you love Cincinnati.

I know you love Ohio. Just keep being Joe.

Up next, the College Football Hall of Famer who is drafted by the Bengals in nineteen eighty six and helped change the game by playing safety with a linebacker's physique. Three time Pro Bowler David Fulcher, David, what do you respect about Joe Burrow?

Everything?

And I know that's pretty big, big wide, but what I respect about this kid is just the novel edge of not just playing football, but the knowledge of a human being. He brings something to Cincinnati that we've been missing for a very very long time. And I played with Kenny, one year with Kenny and then my career with Boomer. Just the presence of him being there, he's to me, he's an offensive coordinator on the football field.

Like Joe Burrow.

About the highest praise you can give somebody. Does he remind you of anybody you played with or against?

He's out there with a bunch of people.

Man, you know, the savvy of Tom Brady, the no how and the will to get it done in Joe Montana, the guts and the grid of Jim McMahon, and the hurry up and do what I tell you to do and Boomera sizing.

A laundry list of great guys. Do you have a favorite moment from his first three years?

Wow?

I know this may sound crazy. It's a favorite moment of him getting hurt and watching him on that stretcher being taken off and he put the finger up and the thumbs up and said I'll.

Be back.

That and just every time he sees the feeld. You know, I think one of them was a good one where I think it. I don't know if it was against the Raiders in the playoffs, so maybe it was Kansas City where he was. He was scrambling, did all these kind of circles and rolled out to the right, ran for the first down and got up with the ball in his hand and flipped it a little bit.

You know.

Most people call that cocky. I called it confidence. And the kids remarkable. What do you think of they? He carries himself off the field.

This is where I when I say a twenty five year old.

If that's his age, twenty six now, twenty six now, the twenty six year old handles pressure like the forty five year old guy and Tom Brady. Off the field, he's very he's quiet. I don't know if he really likes to be interviewed. And I kind of watch him sometime. He looks like he's shy, but he's about business. When he goes to work with the Bengals, he goes to work. When work is over, he goes home and it's he's relaxing now and not too many twenty six year olds think that way.

Last thing for the great David Fulcher, he's about to get paid. It's going to be a fifty million dollar a year man. Any advice for him at age twenty six about to land a deal like.

That, Well, you know, I think he's smart enough, and he's got a great family background and good backing and good support of people around him. Yeah, it's a lot of money. I've actually kind of been around and listened to him and maybe talked to him. I don't think he's really concerned about the money. I think he's more concerned about the weapons that he's got around him. So distribute that money to them weapons. Give me a little bit, even though I know the NFLPA won't allow him to

Our fifth and final Cincinnati Sports Legend a weigh in on Joe Burrow is one of the area's all time best college basketball players, the all time leading scorer at Xavier, where his number twenty three is retired Byron Larkin. Byron Larkin, what do you respect about Joe.

Burrow won, his obvious talent, his winning attitude, what he has brought back to the city. You know, we've had number you know, first round draft choices obviously every year, but he has seemed to be able to galvanize the city because I mean, he's one of the best players in the game, and it's just wonderful to see. I love his humility, he doesn't seem to be all about him, and I just you know, I love his talent, I love his attitude.

Does he remind you of anybody from your sport?

You know?

You know, Lebron James is obviously a super talented guy and seems to be very humble and very sharing with his gifts and his you know, ability to be active in the community. You know, I see Joe as kind

Do you have a favorite game or moment so far?

There will be multiple moments. I like when the chips are down, you know, it's the last two minutes, they need to score. Everybody knows what he's gonna do, yet he's still able to do it. You know, multiple games, you know, was it Kansas City last couple of years of the Kansas City playoff game? It just multiple situations. Being able to rise to the top in the biggest situations. It's truly the mark of a great player. And I think that's what he is.

What do you think of off the field Joe Burrow, Well.

I don't know much about that. I just know he's from Athens, Ohio. I heard he was a really great basketball player in high school, like most athletes, but I liked his humility. He seems to be a guy not all about him. That he's very fortunate and he wants to share his influence and gifts with the people around him, and those are the great kind of people that you want to look up to.

He's twenty six, it's about to get paid. Any advice for Joe Burrow.

Just be humble man, don't let you know don't don't make the money man.

Don't let the money make him.

Man make the money man.

Just don't get out.

Of his lane.

And just you know, just just have some sense about him, you know, just because you see a lot of times and people get paid, I mean getting paid. It's just a different deal now, three four hundred million dollar contracts. It's it's hard to blow that kind of money. But I think if Joe is how he seems, family around him, good common sense, just keep his wits about him, I think he'll be fine.

Obviously.

The Bengals Booth podcast just brought to you by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds is take your home, business and community to a new level. Elevate your connection with Alta Fiber and by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust paycore to help them recruit, pay, engage and retain employees. Learn more at paycoorp dot com. Two years ago, tight end Cjuzaba had forty nine catches for four hundred ninety three yards.

You feeling good?

Yeah, I think I'm about seven or so months obviously from the knee that happened Game two, but I'm pretty much doing everything now. It's just you know, being smart and making sure I'm you know, staying on track to where I've been.

I probably created some uncertainty in your own mind for where you were going to be, what was going to happen going forward. How How do you feel about the way things worked out?

Yeah, I'm obviously super glad to be back. You know, it's been my home in the last four years. You know, familiar with the team, the staff, and you know, to go through what we went through, you know for my first year, you know, to getting Joe to Super Bowl

I thought you were off to a good start last year. Did you feel that way and did that make it that much more difficult to have to miss the bulk of the season.

Yeah, I felt like I was in a good spot last year.

You know, I had a good camp, you know, didn't do any preseason, and so then you know, coming to Stewers game, I felt like I was getting my you know, getting back into the rim of things. And then, like you said, the Dallas game, was felt good you know at the start, and then obviously, you know, injuries happen. Unfortunately, that's part of the game. So then you know, just

So in the weeks leading up to the draft, Zach Taylor and Duke Tobin said, we feel really good about our tight end group. We love having Irv Smith here, we like having Drew Sample back.

And then in the.

Draft they did not select any tight ends. Was that an even bigger sign than hearing those words that the Bengals have faith and trust in you guys?

Yeah, I mean you look at the draft and you know they're you know, they've been really good at that and you know, I let them do their things, so you know, that's obviously great to hear.

But you know, we're always, you know, open.

Trying to make this team as good as possible, so that you know, if there's a tight end Billable that they thought could make our team better than you know, I'm all for that. So but no, I mean, I think we have a good room. I think we got guys with good experience and obviously James you know, being our coach like he's you know, he's been a fantastic coach, and you know, we have a really good feel in this offense for the things that we need to do to you know, be successful as an offense and as

Did you know much about IRV before he joined the team.

Yeah, I'd met him a couple of times. I think Nashville tighten.

You you know, obviously we're from the same draft class, so I had seen him here and there. You know, I can't remember if we had talked or not, but he's an awesome dude. Just being next to him right now, you know, I'm excited for him to, you know, get with Joe, get with the team, get with the offense, because I think our team is a special team, just the camaraderie we have and you know, such a great locker room.

So I'm excited to have him be a part of that.

What is it about James Casey that helps develop tight ends to take that next step?

I just think his experience of you know, having done it at a high level, you know, in the NFL. I think he just has a better understanding, you know, of the game and of the tight end position. And I think, you know, it's great for us, us because he doesn't ask us to do anything that you know,

He helps us with cutups.

He you know, really tries to give us a full understanding, you know, of our offense, of defenses and things like that. So I feel like that's been you know, such a great you know, person to have in our room because he really is. It really helps with everything and it helps, you know, the game slow down, and it helps you just allows us as tight ends just to go out and play fast.

Good to catch up.

Best of luck, kind of healthy and productive season.

Yeah, thank you, I appreciate it.

The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred and twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health, visiting heealth dot org to learn more. Over the next ten minutes or so, I'm about to give you the answers to a good trivia question. Name the six players on the Bengals current roster who have earned Super Bowl Rings.

I do, very special moment.

You know, you remember all the teams you're on, but certainly there's something a little different about everybody in the same room. I think we opened up like a shiny box and you get this big ring. Very cool moment shared it with you know, teammates all have a special bond with for the rest of my life.

Do you break it out for any occasions?

It's currently in a safety deposit box in Minnesota. I think my father in law put it there, so no, I don't wear it much like out.

To the bar or anything.

I need to get it though, and bring it out one or two times shortly here.

I think it'd be good.

They're so big they're hard to wear.

Yeah, yeah, not subtle, So I don't, you know, I don't. I don't know where exactly i'd wear it, and maybe not out to dinner with my wife or anything. But uh yeah, I'm sure there's there's some good occasions. I gotta I gotta break it out.

Though.

They try to give these rings some sort of unique feature that means something to the players and coaches. There is there anything about that Broncos ring that they added to it as saying or some element of the design that's especially meaningful.

Yeah, I think on ours we had the you know, this one's for Pat, a late Pat bowling, which was pretty cool. I thought, so, yeah, that was our special thing. But shoot, it's been it's been so long since I've seen it or brought it out. I don't know much other than that about it.

Yes, it's your most prized possession, most.

Prime prize possession.

Ah, No, something else come to mind.

It's up there. If my wife's listening to this, it's my wedding ring.

Mississimeian.

I hope you approve of that answer.

Yeah, that's right.

The following year, Ted Karris earned the first of two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. He was on the twenty sixteen team that rallied from a twenty eight to three deficit to beat Atlanta and earned another ring two years later win New England beat the Rams. Ted, you remember the feeling when you got the first one?

I do you feel like a king of the world.

You know, that first year was kind of along for the ride, but I had a couple of starts in New England. But then the one, the second one we won, you know, really contributed to that team, felt more of a part of it. But it's an unbelievable feeling to the culmination of so much hard work. To be a champion is a rare feeling, and we need to get an orange one.

How often do you break them out and what type of occasions would you pull your Super Bowl rings out for?

I'll break them out upon request or usually when I go to a school, if I'm talking to a school or a group of kids, or any type of you know, charity function that those are usually the time it comes out.

They come out.

Are there any particular features about yours that you really find cool?

I think that those last two in New England, they really you know, went all out, so there's there's a lot of diamonds on there, So nothing like that. But you know, seeing you know, just seeing a Lombardi in a diamond is very special, and I.

Think the ring symbolizes so much.

It's a you know, football is a yearly proposition and to be a to be a champion is something that you can never take for granted and they can never take away from you. But you know, we're not we're not really focusing on those we need to. We need to focus on putting ourselves in a position to get another one.

Are that your most prized possessions?

Absolutely?

Most prize by far.

Ted actually played in three straight Super Bowls with the Patriots. In twenty seventeen, he was on the loop end when the Eagles Philly specialed their way to a forty one to thirty three win. Bengals newcomer Sidney Jones the Fourth was a rookie with Philadelphia that year. He was coming back from a torn achilles that he suffered at his pro day and made his NFL debut in the Eagles final regular season game that year, Sidney, do you remember the emotion of receiving that Super Bowl ring?

Yeah?

It was.

It was definitely a crazy, crazy experience in general, but even just the moment when we won, just sprinting on the field and just celebrating with you know, with the teammates and everybody.

Just just looking at the journey and like it's.

All it's also surreal, but just receiving it, it was just like more surreal, like whoa.

Like this is is?

Actually I got a Super Bowl ring?

Like now, you know, it's just another huge piece of memorabilia, biggest one ever probably.

So it was just a cool thing.

You know.

Do you ever wear it? Do you break it out for special occasions? Do you show it to kids when you speak to groups? How do you use your Super Bowl ring?

If at all? Rarely?

Rarely, rarely, rarely, rarely ever where. I actually wore it once this year for the first time in about six seven years, and that was at a wedding. So it usually stays tucking to safe and never sees light.

Are there any features about that Eagles ring that you find especially cool or interesting? Something about the design or something that's inscribed on it.

Not really, it might have, it might have. I think I don't. I think I forgot. I might have something inscribed on like a model that we were saying that year, maybe hungry dogs running faster or something like that.

Natually special. Maybe that too.

This is something, it's something that was you know, that stuck with us.

Is it your most prized bazi A Not really.

Uh, I'm not a big possession guy. And also part maybe partially because I didn't really have too much input on the field, and you know, in that type.

Of way I was on the team.

I have a Super Bowl ring.

So maybe if I get one, I'm playing, I'm you know, doing my thing and teams doing their thing.

It all comes together. That makes it like a thousand times more special.

So February of this year.

Yeah, yeah, that's the goal.

Tom Brady was on the losing end of that Super Bowl, but he came back to win a ring the following year in New England and then one another two years later in Tampa Bay, where his teammates included Alex Kappa. Alex, do you remember the moment that you received yours and then what the emotions were like?

Uh?

Yeah, it's pretty cool. It's a pretty extravagant ring, so it was pretty cool to get a cool little ceremony celebrations.

Do you break it out and what occasions would you pull it out for?

I've never worn it for an occasion. I mean, when I get another one, I'll throw it on.

Are there any specific features of that Buck super Bowl ring that you like or found cool?

Oh?

Yeah?

The top comes off, so you unscrew the top and then in there's like the stadium inside. I think some teams have done that since then, but I think we were the first one.

Is it but your most prized possession?

No?

What do you value more?

I don't know?

My dog?

It's cool, but like.

This is a symbol, you know.

Our hero to dog lovers everywhere, Alex Kappa. In twenty twenty one, safety Nick Scott earned a Super Bowl ring at the Bengals expense. After only starting one regular season game in his first three seasons, he started all four postseason games in helping the Rams win the Super Bowl.

Yet.

Do you remember thee when you received it?

Oh?

Man, Yeah, I was just I don't know how to describe it. I was overwhelmed, but I wasn't overwhelmed. I was shocked, but I wasn't shocked, and I was just extremely happy and just felt extreme feelings of just being blessed and just thankful for the opportunity I had to not only play in the super Bowl but be a starter.

Do you wear it? Do you show it off? If so, what are the occasions?

So I haven't worried to an occasion yet. I thought about wearing it to somebody's wedding. I decided not to because I didn't want to, you know, distract anybody from you know, their event.

So I haven't. I haven't worre it yet, but.

I do put it on from time to time, just around the house and just kind of look at it on my finger and then throw it back in the box and think, man, that was cool, and then get on.

With my day.

But it's awesome to have. I kind of keep it out in my house. Nothing like too flashy or anything like that, but it's definitely something that family members are excited to see and put on and everything like that.

Teams try to have some sort of feature that unique. It might be a saying that meant something to the team, that might be some sort of statistic or something. Is there something about the Rams ring that's especially meaningful to you?

You can, obviously, you can unscrew the top and you have the makeup of Sofi Stadium, which is really cool.

But I think the coolest part is if.

You take the top off and you flip the top and look inside the top, there's a little bit of a piece of the game ball from the Super Bowl that's that's kind of stuck in there.

So that's definitely cool.

Everybody got the game ball, which is a kind of great thing to look at and think of. So that's probably my favorite part about it.

Final question, is it your most prized possession?

My most prized possession?

That's a good question, I think, I think so, I think so yeah, I'll say I'll go with that for now.

Most prized possession.

I was gonna say my son, but that's not really like a possession.

That's more like a loved one. So yeah, I think the ring takes the.

Cake Alex Kappa set his dog, but I think that's kind of the same thing.

It's a living creature.

It's a living creature that's not necessarily like an object or anything like that. I know my wife would kill me if I said her like, I'm not an object, but uh yeah, the ring definitely. It's definitely probably one of the most expensive objects I have, besides maybe a house.

There's one final Super Bowl champ on the current roster, Orlando Brown Junior, who helped the Chiefs beat Philly last February. All right, Orlando, You're a little bit different from the guys that I've talked to because you have not received yours yet. June fifteenth is the big day. Do you know anything about what it's going to look like? Have you seen, you know, artist's renderings or anything.

I haven't.

Honestly, I have no idea what the ring is gonna look like. I imagine it'll be pretty big, man. Uh you know, obviously, man, it's It's a ton of great franchises in this in this league, and you know, getting one, winning one of Kansas City City was pretty special, man. Having that opportunity to go out there and do it for a great franchise like that, Man, it was pretty cool. And you know, I'm sure that ring will be pretty special.

Ever held one from another team.

This will be my first time.

Man.

I wanted it to be like that, you know, I've I've never I had never even visited a Super Bowl.

Man.

I had opportunities to go to go to games and go experience it, but you know, man, I really wanted to be able to take it all in for the first time as a player.

And uh no, So I've never held a ring.

Do you see yourself wearing it, showing it off, pulling it out for special occasions?

Do you know?

At this point, I don't. I don't, Man, I'm gonna be honest with you. I think you know, for me, man, I I've kind of already you know, moved forward into you know, what I want to do this year, and you know, to me, being able to bring a ring here to Cincinnati is important. And uh man, that's something that you know, with this franchise being a franchise that gave me the opportunity to really be who I want

So the gun sounds at the end of the game against the Egos last year, how quickly do you start thinking, Man, I'm gonna get a Super Bowl right.

Oh.

Man, I mean I remember Jalen Hurts throwing the ball and he kind of slipped, and man, I mean I just remember thinking to myself, like, man, this is crazy, you know what I mean, Like, I'm about to win the Super Bowl and you know, his ball hits the ground, Confetti starts flying, You're hugging coaches, you're hugging your teammates, and it's just it's also surreal, man. You see your family. It's truly. I mean, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world.

What I like is that you're a few weeks away from receiving your first and you're already thinking about your second.

Absolutely, man, that's what it's about. Man.

We just were striving to get beat better, get great every single day.

So there's the answer to the trivia question. The six current Bengals to win Super Bowl rings are Trevor Simeon, Ted Carris, Sidney Jones, four, Alex Kappa, Nick Scott, and Orlando Brown Junior. That's going to do it for this episode of The Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals, by