Bengals Booth Podcast: Table For Two

Hi, get everybody.

I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast The Table Food. To addition, as we hear from the two newest members of the Bengals Ring of Honor, running back Corey Dyllon and defensive tackle Tim Crumrai. 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

Well, I got a personal call from Mike Brown himself and he said, well, Corey, we got some good news for you, and he let me know I was going in. Saw Dude, that was a great day. I was actually scramming around the house. I was just about to go to the golf range, and then as I was getting my golf equipment, man I just checked my phone and I've seen the message and it was from five to one three, and I'm like, uh, who could this be?

So he left me a message.

I called him back, man, and he told me the good news, and dude, I almost broke down that day.

Man, that was one of those days. You know what.

That wasn't great news? Great news? And ay, it was music to my ears. So I was, I was. I was a happy man that day. Still am still am, to be honest with.

You, it is richly deserved. Mike Brown, since you mentioned him, has a very interesting memory of you. He recalls watching you at practice and when you ran by, he said it felt like the earth moved. He says that that's the only time that's ever happened to him as long as he's been watching football practices. How would you describe your running style?

Aggressive?

That's how I would call it, man, This is I mean, growing growing up, we played street football religiously. So man, I'm and people got to understand, Man, I got two older brothers, so they're like five or seven years older than me.

I'm the youngest.

So in order to play with them, guys, I had to be a little different, you know, they're not. There was't gonna let me play with them if I was gonna be crying and and can't go out there and keep up with them. So, man, I learned early so so that that little that that being running stout definitely comes from them and playing with the kids in the neighborhood.

We could see opponents that didn't want to tackle you in the third and fourth quarters. Did anybody ever say anything amusing about that? No?

No, I think that was just kind of I am oh man, Like when when the game starts getting late, man, I'm I'm just getting warmed up, so you know, and it's it's all about you know. I had a bag of tricks with me too, so I was like, you know, maybe the first quarter, first two quarters, you know, I dance around you for a little bit. But when them later quarters start start start coming, man, it's it's time. It's kind of pounding ground. And that's what I was known for doing.

Ry. You were voted in by Bengals fans. You are the first running back selected for the Bengals Ring of Honor. There was a period where you weren't sure how Bengals fans felt about you.

Correct, Correct, I mean I was. I was on my Hyaenus for about a decade, so I just came out my CuPy Old a year ago. So yeah, man, just just on how things ended, you know. I mean, it wasn't the best of terms. I mean to me, it wasn't It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't all good. So and then, you know, for me, just like taking a break.

From football for a long long time.

You don't you don't know how you gotta be received. So at first, yeah, it was I wrote for them a couple of people of fetus, But you know, that's that's the nature of it. I mean, until you get to understanding where I'm coming from, and you heard me throughout this whole year, I think people kind of warmed up to me and kind of got where I was coming from. And ever since then things been good.

I think people understood. Even back then, they may have been frustrated because they didn't want you to leave, but you had the misfortune of being on some bad teams.

It got to you.

Are all the old wounds healed.

They're done, They're done.

I mean, just just alone, I think puts everything the rest in you know what, as far as me and organization go. I think we're moving forward in a better, better spot, which that's what I wanted initially. So hey, you won't hear from me, and I definitely don't think you hear anything from them. So it is it's water under the bridge, man, And I'm looking forward to seeing these young Bengals go out there and try to win a Super Bowl.

Ory.

You enter the Bengals Ring of Honor with Tim Crumrai, who is the Bengals defensive line coach for your first six seasons in Cincinnati. He was known as a play for many of the things that you were known for. Toughness, physicality, relentlessness. What do you admire and respect about Tim krumright?

Everything? Man?

Just what you mentioned, man, and I mean me and him done has a lot of lot of deep conversations other than football, man, And he was always someone I respected, always someone who would listen.

Just a sound guy. Man.

He always gave me good advice man. So other than his football skills, man, he's a real good person. And me and me and Crumwright had an excellent relationship. Bible was there in Cincinnati, Corey.

Let's talk about few specific moments during your Bengals career beginning in week fourteen of your rookie year. In the first half of that season, you barely got the ball. You had thirty nine carries in your first day games. But on that Thursday night in December, you had thirty nine carries in the game against Tennessee. You set the rookie rushing record at the time of two hundred and forty six yards. Do you feel like that game established you as a force to be reckoned with in the NFL?

Hey, that was just loo.

I just felt like I was doing my job. I mean, I don't know about a force to be wreckoning with. You know what, I was just happy getting getting the opportunity to go out there and play and show what I can do. And you know what, it turned into one of those magical moments where, you know what, we set a record and we were just clicking. Man, everything was working. Take nothing away from Tennessee. I think there

And I took advantage of it.

I went back and watched the game. Se the offensive line react when you broke the record was really cool because they were so fired up to be part of it.

Yeah.

I mean, you know what, because we didn't even know we were embarking on a record and Tod we were over on the sideline and they were like, yeah, you're close to a record, and I was like, well, hell, let's go back in.

There try to get it.

So as well at that point, everybody knew the situation, and you know what, they were just as fired up as I was trying trying to chase down that record mand and we got it. And dude, that was special moment between not only me and the whole team, but that offensive line and those offensive players. Man, something I remember a lifetime, to be honest with you.

So you broke Jim Brown's record that night, and then three years later, you broke the record for most rushing yards in a single game that had been held for more than twenty years by Walter Payton.

It was an amazing day.

It was the first game that the Bengals won at then new Paul Brown Stadium exactly. The team was zero and six at the time, you're facing an excellent Denver team that wound up going eleven and five. They had a top ten rushing defense, and you went for two hundred and seventy eight yards. What are your most vivid memories of that day?

You know what it felt like.

I know when you hear when athletes say like in the zone, That's how I kind of felt.

You know.

It felt like everything was moving slow and I was moving at a different pace than everybody else. And I kind of noticed it early, like, you know, they were over pursuing heavily. So what I would do is, you know what, start in one direction and if I see a cutback ray man, I'm gonna take it.

And it was working.

I mean by the time I cut back, man, the holes were so wide up and I was just running for daylight.

So it worked the whole game. It turned out to be one of those.

Games again where you know what, up front, we were gaping holes and all I had to do was just, you know, make one cut and try to make it happen to me.

It's one of those accomplishments that actually gets more remarkable as time goes by. Because the Bengals had no passing attack that day. Two pass completions in fourteen attempts in the entire game. You had five runs in that game of thirty or more yards. The Bengals had two all of last year. You had five in that game. Does it add to the satisfaction for you that the Broncos knew what was coming and couldn't stop it.

Yeah? Yeah, So, I mean that was that was us, Like.

We're gonna run the ball. You know, we're gonna run the ball, and if you stop was a good job. But you know what, we're gonna keep coming at you. So and and that was our attitude, that was our identity. That's offensive line.

Knew that.

I knew that, Like, yeah, we're gonna face some eight to nine men front all the time, but and man, we're gonna go out there try to endure our best and try to get the win.

So it turned out good on that day. It turned out real good that day.

So yeah, and all the success I had, man, it's it's more it's more team success than anything, man, because you know what, we were all prepared, We all knew the situation and and none of us waivered. We knew what we were, what we was gonna face going out there and you know what, we got the job done.

I'll never forget the visual of you at the end of that game on the sideline. You're on your knees, your helmets on the ground, you appear to be sobbing. What were your emotions in that moment.

I don't believe it, Like it didn't even it didn't even appear to me. I had the many yards, you know, I wasn't tired. I was just like, you know what, I was more focused on winning the game than anything else. So actually after that last run, coming to the sideline and I see it, I see it on the jumble trun and I'm like, oh wow, you know wow, that's unbelievable.

You got to seventy eight on only twenty two carries. Ten of those carries were for two yards or less. Do you ever look back and think, man, if I had had thirty, I would have set a record that would have never been broken.

That part, that part, and I do recall there was one carry call back where I it was a thirty yard game. So realistically, in my mind that could have been like twenty three carries for three h eight something, you know, something ridiculous like that three eighteen who knows? So unfortunate that, you know what, we broke the record as a team. I think we had like four hundred and seven yards rushing.

That day and ultimately, man, we got the win.

Man, that's that the win starting off four to six and getting your first win the other season in that fashion amazing.

You actually did not have the longest run by the Bengals in that game.

Peter Warwick had like an eighty yard.

Yes, absolutely absolutely.

Corey Dylan is our guest. I am a firm believer that you should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I've made that case on this podcast before. You ran for more than eleven thousand yards two of the best games in history, you won a Super Bowl? Ring are you hopeful that this honor might help?

Absolutely?

You know what? The funny thing. The funny thing about it is, I was talking. I was talking to Adrian Ross and Joey Porter. We was all on the line one day and he said something to me that and it struck me.

It was like, and we were talking about the we were talking about the Hall.

Of Fame thing as well, and he said, how are you supposed to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when your own team doesn't hony, you know what I mean? And I sat there and I thought about it was like, damn, we got an excellent point. That is there is true to that. So for this to be actually happened for me, I think, I think it's a it's a boost.

It definitely helps the case.

And and I hope, I hope.

I'm hopeful.

I'm hopeful that you know, this process will shed some light to everybody case, I mean all the Bangles at least, I mean, uh man, there's a lot of great players that played for the Cincinnati Bengals. I don't I don't know what the hold up is as far as getting in but there's a lot of there's a lot of us sitting there like trying to figure out the process and hopefully hopefully we get in and see it, you

We talked about Tim Crumrai, your fellow twenty twenty four inductee a little bit earlier. You also played with three other members of the Bengals Ring of Honor. Right going to ask you to share some thoughts about each of them, beginning with your teammate, your rookie year Boomer asiasin.

Man Ah Man, he said something to me, Man that I will never forget. Yeah, and.

It drove me, It kept me going. He was like, he said, this is what he said to me.

He said, Corey, it doesn't matter around you when then what matters is what you do while you're here. And I just looked at him. I looked at him and was like, Man, damn.

You're right.

You're absolutely right, and you know, so there's something that I was like, Man, hey, do what you gotta do right now. You know, it doesn't matter what brown you went in. So that kind of that kind of put things in perspective for me and I had ever since then, me and Boomer been been real cool.

We used to run a second team together, so too.

Hey.

We kind of got our start at the same time in ninety seven, Man, and and we went on a great run Man, and it was it was It was fun being a part of that.

Man. I wish you could have played more with us. I definitely do. Man.

I was my rookie year was amazing, and I had that guy leading us, leading us to the promised Land that that that year, Man was something I always remember.

And he spoke from experience where the draft was concerned because he was the second round pick and was pissed off about it the rest of the career. And you had the same chip on your shoulder from last year.

Round too, Yeah, Man, So a great guy, great leader, man of wisdom as you can see. And man, it was it was just fun fun being a part of that man. Like I said, Man, I wish we could have got a couple more years out of boom. Who knows what happened in ninety eight, Man, But I'm always enjoy and chairs that time and the opportunity I got to play with that guy.

Man, one special.

Dude, former teammate number two in the Ring of Honor, your close friend and one of the guys who paid the way for you, Willie Anderson.

Ah. Man, Dude, what can I say about this guy? Man? An awesome dude.

And hey, man, even in retirement, he's still opening opening up holes for me. So Man, one great guy, ultimate ultimate leader, great great guy to know. And dude, I'm I'm I'm just honored to be even you know, I'm I'm in there with these guys now, man.

And and it's well deserving. Man.

He deserves his he deserved his arm his Hall of Fame rights too.

Man.

We were we're in this boat together. Man, we're trying to figure a way to get to the get to the finish line.

Man.

And for a guy to have every box and everything checked right.

It's disappointed.

It's disappointing not seeing him get in there like everybody knows he should. So I'm I'm an advocate for him. I believe he's he should have been in there. And like I said, he's he's been paving the way.

For a long long time, just on and.

Off the field for the Bengals. Man, he should be honored in every aspect.

He's been a Hall of Fame finalist the last three years. I think his day is coming, hopefully next year. There weren't any offensive lineman pick this year this year, so I think they will include an offensive lineman next year, and it should be Willie. How hard did Willy work to try to help convince you that Cincinnati Bengals and the city of Cincinnati had great feelings about you and that it would be good to reconnect with the franchise in some way.

Oh, Man, if it wasn't for will I don't know, man, seriously, seriously, man, Me and him talk, Me and him talk for a long long time. Man, And it was him, it was him who who convinced me, like, Cory is not what you think. So and you know what, I took his word for it, and I'm glad. I'm glad I took his word for it.

You know.

So yeah, man, if it wasn't if it was for Will reaching out and we having the deep conversations of everything and you know, just just being us, having our men and men talk.

Yeah, Man, who knows Man, So I owe him a lot, o him a lot.

Your third former teammate that's in the Ring of honor, Chad Johnson.

Oh, Man, I guess said Chad something else? Man, I could get two words out of that guy. What when I like, look at look at this man. Now, look at him. Man, I'm so proud of him. Man. Everything he's doing on and off the field, man is such a such a beacon.

Man.

He's doing him and he's enjoying his life. Man, and that's what it's all about. So Chad, from where he started to where he's at now, I'm man, unbelievable, one remarkable person, hell of a person as everybody knows. And real cool dude. I mean we always been. We always been cool, every single one of the us. We always been cool, even though life took us on our different journeys.

Man.

At the end of the day, man, we all respect each other's game and and respect each other as people. So I'm I'm truly honored. I'm truly honored to be going in after these guys.

Man. So yeah, man, it's gonna be a great day.

On the twenty thirty, After seven years in Cincinnati, you get traded to the Patriots. Your first year with New England, you set their single season rushing record. You still hold that record. You won a super Bowl under Bill Belichick. What did that season mean? After the tough times that you would endure it up till then?

Oh man, it was just well, as you know, I was hurt, so the year before I was hurt.

Man, it was just like.

Me coming back and being healthy and lasting the whole year was satisfying to me. And then to top it off, you know what, not knowing what to expect, and I don't think people know how difficult it is like going to a team that just won the Super Bowl. The expectations is super high and you kind of you get the feel of like you gotta you gotta integrate yourself in the whole new system and.

And fill it out. Man. Was nothing. There was nothing easy about that whatsoever.

So you know what, it turned out to be one hell of a run and you know, actually getting up there man, and integrating with them guys and learning their ways and getting comfortable with the system. And dude, we went on a run want to run and actually won the Super Bowl. Kind of it mundicated the whole oh three year where I was I was hurting and beat down. I couldn't I couldn't go out there and prove my point because of injury. So I think that made up for the year I was hurt.

I let O three go.

I had to let that go. I mean, I was rewarded and oh for I will take it.

You helped Tom Brady win one of the seven Super Bowls, and back then he wasn't the goat as we think of him now. I mean you were the heart and soul of the offense of that twenty fourteen Hey.

But nobody will tell you that. No.

You know what we gotta saying, man, just doing doing your job, man, And honestly, that's what I That's what I was doing, man.

It's it's the way they lay it out for you, is hey.

Man, everybody just worry about doing their job and everything to be take care of himself and for the most part. That's what we all did. But at the end of the day, we all held each other accountable. So it worked out to you know what. We fourteen and two in the regular season. Then we went on the the playoff runs against we got you know, super super talented team with the coachs. We asked them out and then we was in a heavyweight fight with the Steelers and

For your last game was an AFC Championship game in two thousand and seven. You retired at thirty two. I'm sure you could have kept going. Why did you stop then?

Just tired? I was tired, man.

I mean at some point, man, I you know, even going into that that that last year, I was I was even I was contemplating, like, you know what, if I get through this whole year healthy, man, I'm gonna have to start making a decision, because, you know what, there's more to life than football. So and I mean like football has consumed majority of my life. I'm like I hadn't accomplished a lot, and I wish I could have went out with another Super Bowl.

Man.

I wish we were so close. Man, we were so close. I'm pretty sure would we would have whooped the Bears too or whatever whoever they played the coach I think it was the Bears.

I wish I would have got out of there with another woman, but it wasn't in my cards.

Man.

I just felt like, you know what, this is the best time to step away from me. I mean, keep playing, keep playing long enough and over overstaying your You're welcome, man, You're gonna catch your injury.

Man.

So I've been fortunate enough and blessed enough that I didn't really have no major injuries, and I just thought it was the right time for me, and time to go home and be with my young guarters and rebuild yourself, you know, you know, find some find something else that gave you, gave you that passion to want to be great. So yeah, man, And as you can see, it took me to last year to go.

To come back.

So I've been okay, man, I've just been trying to be normal Corey and try to live my life accordantly and man, and they keep my health up good and things of that nature. Man, So it's been it's been one hell of a journey. I wouldn't I wouldn't change anything. I wouldn't change nothing, nothing about it.

How closely do you follow the Bengals now? And what do you think A Burrow?

Oh?

Man, dude, thank you, thank you, mister Burrow. I'm gonna tell you what man, I and I told I told some others about this man. That man has literally changed the perception of the Bengals by himself. So just for that man, keep doing you, Joe, seriously, man, he's one helbl of quarterback. I believe he will lead to the Super Bowl soon. So and I can't wait for that day.

Man.

So I love the young man. Want to help a player, great competitor, great leader. And you know what, me and me, me and some of the old teammates. Man, we're sitting back. We're just we're having fun seeing these young guys go out there and and and and and put in work.

So it's it's awesome to see.

What was it like for you to watch Super Bowl fifty six? Were you screaming at the TV when the Bengals said took on the Rams?

Oh?

Man, I was.

It was a nailby I Man, I got anxiety. I was like, man, come on, let's go, let's go. So I know the magnitude of winning one, what it would mean for the for the Bengals, So yeah, man, I was. I was rooting for them, harm and it was very disappointing. Comes down to the last play man and in the Rams edge of Mountain.

Man.

So I was heartbroken. But I you what, man, We're gonna have many more opportunities to get one.

Yeah.

The Bengals all time leading rusher, you have the most one hundred yard rushing performances, you have the longest run, the ninety six yard touchdown run against Detroit. Is there anything of all of the accolades that means the most to you?

You know what sticks out to me? Man?

And this and this shows the character of the team and my teammates.

I think.

I think Baltimore was like on a fifty three gang streak of not allowing one hundred yard rusher. Me and the boys went down there and broke that, man, and that sticks out to me. Of like, and now, listen, in those fifty games the Ravens back then were they, man, they were tough at they're stingy, they played. They seen a lot of great running backs in that fifty game stretch.

Marvin Lewis was the defensive coordinator of those Baltimore teams.

Right right, Oh hey, trust me, I let them know what when you got.

I'm sure you did.

I let them know. I let them know.

Your girls were young. I think your your oldest daughter was just born around the time that you ran for two seventy eight.

Yeses around three? Okay sound three? Yeah?

Does this, Honor?

Hey, you know, help you make the case to your girls that see, dad was one heck of a player.

Hey, hey, hey, yeah, I'm I tell them all the time, your dad was pretty good. I know you wasn't that. I know you wouldn't, I said. I mean, I mean, I said, you better go check out them highlights. Oh Dad, I'm not gonna do that. So no, I don't they they understand the My oldest definitely understand the magnitude of getting into this ring, Honor. Not only that, I mean just just my family, like my brothers and my whole

So we're all happy.

Man, That Dylan clan is can't be more happier than they are right now.

So yeah, I wish my mom was here to see it.

Man.

I know she's looking down and and she's smiling too. So it's gonna be a great It's gonna be a great day on the twenty thirty.

Absolutely, Corey, this has been great.

I really appreciate your time.

Congratulations on this well deserved honner, and we look forward to seeing you at halftime of that game at pay Course Stadium.

Oh.

I will be there. Just indeed, thank you.

As I said in that interview, I believe that Corey Dylan belongs in the profile Ball Hall of Fame. He's twentieth all time in rushing yards, ranking ahead of several Hall of famers including OJ Simpson, Earl Campbell, Terrell Davis, and Floyd Little. In fact, Corey ran for nearly five thousand more yards than Little. He's a four time Pro bowler, a Super Bowl champion, holds the career rushing record for

Well, it's amazing coming from Mike Brown. I knew it was Mike Brown calling right away, but we had little trouble getting through. But finally we got through to Mike and he said congratulations, and he's so proud of me because his family for a long time. No, but it's a great honor to be part of this deal, and it's gonna be exciting, get a bunch of family coming in, and it's going to be a great thing for the city and my fans. I think the fans are great.

Let's turn the clock back to the nineteen eighty three NFL Draft, known as maybe the greatest quarterback draft of all time, John Lway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, and others. Despite your college football Hall of Fame career at Wisconsin, you lasted until round ten. Were you pissed? Were you confused? What was going through your mind?

All the above?

Well, it was one of those deals that unfortunately I was drafting the tenth round, too short, too slow, and too late. Well, you can't judge heart and desire, and I had to ship on my shoulder from day one because I was drafted too late.

I thought I was going to go a lot earlier.

But I had some good people that saw me, dickle Bow, Paul Brown, those people seen me play before and then they picked me late.

But the rest is history.

I guess the Bengals first round pick that year was Dave Remington, the center out of Nebraska. To this day, the Dave Remington Award goes to the best center in college football. You famously made his life a living hell in that first training camp. What were you out to prove?

Actually it was the Oklahoma drills.

It was a tenth round pick, goings against number one, and I didn't get a turn, didn't get a turn, and then I turned to Jim McClair.

He hold on cowboy, hold on last one. Dave Vermonton went up. I went up.

I had a good wrestling move, took him over backwards and Forrest Greg started yelling to go again, go again.

Did it three times?

So if I made an impact on Dave Evermont to the number one pick, I think I had a good shot at making a team.

Dave Lapham says, you treated every practice like it was a game. You had no neutral gear. What was your thinking where practice was concerned.

Well, practice was part of the game for me because I thought if I practice half speed, I'd play half speed. It was Friday Temple. I have no Friday Temple. Yeah, Friday Temple. Leave me in the locker room. No Friday.

But that was part of the That was part of the thing.

And I want to say one thing before I get too far into this about me practicing against Dave Lapham. All those fine alignment made me a better player by far. Because play practice against the best you go in a game.

It's easy.

So that one thing I'll make sure I say about the offensive line I prated against when I play here.

How much of your approach came from wrestling and a wrestling mentality?

Number one, It was easy when you go into wrestling matches one on one and I thought, when I lined up on an offensive lineman, if I beat him, I'll be fine.

That's why mentality all the way through.

There's a long lot of stories on how I had ability to hand placement by pummeling, hit movements, single take, now on throwing your hip on a double, All those little things wrestling really made important. I think if any athlete now, high school, college, whatever it is, has an opportunity to wrestle as a key, as a big edge in football.

You led the team in tackles five times as a noseguard, which is basically unheard of. The first time was in your third season. When did you realize that you could dominate at the NFL level.

Well, it was after probably my second or third season. You have to understand, and I want to make this very important. I played nose tackle straight up on the center. That's two gap. I means eight two A gaps. That's it, both sides of centers. The A gap had both gaps. For me to have that many tackles, it's unbelievable because it's the wrestling metality. I beat him, Well, here comes a double, I flip my hips.

I'm good to go.

But making those tackles, it was game after game, and I think the biggest thing is play every snap like it's last, and you'll have success.

Play every snap like it's your last snap.

Everything came together for the team in the nineteen eighty eight season. You went twelve and four, You advanced to Super Bowl twenty three. What are your most vivid memories of that season?

Well, we were just my wife and I sure we're having a discussion coming down driving traffic and probably the best memory is we were in a Boomer's size's basement and we said we're going to super Bowl. We had to in factor that everybody's in. There was no I, it was we. We were all in the same place and we all wanted to have success and go to Super Bowl. Boomer was the MVP that year. It was Boomer's ion in nineteen eighty eight.

He always says, I'm not paying the butt.

He may be right, sure El's here, she can attest.

No Boomer is on the He said, he he's a great quarterback. I like playing the Boomer because he's got the factor. He's a he's a coach's coach, and he's a players player. I mean, you can talk to him easy. The funniest thing about it his lockers right next to mine. I said, well, when the press come around, Boomer's got him, I'm gone. So but we have a good relationship now and stuff like that. But actually him getting the Raguana is a great honor too. I talked to him before

Also, yeah, he went into the Ring of honor last year. What was his leadership like in that nineteen eighty eight season.

It was fantastic and he was always I mean I actually when I was a defensive lineman, I'd always you know, I would watch the offense, you know, I watched practice and in the games and stuff. He can't really watch too much. But actually when they had come off the field, they're running off the field, running on the field as a team, as a group. That's that's camaraderie, and that's how the team is built. And the whole group of offense and defense and special teams, it was us us,

So a big part of your legacy is obviously what happened in that Super Bowl, the broken leg, and your remarkable recovery after it happened thirty six years later. Do you think about it, do you dream about it? What comes to mind when you think back to that unfortunately gruesome injury.

I mask about it every day, every time, every time we go to a function. How's your leg? My leg is just fine. I had some great doctors. Doctor Michael Welts took care of it. I wanted to.

I actually saw him last weekend and anyway, but he did a good job and the surgery and stuff. But The key on that was, I should say is in my mind was the willpower I'm coming back. I didn't miss a game, even with after I played five or six years with that nail amount tibia. But the thing is on that after that injury, you get you get woken up a little bit. But it was just my mindset and mental toughness. Every day when I was in physical therapy, I'm coming back, I'm coming back. I'm coming back.

There was no doubt.

It wasn't easy. There was days it felt like you know what, it starts with an S. I can't say it, but no, that was That's one of the things that people now can of recognize me for. But the thing is, I want to recognize for the mental toughness.

Of my game.

I have the ability to use a beep button, so feel free to use any language you would like. What was the rehab like following that injury, because as you mentioned, you were back for week one.

Well, actually I left Cincinnati went back to Claire, Wisconsin, and that's where I did my physical slerapy. I started out there and I was on crutches and one of the craziest things, and I don't remember every moment of it. But the craziest one was I walked behind a snowballer instead of crutch walk behind the snowboard, not flowing snow, just walking.

Behind it and stimulating that bone. Actually, it's like a.

Deer, a dog. They get hit by a car. They step in that leg, step on that leg, step in that leg. I did the same type of thing. Stepped down it, step down it, step down it. And that was the key to stimulating that bone to grow.

You famously refused to take painkillers in the locker room after it happened. You wouldn't have gone to the hospital if they didn't make you go in the fourth quarter to try to avoid traffic exiting the Super Bowl. Why was that so important to you?

Well, the most important part was, you know I had a TV on. Male remember the game, and they said we have to set it. We're gonna get paid if we said it.

Well, I remember the game.

He goes, Nope, I said, said it without pain killers. No pain killers. But what did the old cowboys do? Bite a bullet the place, I should say, the placement. I can't give you a ball, Well give me a tall. Then I got a tall A tall he said it. He said it and then actually I think it was just before the third quarter started, mid third quarter says.

We have to the animals. Driver in the paramedics. They were fantastic, they said, Tim, we're gonna have to get you out of the locker room for traffic.

We have to eat hopital. But we have a problem.

I was kind of delirious. Still, what's the problem. We have to go over speed bumps, all right? So the first speed bump went mmm, man, second.

Bump went, WHOA, give me the drugs? Right, So it was like he drug me up.

I had enough to so speed bumps. We finally learned the thing exactly. I've learned Tim Camerid's weakness. After all these years, What if anything do you miss about playing football?

Practice?

Practice?

I love practice. Practice is fun to me, and it was. It was fun.

Their games are fun and probably the big The coolest thing is you know, the super Bowl is the coolest thing. Get introduced it. That's the coolest thing. Having an accomplishment. I think, practice and a camaraderie. And it wasn't a it wasn't a job for me. I had fun doing it.

It wasn't like it was a hardship. You ever go to Wilmington and come out of the locker room sweating like a you know what, that's got to be fun. And I had fun because.

Actually, you know, we had a lot of good, good camaraderie with my teammates and stuff, you know, and Chris collins Worth unfortunately Turk sh owners not hearing, but he was my roommate in college and stuff like this.

But uh, I had fun. I had fun practicing, and I'd found.

The games and and actually the I would get so fired up in the games that one time I remember coming off and I looked at Jim Breach and I.

Said, was the score? He was, You know, no, I don't cool it. What's the score?

He tell me.

I guess you didn't look up there? No, I'm not looking up there. So focused on it.

But I miss I missed the games. And I go to practice here once in a while. But still when the season comes around, I.

Still get that itch.

Every offensive lineman you ever played with is thinking. Of course, he said, practice is what he misses. If anybody's going to say they missed practice, it was CRIMRAI.

That's probably right, because actually there were the guys that price against Ay Anthony and all the guys Max, they thought I.

Was crazy because it was hell of practice. Now I was going wide open.

So and then, actually, the the funny of the stories, a lot of the dvs go you were painting the butt.

Tim.

We have to watch the film on you running down to damn field, get the tackle.

You got tackles right, all of a sudden you show up. I said, Well, I guess I wanted to get there.

So you played twelve years for the Bengals and retired at a relatively young age. When did you know that it was your time to hang them?

Well, I was always a believer in my body, and my body wasn't working correctly. I lost a step. I couldn't get that left, but the leg I broke. I couldn't get that step up. It wasn't coming fire. One fire, one fire. And I got to the point there I wasn't doing this stuff I used to do, And I said, I want to be remembered as the best of the best.

That's why he hung it up.

You got a motorcycle at your retirement game. I know that you loved riding your bikes after your playing days. Whatever happened to that motorcycle.

Well, so actually I got the motorcycle on the field. The person in nineteen ninety four was I retired. I had fourst grag one year. I had him come back and introduce me after one year that he's the most impact coach I had. So anyway, I got the motorcycle, drove it off the field into the tunnel and total security. Guy, We're gonna win the game. Keep it here and I'm doing a victory lap. What so we want to do victory or okay, back out?

Why did Forrest make such a big impact on you?

Because when Forrest I had him one year and he was kind of the I was young, but I watched him coach and was mannerisms meaning his temperament, my way or the highway type of deal. And when I ever thought, I said, I coached on a coach like him, stern to the point, no, bs, you get this way, we're not going to work.

And I really respected Forrest Gregg for what he did to means for his first year.

After living in Colorado for many years, you moved back to Cincinnati a few years back. Bengals fans are delighted to see you at various Bengals events. What's it been like for you to be back around the franchise and to see the current team led by Joe Burrow.

Well, this is the this is the reason we moved back is for I could go to the football games and stuff. I enjoyed the games and watching the games. And one thing I'm going to say about Joe, he's a fantastic football player, but he's a factor. He's got it. He's got it. How did the rest is like, he's got it. You just see on that mannerisms. I've seen a lot of players.

Now he's got it. So that's so it's said as simple as that he's going to be a great player for a long time.

How quickly did you see it?

National Championship game? I know if you we get him, we're set to go.

And you knew they were going to get him because they had the number one pick. You're in the Wisconsin Hall of Fame, You're in the College Football Hall of Fame. Now you're going to be in the Bengals Ring of Honor. How does this honor compare to some of the things that you've been honored for in the past.

It's one of those things that you know, high school and college I have a lot of honors and all of those and this is kind of just a closure for me.

We have to ring and honor, and there's one other thing maybe we'll have someday.

Canton, one more to go, Tim, As I said at the top, Bengals fans have spoken. A few years ago the team celebrated its fiftieth season. You were chosen as the third greatest player of all time by Bengals fans, and they've spoken again, selecting you for the Ring of Honor. Congratulations on this well deserved honor, and for being the player that many consider to be the toughest in franchise history.

Here's the thing everybody asked me about my broken Leagan super Bowl twenty three. You can quote this. You can break my other leg and put me in the Super Bowl again.

You would break the other one if you could play in another, break the other one.

Here's a stat that Pro Football Hall of Fame voters need to consider. According to Pro Football Reference, crumbrise oney seventeen career tackles are the most ever by an NFL defensive tackle, and he did it as a noseguard, taking on double teams on virtually every snap. Here's hoping he'll get strong consideration for a goal jacket and canton in the near future. But in the meantime, Tim has two