Bengals Booth Podcast: Sweet Dreams

broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's fun fact segment, you'll hear Larry Ogan Joby describe his remarkable road to the NFL. It's well worth your time. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals. The Freed to Play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the App Store and Google Play. And here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever

you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since air traffic control. I was on a lot of planes last week from Cincinnati to Las Vegas, Vegas to Kansas City, KC. Back home, then, after a one day break back on a plane to North Carolina before flying home again the next day. It occurred to me on all of those flights that air traffic control is a remarkable thing that we completely take for granted. With so many flights in the sky at any given time, the coordination required to

keep all of us safe is truly amazing. So thank you to the highly skilled heroes and air traffic control. This frequent flyer is grateful. Now let's get to Sunday's stunner at Paul Brown Stadium. The highlights begin and with Cincinnati's second play on offense, Burrow moves under center after being in the shotgun on the opening play. It's a stretch run left Mixon having the first down and Marto

to the fifty into Steelers territory. Yanked out a bounce on the Bengals sideline by Minka Fitzpatrick at the forty six of Pittsburgh. Nothing fancy, They're just a good inside run and good double team left guard left tackle. Get up to the next level. Joe Mixon working down the

football field. How about the downfield blocked by Jamar Chase that let Joe Mixon even take advantage further of that rush opportunity, Jamar Chase at the third level getting it done twenty five yards for Joe Mixon on his first carry of the day. On the Bengals opening drive, Mixon carried seven times for forty nine yards that set up a touchdown run by the other star of the Joe Show.

Second down and seven from the Steelers eight, as the Bengals try to score on their opening possession for just the second time this year, drops back to throw spins away from a tackler running through ten the five, Burrow is in touchdown. Bengals show Burrow with his first rushing touchdown up the season, a great spin move at the line of scrimmage to get it started, and he swerved into the end zone to score. The spinning, swerving touchdown run came one year in six days after Joe's knee

injury in Washington. You know, Highsmith got got some pressure on me. I was able to get outside and you know, had a little boogie right there. My name was feeling my name was feeling good on my NWS, feeling great old day. I was exciting. So the offense started the game with a seventy five yard touchdown drive, and the

defense got off to a great start. Two second and seven, as the crowd gets into it, Roethlisberger in the shotgun for the first time today, stomps the left foot, catches the snap, drops back, now steps up in the pocket, flings it toward the near side, picked off by Eli Apple running up the near sideline to the Pittsburgh thirty twenty five, cuts back at the twenty ten. He gets tackled at the five. Eli Apple's second interception in his many weeks led to an Evan McPherson field goal and

at tend nothing lead. The Steelers answered with a field goal on their next possession to make it ten three, but when the Bengals got the ball back, one Joe Mixon run was followed by five straight pass completions by Joe Burrow first and ten at the Pittsburgh thirty two, the Bengals leading by seven. Burrow catches a shotgun snap five step drop. It's gonna float it for the end zone in te Higgins. He goes up, He's got it. Te Higgins wins the back to the football as he

took it away from James Pierre touchdown Cincinnati. Burrow completed twenty of twenty four passes, six went to Higgins for one hundred fourteen yards. Was it the Bengals best offensive performance? Yeah, you know, I would say so. No. I felt like we were rolling the whole day. And you know, we started to get up by a bunch. We started to play more conservative, but you know, at the beginning we were rolling. They certainly were after scoring on their last

five drives of the Raiders game last week. The Bengals scored on their first four drives on Sunday, including a fourteen play eighty four yard march that made it twenty four to three in the second quarter. Growing the shotgun, Nixon to his right. Well they give it to Joe again. They do twist his shoulder, pads lunches forward. Here come

the officials running in touchdown Bengals. It looked like the Bengals would score for the tenth straight possession when they drove to the Steelers twenty six with a minute left and a half, but a Minca Fitzpatrick interception gave Pittsburgh the ball back at their own twenty one. Big Ben catches the shotgun staff short drop throws h having it back to the house for the touchdown down. My Kilton against his former team, intercept Ben Roethlisberger's pass and runs

it into the end zone. Cincinnati is embarrassing Pittsburgh so far today. Wow, how about that an unscripted, unconventional score. On top of being able to run the football, throw the football, you get a defensive score by former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Hilton. So, Mike Hilton, how did that feel? You really want to know this villain the world? Man. That's my first career pick sixs and my whole football career.

So to do it against those guys in a big division game couldn't be Ine sueda peewee high school college first four years of the league and this is my first one. How great is that? It was thirty one three Bengals at the half and Zach Taylor was thrilled from Mike Hilton. Mike Hilton's a winner. Mike Hilton brings constant energy. We talk about guys who are consistent every single day, and we don't expect from him every day they walk in the building. That's Mike Hilton to tea.

You know, he's just awesome to be around. Brings a high standard to everybody, and guys just respect the heck out of him. Down by four touchdowns in the second half, the Steelers had to throw the ball and that allowed Trey Hendrickson to tee off Roethlisberger looking right, Pump fakes, looks back and the left gets hit from behind. The ball comes out, Hubbard recovers and Roethlisberger is hurt. The

fumble first down for the Bengals. They called Trey Hendrickson with a strip sack, Sam Hubbard with the recovery, and with that strip sack, Trey Hendrickson has established a new Bengals record with his seventh consecutive game with a sack. Hendrickson has ten and a half sacks in eleven games with the Bengals. Sacks a sack they don't ask, you know, how it happens, They ask how many. So it's a it's just a fun thing when you're balling with your

brothers and uh, we just we're just loving football. That strip sack led to a fifty one yard field goal by Evan McPherson that gave the Bengals at thirty four to three lead. The outcome was no longer in doubt. But Joe Mixon wasn't finished punishing Pittsburgh asa a p incident right tackle. Here's a run to the left for Mixon. Now looks to cut it back and here he goes. He runs to the forty forty five fifty near sideline,

forty five forty thirty five shove down abounds. I'll tell you what, James Pierre, your athletics supporter, is back at about the thirty five yard line. I mean, James Pierre what he was there to make a tackle in space and Joe Mixon just come up inside of him and off to the races he went. Boys, Joe Mixon, decisive and explosive. That's one hundred and sixty four yards following a thirty eight yard dash there, and that is a new career high for Joe Mixon. His previous high one

sixty two a few years ago. Against the Cleveland Browns, Mixon finished with twenty eight carries for one hundred sixty five yards. So great. At the same time, I mean, with I'm my on line, with I my tight ends, with on my receivers all being brought into the run game, it wouldn't happen. So as much as it is an award for me and a career thing for me, is the same thing for them. So I'm excited for everybody in the building. But at the same time, we just

got to keep building on top of that. Fittingly, Mixon's final carrey of the day resulted in his thirteenth touchdown of this season. Joe has at least one in eight straight games and two touchdowns in each of his last four. Burrow under center Mixing lined up behind Stanley Morgan into the game as a block and receiver Burrow hands it on the Mixon He's into the end zone. Touchdown. Bengals.

Joe was stumbling up after taking the snap from Trey Hill, but he got into Mixon for the score, and the Bengals have a great choreograph dance with Mixon and all of his offensive linemen in the end zone after that touchdown. A couple of days ago, somebody posted video from the Bengals locker room of Mixing showing three hundred thirty pound offensive lineman Quentin Spain how to do a touchdown dance. Spain was the choreographer in this case. They explain, was

just like man let's do the two steps. Let's do the two steps. I'm like, okay, temptations. So he ended up coordinating that real quick, and you know, to really see all of the linemen and other positions joining in. I mean, I was lit for me. So I mean, only if y'all knew and really talked to certain people, you wouldn't expect Big Jonah to go out there doing the two steps. So, I mean it was funny. I thought it was a hell of a deal, and I'm just I'm excited for all of them, to be honest.

The score was forty one to three. That thirty eight point margin would have been the Bengals' biggest ever in a win over Pittsburgh they won by thirty five back in nineteen eighty eight. However, with two fifty nine left and the Bengals backups in on defense, Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass to had friar Mouth that made the final score forty one to ten. That means the combined score and the Bengals two wins over Pittsburgh this year was

sixty five to twenty. Here are t Higgins, Mike Hilton, and Joe Burrow on a decisive when beating Pittsburgh Arrival, you know, it feels good for sure. You know, um, it's a great team. Hats off to them, you know it's a great team. But being able to would you say, sixty five points in two games, you know that's unbelieveable. You know, we haven't beat them but twice since what two thousand and nine, And man, it's good. I'm just got I'm part of it. But I have a lot

of respect and love for those guys. They gave me opportunity to be where I am now, and you know, I would be grateful to them. But when I when I came here, I came here on the mission. It was to help turn this team around, helped him build this team up. And we're taking the right strides and I like where we're hitting. Yeah, we're right where we want to be. You know, we have high aspirations this year.

You know, we can't let up now though I think you know, we started strong and then we kind of skidded a little bit there in the middle of the season, and now coming down the stretch, I think we're really hitting our stripes. So we gotta keep having great, great, great weeks of practice and I think we have the guys that are excited about where we're at, but not satisfied. After the game, Dave Lapham spent four minutes in the

locker room with head coach Zach Taylor. Right from the beginning of the staff, that is most promising to me and the most beautiful thing. One hundred and ninety eight yards rushing to their fifty one. You guys dominated the line of scrimmage from jump Street. Yeah, when you get in November December football, especially the divisional football, it starts up front and both sides of the ball. And I thought our guys came to play today and really proud

of him from start to finish. They really controlled this game. They really did. And you had Joe Mixon go for one hundred and sixty five yards on twenty eight carries. So let's see nineteen carries in the second half last week, that's forty seven for like almost two hundred and seventy yards on forty seven carries in basically five quarters of football. He played three quarters today and a half game last week. That's just I guess you know what you have in

Joe Mixon. But when he performs like that, what is the dude to the football team. Yeah, feeds. Everybody feeds off that energy, you know, and there's nothing better than getting a good, strong run game going that the defense can feel that the clock gets sucked out, you know, and they're keeping their offense on the sidelines and we're keeping their defense on the field. And that's just a good, good way to play AFC North football. How big was

Mike Hilton against this former team. I was just talking to him in the Lockerman said, it's the first pick six he's ever had high school, college, or NFL. And it happens against Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers. That had to be some juice. That was a big moment, you know, because we were trying to end the half with no time on the clock and points on our board, and we had to turnover and then Mike comes right around and resteals the momentum for us going in a halftime.

That was a big time moment. Teams can't double team everybody, and Tee Higgins got some single coverage and abused it. Yeah, absolutely, you know, over a hundred yards receiving. He had a huge touchdown, grab should have scored another touchdown. He got tackled on the inch yard line. That's that's the response we've been waiting for for teag He's always been able to do that. Now we just were able to get

him the opportunity to be able to showcase that. Joe Burrow, efficient's not the word twenty out of twenty four, one hundred and ninety yards and a touchdown and the interception that you talked about. But Joe in terms of seeing what to do and knowing how to do it, he's

as good as anybody isn't he. There's no question. I mean, the first and second down pass calls, it's just so easy for me just to call it, know that he's going to find the right guy and find an open guy and find his checkdowns plenty of times when he needed to and best the type of performance we need from him today. In the first half, when you guys were really getting it going. On first down, you were

so amazing. You averaged like ten yards per completion on first down, like five and a half yards per rush on first down. You had ten run calls and ten pass calls on first down. Were you trying to be that balanced or to just work out that way? It's a mixture, you know, it was in a lot of ways that was the plan. We just we've had a lot of belief in what we're going to do on our drive back passes there early on, and you saw how efficient we were on the runs in the first quarter.

We wanted to stick with that as well, So just trying never let them get ahead and get a beat on what we were doing. That's even we're running the ball. We wanted to make send some good passes in there, just just to keep them off balance. Yeah, because if you get in second and third and long situations against these guys, I mean t J. Watton Highsmith there, that's a good duo. There's no question about you guys were able to negate them with how successful you were on

first the second down. Yeah, there's no quale. You can't let those guys get off, you know. And it's a really good group up front that we've had to deal with for a number of years now and we know what they can do to a game. And so I thought it was an outstanding drive by our offensive line keeping them in check. So the one to know today makes you seven and four and you're three and one in the division. That's a big deal to no one else has played four games in the division. You guys

have won three of them. How big is it. It's a big deal. You know, every every game you win in this division set you one forward and sets another team back. And so again we got to play our best ball in the division, and our guys, for the most part, I've done that. Congratulations on up being winning today forty one to ten, three in a row against the Pittsburgh Steelers, all by ten points. Some more not eking out wins, coach smoking them. We'll take it, absolutely,

love it, love every minute of it. Up next a home game against the La Chargers, who lost in Denver on Sunday twenty eight thirteen. The Chargers are six and five and in a three way tie for second place in the AFC West with the Broncos and Raiders, one game behind the first place Chiefs, who are seven and four. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the

free to play fantasy football game. Ultimate Bengals will be awarding a weekly winner during the course of the season, with tickets, autographed merchandise, and money can't buy experiences all up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals in the app stores. Now time for postgame analysis with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham Lap A thoroughly stunning result from Paul Brown Stadium is the Bengals pummel the Pittsburgh Steelers forty one to ten.

You were in the locker room after the game. Share the vibe with people listening to this conversation, you know, it's, um, it was almost like more expected than celebratory. You know, they were like, we felt like we had this in us and they were happy about it, obviously, but it's almost like business like, you know, we felt like we could do this. This one's over with, We're moving on. Um. You know, the fact that they're three and one of

the division. Nobody else has played four division games, nobody else has won three of them, so that puts them in pretty good shape obviously. That way, and with that seven and four record, they were onward and upward and that that was kind of like the message. But I think there was there was pride and how it was accomplished and how they dominated the line of scrimmage, how they took over the football game right away. I think I think there was some definitely some pride on both

sides of the football that that way. But I will say Mike Hilton was like a little kid at Christmas man, big smile on his face. You know, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. And that's the first pick six he's ever had in high school, college, or NFL. So he was he was thrilled at it came against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger. For sure. Not only are the Bengals three and one in the division, they've

all been double digit wins. Ten points at Pittsburgh, twenty four points at Baltimore, now thirty one points at home against the Steelers. Now you also throw in a blowout loss to the Cleveland Brown's oddly enough, but I think that's pretty telling. They're not eking these out. It's not a lucky break here or there. They've had three dominant victories, two over Pittsburgh, one over Baltimore, I agree with you, Dan, and then the three straight against Pittsburgh, all double digit

ten points or more. So you know, you have two score wins three straight times, and each time the margin get bigger ten points, fourteen points than this thirty one point win. Is just it's remarkable. I don't think there are many people that thought that this was going to be how this football game would unfold, but it certainly did. And yeah, I think they feel like they're the best team in the division. I think they really feel that

way right now. That Cleveland game was just one of those days that the office is just tough to tough to figure out. I mean, five of the last six games they've scored thirty one points on war and they get sixteen against the Cleveland Browns and it's just, you know, Cleveland scores over forty. So it's just it's one of those days where you just scratch your head. But this

Pittsburgh defensive football team is leaky against a run. I mean a lot of people have run the football right down their throats and that is so non Pittsburgh like. For the Bengals to rush for one hundred and ninety eight yards in Pittsburgh rush for fifty one, that in my mind, says all you need to know about the outcome of this football game when you when you're talking Bengal Steelers and the Bengals rushing yardage didn't come after they had a huge lead. It came as they were

building a huge lead. Sometimes final rushing stats, and a blowout can be really deceiving because the team that's way ahead winds up with twenty rushes late in the game and the other team stops throwing. That was not the case in this game. Joe Mixon, obviously, with a hundred yards in the first half, one and sixty five in the game. His running was the key to building this

big lead. Yeah, and when you look at it, nineteen carries for over one hundred yards in the second half against the Raiders twenty eight here, that's forty seven carries for almost two hundred and seventy yards and five quarters of football. And then you know he's gashing him too. I mean the thirty two yard run he said. He said, multiple explosive runs in those five quarters of football. So he's really in a groove. I mean, he was excited.

He wasn't really shocked, I don't think by what took place, but he was excited about it. And he couldn't say enough about not only his offensive line, but the tight ends and wide receivers continuing to block for him like they have. He know, he can't give all those teammates enough credit. And then when you run the ball like that Joe Burrow unbelievably efficient twenty for twenty four. That's that's darn darn good efficiency for one hundred ninty yards

and a touchdown. He did have the interception, but quarterback rating in ninety six point two. So I said on the postgame show, the tide has officially turned. And I don't mean that the Bengals are going to do to the Steelers what Pittsburgh has unfortunately done to Cincinnati. I don't see Cincinnati winning eleven straight games in this rivalry, but I do think it is no longer the team that's in your head, the team that you crumble against

because of the tension or whatever. The Bengals are ready to go toe to toe with Pittsburgh and right now are the better team they are. And I think, you know, as you look at next year, a lot of these young players with a year under their belt, they're only going to be better next year. And Pittsburgh, you know, the most horton player is definitely on the downhill. Ben Roethlisberger. I mean watching him try to move around, uh today was you know, it was painful. Sometimes. I mean, he's

he's not He's nowhere near anywhere near. It's not even a shadow of the athleticism that he once had. And uh, yeah, it's I think that that the gap not only is the tide turn, but there's a little a little bit of a gap there that the Bengals could continue to widen. And we'll see. And I'm not saying they're going to go in a ten game winning streak either, but I'd be shocked if you know, they don't win six or seven out of ten, you know, in that in that

ten game stretch, that wouldn't surprise me whatsoever. Depending on who Pittsburgh gets to be the next quarterback, that's a big factor. There's no doubt about that. Yep. And uh because I don't think I don't think their next quarterback is necessarily on their roster for sure. But we'll we'll see, We'll see what they can they can figure out. Mike Tomlin has a has a tremendous reputation, not only the draft but free agency. You never know, you never know

what they're gonna come up with. Joe Burrow is about two weeks away from his twenty sixth birthday. If you're a Pittsburgh Steelers fan right now, and you seek at that kid, what he's doing with this franchise. Are you sick to your stomach thinking we got to deal with

this guy for the next ten years. I mean, I think you know that's that's probably they may be starting to feel what we started to feel with Ben Roethlisberger, you know, when he started to accumulate w's I mean, fifteen and four, now fifteen and three going into the football game, second best mark ever. Brady went sixteen and two in eighteen starts against the Buffalo Bills, but fifteen and three by Ben Roethlisberger's number two to that against

the Bengals, So, um, yeah. I mean, can Joe Burrow start to string together, you know, winning two out of every three kind of thing that would be acceptable to say the least. I mean, I'm not expecting Joe Burrow to to beat in twenty times against the Steelers to win, you know, se teen of them or sixteen of them. That that would be a little bit much to expect. But I do think that the Pittsburgh Steelers the fans

have to respect what Joe Burrows about. I know the Cincinnati Bengal fans had they respected what Ben Roethlisberger did. They obviously they didn't like it. But the respect you have to I mean, it's you know, you're fooling yourself if you don't show respect for somebody that can do the things that Ben Roethlisberger did, and you know, maybe

Joe Burrow can do some of that too. And just to clarify that, fifteen and four as Roethlisberger's road record against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium and the Tom Brady numbers where his road record as the Patriots quarterback against the Buffalo Bill. Speaking of Roethlisberger, why do you think he played until the end of the game. When the Bengals beat Baltimore, Lamar Jackson came out early. When the Browns beat up on the Bengals, Joe Burrow came

out early. He played to the finish. Mike Tomlin called two timeouts in the final ninety seconds. How did you interpret that? I think it's two competitors that are going to compete no matter what. You know, They're used to having so much success. They want to make a statement to everybody in the organization, from top to bottom, that they're not going to quit on any game. I wanted Tyler Boyd's comment about them quitting in the first game in Pittsburgh had something to do with it. And obviously

that didn't hurt the Bengals effort today. But the fact that Tyler Boyd, who doesn't usually say those kind of things one publicans saying, you know, I really thought that the Pittsburgh Steelers quit a little bit. Maybe that was a statement to show that we don't quit in Pittsburgh and we're gonna play every snap until its conclusion. Good battering different that's you get paid to play, and we're

gonna go out and we're gonna play every snap. I guess that's the message that they were trying to send collectively and individually. I hadn't even thought of that. That's really a good point. So I wonder now if the NFL is regretting not flexing Burrow versus Herbert to prime time after that bank those performance today. Yeah, and and and really Eckler mixing. I mean, there's there's there's a

bunch of stars. Offensively, it could be one of those kind of games where you know, the fans love forty to thirty seven, thirty seven, thirty fourth, They love those kind of games, and this one could end up being that type of football game. There's there's no doubt about it.

But I think the Bengals defense is getting back on track, you know, and it's going to be interesting to see if the Bengals can control the Chargers running game and make Herbert uncomfortable because he's been playing pretty comfortably and

he's very talented. Man. He just when you hear Drew Brees say that the ball has a different velocity and trajectory and the ball seems to speed up, you know, at two thirds into his throw, he says, the ball actually, you know, starts to rotate tighter and speed up, because I've never seen that. When you have another quarterback saying those kind of things, that's a that's the ultimate testament, particularly a guy like Breeze. So um, it's gonna be interesting.

I saw Herbert down there at the Senior Bowl when the Bengals had him and the Senior Bowl. I mean, he can throw it. It's it's a it's a thing of beauty to watch that kid throw the football. He's one of those guys when it comes out of his hand, it's almost like, man, that's a that's just artistic what this guy can do with the football. So he's gonna be a He's gonna be a problem, There's no doubt

about it. And the h Boys better get ready to get him off his spot because he's If he gets comfortable in the pocket and uh feels like you can see what's going on down the football field, you get yourself issues. Let me circle back to one more thing. Joe Mixon runs for a career high one hundred and sixty five yards. T J. Watt never got to Joe Burrow. How well is the offensive line playing right now? Yeah,

I mean I do think that. I do think that t J. Watt was not but seventy five percent of t J Watt can affect games, you know, And uh, I think I think the offensive line I was not amazed, but I was pleasantly, pleasantly optimistic by how I saw them re established the line of scrimmage down the football field collectively. It wasn't just a guy, It wasn't just a double team that got big movement and rubbed to

the linebacker level. The push was big. I mean Joe Mixon's when he was running inside, wasn't making his first cut till he was well past the line. Of scrimmage. I mean he had a lot of you know, yards before contact on runs between the tackles, and when you get that going on, you have something special going on up front. And I think I think as a group, this may have been their best performance. Um you know, I know that Pittsburgh doesn't have their studs in there

at defensive tackle. They're down some players, but you still have Cameron Heyward operating in there, and you still have T. J. Watton high Smith on the edge. It's not like these guys are Schmo's and they were. They were pushing them off the line of scrimmage on the interior and then on the exter area, the tight ends, the wide receivers. They complimented what was going on the inside running game with outside blocking to let your mixing get to the perimeter.

It was It was just well done. And when you can increase the defense in multiple places like the Bengals did, didn't matter. It was outside, left, outside, right up the gut. They feasted. I mean they had a second Thanksgiving and it was on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. The offensive line feasted on the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive front seven. I don't know about you, but I enjoyed that immensely,

big time, big time, every single minute of it. I mean every time I saw that that line, you know, knocking them backwards, I was like, oh lord, a mercy, this is awesome. Man. This is about as good as stuff as it's. It's better than watching, you know, a movie that won all kinds of Academy Awards. This is better than that. Big was that gallon drum? And what was it of fifty five gallon drum? A butt whip? And they got out one in the second half and

sprayed it all over him again. Man, they sprayed the whole drum in the first half, had to refill and get a second one, and emptied a good bit of that in the third quarter. Man, it was butt kicking. Time for more on Sunday's win, join Lap and Lance McAlister for Bengals Line Monday night from six to nine on seven hundred WLW. Now time for this week's fun Facts segment where you get to know the person under the pads. TA for some fun facts with defensive lineman

Larry Ogan Joby from Greensboro, North Carolina. In eleven years of broadcasting Bengals games. I'm not sure I've heard a more inspirational half to the NFL story than yours. I have threatened to take my fifteen year old son's Xbox away. I've never done it, but when you were in tenth grade, your parents did that and it changed your life. Explain how, oh, I think the biggest way it was I was away kid.

I was about three hundred and fifty pounds, and my parents they saw me in her like you're killing himself. You're you're eating too much, or you're playing the game, You're you're just in the house too much. So they took with my xbox. My mom was like, nah, this is too much. He took it away, and I was very flustered and frustrated my dad. Luckily, I had went to the park with my sister and met a coach.

His name was Robert Mitchell. The coach said he could help me, and my parents were like, we need help. So one day he came over. You know, we talked a little bit, and my parents like, he's gonna train you. So he started waking me up in the morning training me. I lost about probably fifteen twenty pounds, and then one day we were riding by the high school and he he I was like, what were you doing? He was like, You're gonna play football and I'm like, no, I'm not.

He was like, yes you are. I'm like, no, I'm not. We got a little argument in the car, didn't matter. It took me to the front office, got the permission slip, took it to my mom. My mom signed it. I was on the football field that Saturday. I couldn't finish the workout, couldn't have finished the sprints. Coaches came up to me the next day or like, Larry, we just want to make sure you're still here, and I was like, yeah, I'm still here. But like in my head, I was

likely because I had to be. But you know, I went through that first JV season and you know I did well. It got to the point where I wunto the award banquet and they were giving that most improved JV Player, and at the time I thought my best friend of the time, Trey Ground, was gonna get it, but they ended up calling my name. And that was the first time my life where I felt like I earned something, I really worked for it. So it made

me realize that football was something I could do. You know, and I asked my coach what I needed to do. He said, you had to get faster, had to get strong, you had to perfect your technique. Because I didn't know

anything about scholarships on first generation. My parents were both immigrants from Nigeria, so you know, I just I took his lead, and every day after practice, I'll go into the YMCA and the first I would start, you know, bik and half of a mile, running the whole mill, and you know, running the whole mill, biking five miles, and I finally got to point around, you know, like two whole miles with I'll stopping bike fifteen miles and

my body composes and started changing. So went from three to fifty to some of my sophomore year to like two forty seven and some of my junior year. But then the coaches got pissed off because he was like, you're too late. So I broke back up to two sixty two from my junior year made All Conference to my senior year two sixty seven, made All Conference. East West All Star had five scholarship offers from Charlotte Firm and Howard Presbyteria at Kataga took one official visit Um.

That was to Charlotte. UM fell in love with it. It was far away enough for me to fill my independence, but close enough for me, you know, if I ever needed my parents, you know, being in Greensboro, I could always get to him. UM. And it was a unique opportunity to be the first you know, first first class UM, first recruiting class UM. And I just thought it was a very unique opportunity. And you know, I'm a first generation you know, and uh, you know, I just it

just felt right. So I prayed about it, and uh, it was the best accision I've ever made. Ended up, you know, going to Charlotte major in the computer science biology and becoming you know, the first player for drafted from my college. We're visiting with Larry Ogan Jobi. As the weight started melting off. What did that do for your confidence? UM? It definitely helped a lot. It was still different, you know, because you know, when you grew up being big for such a long time, I mean,

it is different. You know. Building that confidence and getting that understanding was paramount. But it also taught me to always, you know, treat people with respect and understand that you just never know anybody's story. You just never know what if what somebody's been through, and you know, when you know what it's been like, it feels like to be at the bottom of respect the top a lot more so being there and you know, being down the low and then you know being the top. Um, I understood

the difference. So you've shared this story and interviews before. Have you heard from people who are inspired to change their lives because of your example? My good dams every now and then then you know, people talk to me and they tell me that, you know, you've inspired me to lose weight, and um, you know I took my

kid's Xbox and all that kind of stuff. But um, I just want my story to be one that's inspiring that lets everybody know that you can do it as long as you put your mind to it, that you work hard and you just dedicate yourself. You're never going to get an Xbox endorsement PlayStation. We're chatting at Larry Ogan. Joey. You've said that you are a strong believer in this

expression outlook determines outcome. How m I feel like there's a lot of things in life that you can you know, nobody's life is perfect, and you know there's always things that are going on. Everybody has problems, everybody goes through up and downs. But I feel like you can find the good into everything if you just look hard enough. I mean, there's always an answer if you just you know, keep pushing to keep looking. So for me is that you know, things won't get better if I always have

a negative mindset and if I always think negatively. So in order to you know, determine my outcome, I need to you know, change my outlook if I'm positive, if i'm you know, understanding that if I always look at things where instead if I got to, I get to instead of you know, what is why is this happening to me? What is this teaching me? You know, kind of reframing things, re changing things, It kind of puts you and say being a victim of the victor. And that's just how I kind of look at it. So

every days, you know, every day's a challenge. But you know, you know who holds the pen and that's you. So your reference. Going to Charlotte, they did not have a college football program when you signed on to play there. That's a big leap of faith. Yeah, Um, football is just so fresh for me, you know, my only goal is to be the best of what I do. UM, it was very fresh. I didn't have anybody to gauge

Inniking off of. UM. Like I said, I first generation, so like for me, it was just an amazing experience and I just wanted to just really be good at football. So my had great coaches. I had great you know teammate. He's like Brandon Banks, Austin Dude, Jamal Covent team, just guys that are lifelong friends that you know, we really did this thing together and I'm truly just appreciative him. And then of course Aaron Curry that was you know,

he was a fourth for a Wall to Seattle No. Nine, and you know he was my coach, and you know, he just helped me a tremendous amount. So you were a third round draft picked by the Cleveland Browns in twenty and seventeen. Describe getting that phone call. Um, it was just amazing. You know, it's very surreal. Uh, just

a lot of emotion, but just just a blessing. You know, I couldn't think God enough, you know, to be there in my living room, my friends, my family, everybody care about, you know, and just being able to just experience that moment with him was just just amazing. And you know, I can't think God enough for it, you know, is

everything He's done in my life. So I've been extremely blessed, and you know, I just that's why I say, you know, I looked the termines outcome, so you know, you can always look at things, but I look in my life and I've just seen how far I come, and I just understand how blessed I am. So you spent your first four years in Cleveland, and you experienced highs and lows like no other team can experience. Basically, in your final year, you go to the playoffs and you win

a playoff game. In your first year, they didn't win a game. You were part of a team that went oh and sixteen. What did being on both ends of the spectrum teach you about life in the NFL? Um just that you know, you just gotta keep pushing um.

I think the best quote, uh I was actually a quote I got from college and then asked him I actually use it here was you just keep pounding the rock, you know, keep pounding them, pounding the pounding individually breaking it wasn't you know that last time you hit it. It was all the you know strikes before. So you know, when you stick to it, when you stay focused, when you when you believe in something and you just put the work in, I think everything take care of itself,

all right. A few wildcard categories with Larry Ogan Jobi. According your bio, you taught yourself how to play the piano. What inspired you to teach yourself that? I much as always liked it. You know, there's always songs. You know, you're here and see people playing and you just want to kind of pick something up. So I just got on YouTube and started, you know, trying stuff out and it kind of worked out. Do you still play? Yeah?

I have one at the house, so I play every now and then, like for easel and all that kind of stuff. So who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport? Um? Kobe Bryant Um just his demeanor, his attitude, how he attacked the game, just his legacy, you know, just an amazing guy, amazing player. I got to meet him one time, and you know, he's one of those guys were just larger in life. Do you have the Mamba mentality for sure? Where did you meet him? Men? Him in Denver? That he came and spoke to us

before a game. You wear the number sixty five. You warred in Cleveland, you warded Charlotte. Is there a story behind the number sixty five? Miss my mom's birth year? You know, she's just my She's my rock. I love her to death. So you know, I got the number and then it just kind of just worked and I became the sixty fifth picked and it was just almost like destiny. So I'm glad I asked. That is an awesome story. If you could meet anybody in history, athlete, actor, statesman,

historical figure, who would that person be? Probably Nicola Tesla. I just I just, you know, he just did too many cool things, and I just feel like he was a guy before his time. So I think I don't want to meet him. See that. That's a great answer. Not an actor, not somebody who's kind of frivolous, a brilliant inventor. Yes, for sure. All right, you are off the hot seat. I appreciate your time. Best to look the rest of the ear. Yes, sir, thank you very much.

That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by Ultimate Bengals. The free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the App Store and Google Play. And if you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth podcast