Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading the Bengals Booth Podcast. That tis that Bye and audition. As the bengals second preseason game ends in a thirteen all tie in Atlanta, Cincinnati's first preseason tie in fifty two years. Coming up, you'll hear radio replays, locker room comments from players and coaches, and Dave Lappham will join me for postgame analysis. Then, in this week's fun Facts Conversation, rookie Shaka Hayward discusses his family legacy in the NFL.
You've undoubtedly heard of his cousin, Steeler's Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cam Hayward. 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 in fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit ketteringhealth dot org to
learn more. Now, here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since an unsung hero named Jeff Brickner. The Bengals traveling party to Atlanta included roughly one hundred and fifty five people. That means a huge plane that cannot only carry that many passengers, but can also handle roughly ten thousand pounds of football equipment.
You need four buses in Cincinnati and in Atlanta with police escorts to get them where they need to go on time. You need hotel rooms that are ready for everybody as soon as the team arrives, plus a large dining area, plus meeting rooms for the various position groups. You need several meals for men with very large appetites, and you need security for the players and coaches. In short, every road trip is a major undertaking, and the guy that handles all of those travel logistics for the Bengals
is Director of Operations, Jeff Brickner. This is my thirteenth year as the team's radio announcer, and I can count on one hand the number of times that all of that didn't go smoothly. So, brick if you listen to this podcast, your hard work and attention to detail is truly appreciated. Now let's get to Friday Night's tie in Atlanta. I have the pleasure of calling all fifty of Desmond Ritters games at the University of Cincinnati. He led the
Bearcats to wins in forty four of them. Only two quarterbacks in FBS history, Kellen Moore and Colt McCoy led their teams to more ws. Ritter has taken over as Atlanta's starting quarterback this year, and in his first action of the preseason, des was sharp as he led the Falcons on a fifteen played dru to begin the game. Atlanta actually gained one hundred and six yards, but gave twenty eight back on penalties, and yet after holding the ball for nearly ten minutes, the Falcons didn't even score
third down in goal from the six. Cincinnati shifting up front, Ridder already catches a shotgun snap looking left, throws toward the end zone, pick pat it up in the air, intercepted by all said, runs back to the fifteen and gets tackled at the eighteen yard line by quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Mike Hilton tipped it. Mike Hilton made a great play on it and tipped it goes airborne and once it's tipped interceptions happened.
The Bengals starting defense was on the field for that drive, and while it bent, it didn't break. I talked to Osai after the game, a red zone pick. Defensive ends don't have a lot of red zone pick.
Don't shout out to have pupped that boor in the air. Still, I haven't got in a sence to look at it.
Man.
Let me pause that interview for a moment to explain what's going on. When Osi said shout out to whoever popped the ball in the air, his teammates went nuts because the person responsible, Mike Hilton, was about two lockers away. Now let's go back.
Shout out to whoever popped that bow in the air.
I still have.
I haven't got in a chance to look.
At it, man, I can help. Who is Mike Hilton?
Dig shout out to Mike Hilton the biggest, big shout out, Big shout out to Mike Hilson. Dig dig shout out to Mike Hilson. I didn't know he popped it up in the air, but big shot out to him. You know, that's his great team ball and I'm happy he was able to put it in the area. And I was able to keep hunting.
And go get Yeah, you saw a lot of snacks tonight, more than your team every season. How do you feel like you're coming along this preason and pre season in terms of your comfort and where you're at in terms of how.
You're playing, You're still on it.
Shout out to Mike Hilton, shout shout out to Big Mike.
But it's good to get a lot of reps. It's good to get.
Zach Taylor, coach Zach Taylor was just saying, we got a lot of game speed, and we got a lot of situations.
You got to see a lot of different situations. So that's all it is.
Getting reps gives you, puts you in those situations and get you prepared for the season, that's all.
So it's great to get all those reps. So I remember correctly that you had an interception out burrow in college. Shout out to Mike Hilton.
But yeah, that that did happen kind of like that again, it was a tip in college.
It was a tip and I was able to go get it. So yeah, with at your last interception before tonight, go yeah, yeah, pretty rare defensive they are.
They are.
It's hard but you know, we got great coaches, let us catch the ball every day, got great hands. And again, shout out to Mikeilson. You know he doesn't hear me, but it's okay, shout out to him. But yeah, that was that was the last one before tonight, so I'm pretty excited about that.
How tiring was the opening drive? That was a ton of plays?
Yeah it was.
It was, Uh, you know, you you can do all you can to get in shape, but nothing.
Really prepares you for a twenty play drive. So, like we were just saying, we were talking to each other on the field, they don't get in and that was kind of the mindset of our defense. You know, they can get all the yards they want to, but they don't let him get get points.
So that's what we did. Great teamwork with Mike Hilton on that pack.
Shout out to Mike Elton. Shout out to Mike Hilson. I appreciate him.
So after out size interception, the Bengals offense finally got on the field with Trevor Simmy and getting the started quarterback. He drove the team to the Atlanta twenty three, but rather than kicking a field goal, Cincinnati decided to go for it. On fourth and two. Simmey and is ready sharping snaps it back. Simeon with good protection, throws for the end zone incomplete for Trenton Irwin right at the goal line, and the Bengals failed to convert. On fourth
down and two. The Falcons got on the board with four and a half minutes left in the second quarter on a young Way coup field goal, and with less than thirty seconds to go in the half, Atlanta still had a three to nothing lead. That's when Falcons coach Arthur Smith did something he probably wouldn't do in the regular season. On fourth and five at the Bengals forty seven, he elected not to punt when that almost surely would
have guaranteed a three point halftime lead. Fourth and five at the Cincinnati forty seven, the Bengals have one time out left twenty nine seconds remaining in the half, the Falcons leading by a field goal three to nothing. Two receivers left, two out to the right. Heineck is ready
low snap, he catches under pressure, throws incomplete. The Bengals will get the ball near midfield with twenty five seconds left in the half and one time out to work with needing to gain about fifteen yards to give Evan McPherson a shot, and McPherson got that shot after Simeon completed back to back passes to rookies Charlie Jones and Andre Josi vash. Evan McPherson will attempt a fifty yard field goal. He was four for four last week with a long of fifty one, five for five from fifty
plus during the regular season last year. Robbins is the holder. He places the ball down, the kick has plenty of distance and it is good money. Mack ties the game at three as the first half comes to an end. Simeon was seven for fourteen in the half with a passer rating of sixty two point two. Jake Browning took over in the second half and promptly drove the Bengals all the way to the Atlanta thirteen before settling for a field goal that gave Cincinnati a six to three lead.
That lead lasted for less than four minutes. On first and goal inside the one, the Falcons line up in a pistol. Heinek catches a low snap, hands it off to Washington, and he goes over the right side of the offensive line for the Atlanta touchdown. The Falcons took a ten to six lead to the fourth quarter, but that was the only touchdown Atlanta scored. The Bengals defense had four sacks, nine quarterback hits, and four pass breakups.
But after failing to score an offensive touchdown last week against Green Bay, it looked like that might be the case again. Third and nine, nine defenders right up on the line for Atlanta Browning back to throw. The pocket closes gets away from a sack. Browning stays behind the line side on the throw, intercepted at the forty two yard line. The pick happened with five and a half
minutes left in the game. Fortunately for Browning in the Bengals, the defense not only got a three and out, but not the Falcons, forcing Atlanta to punt with roughly three minutes to go. On their twenty second possession of the preseason, the Bengals finally put together a touchdown drive clock running with two to oh seven left in regulation. Browning catches the shotgun snap, steps up in the pocket. Now he
will take off and run. He's at the fifty middle of the field, forty down to the thirty seven, where he goes into a feed first slide, a nice scramble by Jake Browning. He ran for nineteen yards on that play and fourteen yards on the next play. An eighteen yard pass to Yosi vash moved the ball to the five yard line, and back to back runs by Chase Brown gave the Bengals the lead. Snap two, Browning hands it off to Chase Brown running right up the middle.
It's a touchdown go. The Bengals score their first touchdown of the preseason. With fifty seconds left in regulation. They've taken a two point lead, with Evan mcpheerson coming out for the extra point.
And I'll tell you Chase Brown he got He definitely crossed the goal line with the football, his shoulder, pads, his whole upper body cross that goal line. And this guy's got some thump now, he's got a low center of gravity. He gets under people's pads. That was a very, very explosive run up the gut.
Brown finished with eighteen yards on nine carries and lap. Talk to him after the game.
From preseason game number one to preseason game number two, what's the difference mentally and physically?
Yeah, mentally, it was a huge jump specifically in protections. That was my goal this week to be you know, and all my checks on my routes, just making sure that we're keeping the quarterback clean. And that was something that I did today and you know that was That's what I was most happy about. Is just keep the quarterback up, you know, turn the chains over and just keep the offense on the field. Just give us more opportunities to put points on board.
Another thing that is going to be a big factor for you of special teams. How'd that go today?
No doubt.
Definitely room for growth.
But you know, had a kick off, a couple opportunities to return the ball, but only had that that squid at the end that I got to bring out. So definitely grow room to grow in that area. And uh, you know, I love teams. It's uh, you know a big part of the game, and you know, to to be a force in that phase, it's something I want to do this year.
I mean, you've shown your ability to catch the football obviously great running back. There's you made people miss. I mean the thing that jumped out to me right away the first time I saw you on the field was your change of direction. I mean, your change of direction is unbelievable.
I appreciate that something I work on a lot during the offseason, something that I got to use to my advantage in college, and I'm just trying to do that at the the NFL level.
So what do you think, uh, in terms of as you look forward to preseason game number three, any early goals in mind?
Yeah, just getting more comfortable. You know, this is my I'll be going to my third game with this team and honestly just being better than I was last week or you know, hence this game. So just go out there next week at the w.
And and just compete.
Just put put good, good tape out there, because that's a resume for everybody out here, and you know, be the last time we get to really play together before the regular season.
You're a quality guy. This is this football team has got a unique chemistry to it. Did you sense that right away?
Yeah, it seems like stepped in the locker room, you know, when I got to meet everybody, and then even spending time with the guys outside of the building, you know, you just realize that everybody's so close. The relationships not only on offense but on defense. You know, they're They're connected everywhere. You know, everybody's close, everybody spends time with each other. So I think that's a big part in team success on the field and just chemistry overall rounds.
Touchdown run gave Cincinnati a thirteen to ten lead with fifty seconds to go, but with former Bengals draft pick Logan woodside and at quarterback, the Falcons were able to gain fifty three yards on three passes and play for the tie. Since there's no overtime in the preseason. Six seconds left in regulation, the Bengals up by three pinion. The punter is the holder to snap the placement. The kick is on its way, and it is good good.
The final score thirteen to thirteen. It was the third preseason tie in Bengals history, and their first since nineteen seventy one. Here are Joseph Osai and Charlie Jones.
How does it type feel?
It's kind of weird.
It feels kind of weird, but you know, it is what it is. Like Costillis was saying, we took a lot of positives from this game, and.
These words are just going to take that and roll with it.
I guess it's better than a loss.
What was that about the feeling.
I guess so obviously would like to get to win, but you know, ty, I guess it's better than the lost, and next week we're looking for that win for sure.
Jake Browning went sixteen for twenty two that's seventy two percent for one hundred and forty yards, with no touchdowns, one pick, and a passer rating of seventy point three. He was also the Bengals leading rusher with four carries for fifty yards. Here's what he had to say after the game. Jake, it through full one for you ran for fifty. How'd you feel about your performance?
Felt good?
I felt like we were able to move the ball up and down, kind of stalled out a little bit in the red zone. The one really, the one pick is the throw out one back, but we're able to bounce back and have a good two minute drive at the end and extend some plays, and yeah, I feel pretty.
Good about it.
The touchdown drive came immediately after the interception. How important, Wizard for you to bounce back after that and play some of your best football. I mean it was important because we were losing two.
But yeah, I think it's good to show like Obviously the pick was about decision.
He just got too aggressive.
But I think it's good to put on tape that I'll bounce back and you know, have a short memory on it. It's always good for quarterbacks. So I would say more importantly, we were losing, so under the score.
We're talking to Jake Browning back to back runs on that final drive nineteen yards and fourteen yards. You showed that your legs can be an important part of your game.
Yeah.
I mean they're just playing a lot of man and so when you break the pocket, there's no one really there, and so yeah, some of the reids, I mean I thought it was good protection and all. That was just some of the reids weren't there, maybe have a plan to do a bad look and just try to extend the offense.
Hadn't scored a touchdown yet in the preseason until that final drive. Was it a relief to punch one in the end zone.
Yeah, kind of like earlier. I mean, we were losing, so it was more so it's nice to take the lead at the end. But yeah, I'm always trying to score touchdown, So that was good.
I took the lead with fifty seconds to go, game winds up in a tie. What's the emotion after a time?
I don't know if you told me, I've never died before, so yeah, I mean, I think with preseason, you're you know, obviously trying to put out good tape in the situation I'm in and play well, so I feel like I played well. It's nice to get a lot of tape and be able to kind of see yourself in game situations so you can keep getting better and keep having things to work on and have some strengths or have some plays that went well that you can build onto.
Trying to make your case to be Joe's backup.
Do you think tonight helped? I don't know, just trying to play well. That's someone else's decision and not in my hand. So trying to play well, and like I said, I'm getting a lot of tape in practice and in the game and trying to make the most out of that.
Where building all the good.
Stuff and correcting some of the stuff I can get better at telling a solid performance.
Thank you. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust Paycorps to help them recruit, pay, engage and retain employees. Learn more at paycorp dot com. The only offensive starter to play in it was Jonah Williams, who got his first eleven NFL snaps at right tackle on the opening drive.
I wouldn't expect the other offensive starters to play much, if at all, next week at Washington, as Zach Taylor continues to prioritize getting them to the open or healthy over getting them a taste of live action in the preseason. Zach spent a few minutes with Lap after the tie.
Well, I wish we would pull it out there at the end. It was good to see, you know, defenses on the field quite a bit, especially in the first half, held them the three points. Offense was able to finally put together drive there at the end of the game to get in the end zone. And then, you know, we had some tough personnel issues to you know, we had to play basically a mult school four to three with three linebackers in the field and a little challenging
with some of the coverages. Those guys had to play that they don't really major in, so just needed someone to step up and make a play. Unfortunately, they got that field goal off.
So that that last drive was was ah almost Murphy's live then could go wrong? Did go wrong? Personnel a lot?
Well, you're just out of dbs at that point, so you know you're putting linebackers in there, trying to make it work, trying to furthermore, no huddle to a minute, you know, trying to get the calls into them. So again, that's just good experience for those guys and we'll have a chance to coach them off in the film Rum Nomore.
So your two quarterbacks looked like they stepped up their performance from last week to this week.
Would you agree there was good things, you know, situationally at the end of both haves to lead us down and have to manage and in no huddle situations, they had to make some checks, they had to do a good job redirecting the protections. I thought they both showed some really good things to night.
What about special teams? What did you think when you took a look at what was going on out there from a special team standpoint?
Yeah, you know, we didn't get a lot of We got three punts, I think one punt return, So I thought there were some positives that showed up in terms of covering kicks, I thought that went well. You know, we had the one penalty on one of our returns that that's maybe a little questionable. You know, it was tight, But overall I thought that they performed.
There were some close plays you challenge none of none of those went you went your way, unfortunately. But really, I mean some of your young guys. I thought Brown showed some things. You'll see Vass showed some things. Guys that you thought might show some things in preseason game number two stepped up and did.
Yeah.
I thought there was positives from a lot of the guys on this team, more so than last week. I thought we played better complimentary football, just unfortunately, we weren't able to get the ball in the end zone enough to score off and win a game.
What about the offensive line, the young group upfront, that they performed better for you this week than last I.
Think, you know, in past pro I thought those guys had time, and certainly it's the quarterbacks job to move, you know, when when they're playing so much main coverage and matching some of our concepts, he needs a little bit more time. And so I thought they did a good job fitting off those guys up front.
So when you look ahead to preseason game number three, what are your thoughts. You're basically got another week of training camp for a preseason game that's going to be followed up by a week of work. What are your thoughts as you lay out in your mind which going to do next week?
Well, it's a big work week for us. We get four practices, four pad of practices, so we'll get a chance to evaluate how we want to play the game. And we've already made some decisions how we want to practice, so it'll be a great opportunity for those guys to get after it a couple times and then we'll make some decisions on how we're going to.
Play the game. The real good thing, I think both teams. I didn't see anybody, you know, in major trouble. From an injury standpoint, it looked like both teams get out of this fairly healthy. Knock on wood wherever it may be, I think.
So maybe there might be a couple of guys that are day to day, but other than that, I think we're pretty cool.
Appreciate your time as always, Thank you.
The next week's game at Washington will start at six pm. It was originally a day game, but got pushed back because Notre Dame faces Navy in Ireland that afternoon and the two games air on the same TV station in Washington. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed to take your home, business, and community to a new life. Elevates your connection with all to Fiber. Now time for the radio guy's recap.
Tie is like kissing your sister.
Yeah, but it's better.
Than a loss.
It is better than a loss. But you know, not being able to stop them with less than a minute ago is disappointing. Obviously, a lot of guys ended on a down note as a result of that. You know, Zach was telling me in the postgame show I did with him that, you know, the personnel that was left for them to work with, they had to have a
lot of linebackers out there, enough defensive backs. Some guys get nicked up and they were a little bit hamstrung and as to what they could do from a coverage standpoint, and it had taken advantage of a big time you know, obviously you're hopeful somebody steps up and makes the play. But what was not meant to be.
The Bengals went nearly eight preseason quarters without scoring an offensive touchdown, but they got one with fifty seconds to go. How big of a relief do you think that is for the offense and coordinated Brian Gallaghan?
Yeah, I think it's a load off their minds and their shoulders. Eight plays, eighty yards, two minutes, twenty five seconds. Hadn't scored a touchdown in a one hundred and nineteen minutes and ten seconds and got it done. Six of eight plays in that drive went for first down. So Browning was four for forty two yards, two rushes for thirty three more. I mean he was seventy five of the of the eighty yards he accounted for. So it was a big night for brown to get his first
NFL touchdown. He was very excited about that. He said, it's almost a surreal feeling. And I kind of know what he means. I mean, just playing in your first NFL game this was the second one. But doing something in the early stage of your career, even if it's preseason, it's a rush. There's no doubt. It's an adrenaline rush.
Let's get back to quarterback Jake Browning. He threw for one forty, he ran for fifty between training camp in two preseason games as of right now. Do you think he is the leader? I would done think it'd be able to buy a wide margin. But if so, do you think he's the leader in the battle to be Joe Burrow's back up?
Yeah, I mean it's it's it's coming down the home stretch, you know, And I think that you know, when you look at it. Trevor Simeon had some had some issues finishing up in the in the second half of the football game. Browning was finishing up in the second half of the football game with different personnel and you get earlier in the football game and he was able to, you know, make some play. So it's good to have options.
It's good to that it's competitive. It's good that they have to make a decision, just like a lot of roster decisions that you have to make. It's not it's not a landslide, it's a it's a it's a battle, and it could come down to that very last preseason game. You know who who ends up, you know, making more plays. But I do think that they've evaluated every single you know, seven on seven, eleven on eleven, all through OTA's mini camp,
training camp. I mean, they've got a water paper from an evaluation standpoint, the water tape, you know, from an evaluation standpoint. So it doesn't come down to just a drive or a series or a game.
And I should make it clear. I didn't think Simeon was bad at all. He had had great drive at the end of the half to get the Bengals on the board, had a good drive on the opening possession. They went for it on fourth and too where they would have kicked the field goal, So he was pretty good. I just thought Brownie was better, and the difference is probably his legs.
Yeah, I thought that that he did a really good job of taking full advantage of, you know, real estate that he could take advantage of. You know, he was lamenting the interception and he basically said what my reaction was when it took place, you know, it was just kind of press them a little bit, trying to do too much too soon. I mean, was there was still plenty of time in the game. You didn't have to try to force a play like that at that stage.
And you know he was lamenting that very thing, but instead of crying in his beer, he just, you know, how do you handle adversity? That's a big key, you know, you know, is a guy gonna crumble or is a guy gonna jump up and say, I can you know, put that aside. I can departmentalize I'm gonna move on and make plays. And he did it. Credit him.
Defensively, Mike Hilton and Joseph Osai combined for the big play, the interception on the Falcons opening drive. If you had to pick out, I'd kind of under the radar defensive guy. Raymond Johnson showed up in a big way. He was on the Bengals practice squad last year, but he made several impressive plays.
He did, and it was probably against competition. He felt like he should step up and make those plays. But he made them, you know, and maybe next week he'll get in the rotation a little bit sooner and play against you know, maybe a cut above caliber player. That's the thing that from a coaching standpoint, it's like, you know, you're evaluating the plays and you're evaluating normally what your guy is doing, but who is he doing it against?
You know, and and and that's that's a that's a tough curve sometimes, you know, to try to try to grade it fairly, But in my mind, the bottom line is, you know, either you make plays you don't, and he made he made some splash plays. I mean, he flashed in this football game.
I only remember one sack. Did you feel like the offensive line was at least better than Week one?
Yeah, I thought it was. I thought that, you know that they played with a lower pad level, a wider base, all the things that you want to play with. You know, when when it gets going full speed like that, sometimes you're you know, you're in a survival mode and all your technique and everything you've worked on so long just kind of goes out the window and you're just scuffling. Man. You just you're just fighting to survive. And I think they were. I thought they were more disciplined in the
way they played. I thought they were penalized less. And I thought their technique and in the way they approached it was much better.
The defense played a series. Jona Williams played a little bit. That was it for the starters. And I don't think we're going to see them in the final preseason game next week of Washington.
It doesn't sound like it really doesn't. And honestly, to get through this game as healthy as they did when they did play everybody and let's face it, the you know the number ones were out there for fifteen snaps on defense. Yeah, on defense, I mean it was you know they were they were out there for literally two series or three series in a normal football game. And because of the player Mike Hilton and assignmid they didn't give up any points, you know, so it was the
best of both worlds. I get tested cardiovascly, physically, you know, really got in the flow of how do you perform when you are fatigue mode at the end of a long drive. And there are a lot of good things that you can take from that game, from that drive. So if you're going to only play one series in a preseason, that's not a bad one to have been a part of because a lot of things took place during the course of that thing.
Make sure your grandkids know that Buddy's going to get home very late after a preseason road game in Atlanta, and Buddy needs to sleep in on Saturday morning.
He needs to sleep in. I know, I know there were some early games tomorrow morning, But guys, I don't know if I'm going to make it. I don't know. I might sleep through that alarm clock. I don't think I'm going to hear that alarm clock. It's it's it's. The games are in jeopardy, is all I can say.
Hopefully Lap is well rested and his grandkids understand. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free to play with tickets and side merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside the as app. Now time for this week's edition of fun Facts, where you get to know the person under the pads. Time for some fun facts. A rookie linebacker Shaka Hayward. Let's
start with your last name, Hayward. Yep, you are the cousin of Cameron Hayward, the six time Pro bowler with the Steelers. His brother Connor also plays for the Steelers. Right, how has the Hayward name impacted your path to the NFL?
You know, I'd come from a strong family, So that's just that name, just it just brings all the things you know a man should be in our family. You know, being the the leader of the family is just just being a hard, hard nos guy, blue collar, working hard, you know, stuff like that.
You're from Tequila, Georgia, about thirty miles away from Atlanta. How would you describe your hometown.
It's a small hometown, but it's grown, you know, that's north side of Atlanta, Metro. Atlanta's really growing now. It's always been a good area. A lot of guys come out of their highly recruited football players come out of there.
They got good football down there.
We're visiting with rookie linebacker Shaka Hayward. Were you completely focused on sports as a kid or did you have any other interests?
Yeah, pretty much these focused on sports. I would do football, baseball, I got into basketball a few years, and then once I got a high school, pretty much stuck with football.
When it came time for college, you chose Duke all right for the athletics or the academics.
You know both.
You know, I wouldn't go to the school like that just to you know, play Foodvises wanted to take advantage of both sides of the of the coin there, so you know, they got great academics and football.
You're majors listed as evolutionary anthropology. How would you describe that field of study.
I liked it, you know, I just like learning about the history of you know, humans and you know, other animals over time and how we just developed as a species.
How hard was Duke?
Well, I had great academic advisors, academic advisors which made it easy for me to you know, be able to stay ahead of my classes and stuff like that.
So not too bad.
You were a four year starter at Duke and a two time winner of the Vincent Ray Award, which goes to the team's top linebacker. Vincent Ray, of course, is Vinnie Ray, former Bengal team Chaplain. Have you two guys hit it off since you got here?
Oh? Yeah, definitely.
I was talking to him throughout the you know, the draft process, and he just told me to, you know, keep working, watch a lot of film. Yeah, but we've been He's been a great mentor for me on and off the field, just about life in general. So yeah, he's been great ever since I met him and through Duke, So he's been great.
You were invited to the NFL Combine ran a four five three forty, which was in the top ten among linebackers. You played in the East West Shrine Game. Tell me a little bit about the lead up to the draft and your preparation for trying to earn a spot with an NFL team.
It was good, you know.
I tried to do everything I could, you know, maximize my potential in the draft by like you said, having a good top ten forty, you know, not testing well and stuff like that.
But when it comes down.
To football, also trying to sharpen my skills because I know the combine is just testing numbers, but when you get to the league, it's more about, you know, how efficient you are as a mover. You know, it's not really how fast you run the forty. You got to be able to read offenses, you know, react to different things. So it's just tying it all together.
Was it disappointing not to be drafted.
Yeah, I was disappointed, but they gave me a little a chip on my shoulder definitely, you know, heading into the heading into UTA's with the Bengals to just prove myself, to prove that I'm somebody that you know, they need on the team.
Had you talked to the Bengals in the pre draft process and why did you wind up signing with Cincinnati.
Yeah, so I.
Talked with coach Betch and coach Kovacs. I can't remember. I definitely had a zoom meeting with a coach Becher and we just talked football and he asked me a lot of good questions just about the stuff that we were in just knowing like the whole defense, knowing what the the moves were, what the possibilities were from the offensive, uh, from offense standpoints like the routes or the run game, stuff like that. We talked about a lot of you know,
things that he wanted to do to work with me. Uh, you know, once I got here, and if I got here, like on with the Bengals, felt like they had a good culture, you know, talking to the UH coach, I felt like they had a good winning culture.
And when I got here, everyone.
Was really you know, obviously professional, but they're obviously trying to be like the best that they could and to just push each other and that just that's like the kind of environment I wanted to be around. So that's why I chose one to the Bengals.
Some wild card topics now for rookie linebacker Shaka Hayward who's your all time favorite athlete in any sport and why.
I don't have to go Mike Tyson.
Just how relentless he was, how fearless he was, and uh, you know in the ring, and he just always talking about being in that mode, not even being able to turn it off even when he goes home, which is you know, not necessarily a great thing, but actually shows you know, like how locked in he was and how like determined he was to be just like the best.
So what do you like to spend your money on?
Mm I really don't like to spend the money at all.
Yeah, yeah, that's a good trade for a rookie.
If anything else, you know, take my parents to a nice place, you know, spend time with family uther than football.
What was your favorite part of being a Duke student.
Just connecting with the other uh students or student athletes, like on campus. You know, they're all like the best at what they do, whether that's you know, being an engineer, mathematicians, lacrosse, soccer. They're all just like the at the top of their line. So it was great being around them.
It is an impressive student body. Final question for Shaka Heyward. This one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history living or deceased, could be an athlete, entertainer, statesman, whoever it might be. Who would that person be? Shaka Zulu. He was a leader of the uh Zulu nation in South Africa. And you know, I I think it'd be cool because I'm named after him, so I think it'd
be cool to obviously meet him. And you know, see who just pick his brand about just being a fearless leader that he was back.
In the day.
So Shakazula, Yep, that's right, yep, Shaka.
Heyward, best of luck the rest of the preseason, and thanks for the time.
All right, thank you, I appreciate it.
That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free to play with tickets and sign merchandise up for grabs by pay Corps, the official HR software provider of the Bengals, by Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber Internet elevates your connection with Alta Fiber, and by
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