Bengals Booth Podcast: Underdog

I get everybody. I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Underdog Underdog addition, as we meet an undrafted rookie who ranks among the most freakishly athletic players on the Bengals roster, plus a five questions chat with third round draft pick McKinley. Jackson, produces a candidate for Quote of the Year, and we look at the eleven players on the Bengals Ring of Honor ballot

Yeah, but not as much as you would expect. He called me pre or post prode and just kind of like gave me the scoop on what to expect coming up. And then I think he reached out one more time before the draft, talking about like, hey, we want you here if you don't end up getting drafted. And then seventh round rolls around and if it wasn't looking like I was getting drafted, and they were talking with my agent and we had that deal in place for if

He'd be a bank. Did you know much about him playing at Courtland?

Not knew about him, but I didn't really know in much details. I knew he played there. I saw him in the record books in a few spots, and I knew he was a Bengals coach, and I knew he just got promoted the offensive coordinator, but other than that, I really didn't know much about him at all.

Tell us why you signed with Cincinnati.

I signed with Cincinnati because a few reasons. I've been a follower of Cincinnati, not a fan, but I've been following the team. I think they got a lot of potential here, and I think there's opportunity for a guy like me to come in here and make the roster and help the team win on special teams, on offense,

Did you start following Cincinnati and when did you start following Cincinnati?

Probably one Burrow and Chase guy here. I was following them a lot at LSU. That was one of my favorite college college teams to watch, So just following their career and just watching their fun to watch.

So Courtland doesn't have a pro day, how did you show NFL scouts what you're capable of doing.

I actually got recommended to go to two pro days at Buffalo and Syracuse, so I was able to able to just show my skills like the rest of them.

And you crushed it at those pro days. A four four forty, a forty one and a half inch vertical, which is insane. You broad jumped more than eleven feet. Did interest from NFL teams skyrocket after you posted those numbers?

Yeah, that was when the ball started rolling and teams started to show a little bit interest.

So you've got good size as well. You're six feet tall, one hundred and ninety two pounds and obviously a great athlete. Why did you attend Courtland?

I went to a small high school in upstate New York and didn't really get much exposure coming out of high school. So the three is the only route I had,

So you're not just a guy that posted great numbers at a pro day. Here are some of your stats from the last couple of years at Courtland. Twenty seven touchdown catches in your career, you averaged nearly eighteen yards a catch. You had three kickoff returns for touchdowns. I guess the big question now is level of competition. Is that what you are looking to show now that you're in a Bengals uniform.

Yeah, I'm trying to show it to everybody, including myself. You know, I don't know what my capability is against these guys, but I know that I have the numbers to go up against them, so I like my chances. I got confidence, and I'm just ready to go out there and just keep playing the same game I've been playing my whole life.

Getting that Division III National championship, you caught the game winner with less than two minutes to go. Describe that moment.

Surreal, just catching it and realizing I was going to score, looking at myself on the jumbo tron, looking at my teammates faces, looking at the crowd. I mean, then they went down and scored again, So that didn't last long, but we ended up winning that game, and that was just the infestment of my life.

So while you were at Courtland, you got suspended for a year, But these were not high crimes and misdemeanors. You threw a Halloween party apparently during COVID and they suspended you. How did you overcome that?

Just that whole time, I never let myself get down about the situation. I just knew that I was going to make the most out of it. I couldn't change my situation, so all I could do was just make the most of it. So I just was grinding that whole time to make myself a better person, a better athletes. So when I did step back on the field, I was going to be that much better.

And it wasn't just a football thing too. They suspended you from school, is that correct?

Yeah, the whole campus.

I couldn't go in for two semesters. Wow, So what'd you do? I had a couple of.

Jobs, but worked out a lot. That was when I was my strongest and my biggest, and just mentally I grew in. I started, you know, getting in the religion and meditating and just just help trying to make myself just grow as a person. As well as as a as a like a football player.

So Cole, as you mentioned, you've had an interest in the Bengals since Burrow and Chase arrived. How surreal is it going to be to catch passes from Joe and be in meeting rooms with Jamar.

I don't know yet. I know it's gonna be crazy, but it's not gonna hit me until it hits me, you know, every time I walk in the locker room or sometimes I just be going it like.

Oh there, But yeah, it's gonna be cool. I'm excited to meet him, so I get working with them, Excited to see you do it. Welcome to Cincinnati, best look going forward.

Thank you so much.

The media was allowed to attend practice on Tuesday, and for the first time, we saw the Bengals working on the NFL's new kickoff format. It's going to take some getting used to. The coverage team lines up at the other team's forty yard line. That's twenty five yards ahead of the ball. Nine members of the return team are

I get this from a lot of people, Will McKinley or introjection. Yeah, so, I mean, I'd be like, Mama, just get me a unique name.

I can't help your So, your first name, McKinley, has two ends, which is also a little bit unusual. Is there a story behind being named McKinley.

Yeah, just some uniqueness, you know. I don't feel like it hurt the name, but you know, it's just more to sign on my signature. So like that's that's better. I could practice my curse will little better.

Oh, the graph seekers would like to see your cursive. All right, question number two. You're a big man six, two, three, twenty six. At Texas A and M. You did not wear a big man number. You were thirty five and then you were number three. Why those numbers?

So thirty five was is you know, a last tar number for me? But you know I made most of it. I think I put a good name on that number. But number three year is a significant to my best friend who passed away with my first media college from back home, so you know, I awarded to symbolize him. I've been waiting off my first men to get the number, but you know, I mean I had to wait my turn for it, and I think it just holds a special media in my heart.

I don't just you know, it wasn't just to be warned.

It was more to be you know, signor five for him, and you know, just embraced him, and you know, I know he's thinking about me.

That's awesome. Had he worn the number three in high school? All right, we're doing five questions with McKinley Jackson. Question number three, you were one of the top defensive line recruits in the country. He basically could have gone anywhere out of high school. What coach was it hardest to deliver the news to that you weren't coming to his school.

I don't say them names, but uh, you know, it's it's one guy that, like, you know, definitely is especially guy in college football. I feel like, you know, I made a bus decision for me, but you know, I mean I would love to, you know, be coach barn but at the end of the day, I had to make a decision for me. But you know, how could it was to him and his team, and I appreciate them for you know, you can give an opportunity, especially coming from a small town like I did.

But you don't want to share any names, all right? Fair enough? Question number four, you were mister foot in the state of Mississippi. I read somewhere that you are like an expert on Mississippi high school football legends. Is that true, sir? Uh?

You know, I just like looking at the history of it because I feel like we, uh under the radar when it comes to high school football. Talent and especially in the NFL nowadays. So you know, I got to like, you know, broadcast that up to the world. And I know, like we're one of those guys, Like we might have produce the most guys, but we produced some real some real talent.

So what do you know about them? Typically their hometown, their high school, their achievements, but do you know high school?

You know, and effect they're FM Misissippi like guys like leaning down like a J. Brown, the Mario Davies, so DK, Mitchale Woodie, gay guys like that, you know, just represent them and let them know, like Mississippi has a lot of a lot of powerful talents, to include myself now camp makers of you know, the list goes on and on. So you know, I'm just I'm glad to be part of the part of the list right now.

All right, where's AJ Brown from?

He's from Starkville, Chris Jones, Chris Jones, he's from I want to say, I ain't gonna say Columbia. He's from both the.

Macon Houston or Houston. I don't know how it's pronounced, Mississippi Houston. Yeah, we go back to Walter Payton. I say Columbia. Correct, Okay, all right, you know you know you're Mississippi legend. Yes you did. All right? Fifth and final question, tell me one thing about you that not that many people know.

When it comes with football, I'm a real but I don't. I don't play this game really nice at all. You know, I have the feel it's all fun. It's fun and survivors chier.

You know.

I'm a great teammate, goods to be around, but I'm gonna feel I'm gonna pel But like I like to win, I hate to lose a little wins, So you know I get it. I put that on my teammate. You know, stress him a lot right now. I'm trying to earn that role of like you know, I've been a leader and you know, really standing my power. But you know, I want to push it and maximize everyone's a potentially each and every day. And I feel like, you know, that's how I gotta be Like Jordan did it, Kobe

When it comes to football. I'm a real butthole? Is that the quote of the year? According all right, now, very presidential from McKinley Jackson, but a great quote. I appreciate your time. It's great to have you in Cincinnati. Best of luck going forward.

So thank you appreciation.

Here's hoping that the guys that try to block McKinley this year know exactly what he means by that quote. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is

We came up with Jimmy. He was let go by Oakland and I don't know what all befell him out there, but he came here and he wasn't long as kickers go, but he was a great competitor. You could turn up the heat on him and it didn't matter. We'd be in a game where we had to have a field go to win it, and when he was kicking you didn't have much concern about it because he just was good for it. He made him all seem that might

Never missed a kick in overtime, a perfect nine for nine. Jim Breach. I've heard the next player on the list referred to as the toughest player pound for pound in team history. Running back James Brooks.

James was a player we acquired from San Diego. We traded Pete Johnson, who was a fine player, and we got in return James Brooks. They were opposites. Pete was a big power back. James was an offsized, asked quick scooter. He could catch the ball, had wonderful hands, great receiver. He was excellent running too. You would have misjudged him if you looked at him and said, well, he's too small to be a great runner. But he was a great runner, not just outside but inside as well. And

In nineteen eighty one, your top two draft picks were wide receivers, the sculpted David Versa out of Kansas in round one, and then a skinny, gangly kid out of Florida in round two who turned out to pay pretty darn good. Chris Collinsworth.

A story on Chris goes back to when they had what was the equivalent of the Combine in those days, it was down in Tampa. They weigh and measure players and work them out. They did that back then differently, but they did it then as they do it today over in Indianapolis. When we have the combine. Chris walked out on the not the stage as it would be today, but he walked out in front of the assembled scouts, which were probably twenty some in the room, looking up

He was.

For a big guy, tall guy, quick. He could move sideways quickly, and he had acceleration, he had top end speed, he could catch everything, and he seemed to have his wits about him all the time. You knew right away that you had a special player. And occasionally you have that experience. You draft the guy, he comes in and you just know you have one. And when you get the good ones, that's what makes your team special. And he was one of those. A great receiver.

He played the role of country Bumpkin early in his career, but went on to get a law degree. He's had a great broadcasting career. He's the honor of Pro Football Focus. Obviously a guy that's had a tremendous career after football.

Yes, he's been very successful in his endeavors after football. I remember what you were referring to Country Bumpkin. He put on an act if you will that aus shucks, poor country boy me. How could you expect me to know anything? And that's when he was being interviewed by the media. But he wasn't that way with the guys

We are reminiscing about the Bengals Ring of Honor candidates with President Mike Brown. The team's all time leading rusher is Corey Dylan, who ran angry for seven years in Cincinnati and had two of the best games of all time two hundred and forty six yards as a rookie and then two seventy eight against the Broncos in two thousand, an NFL single game record at the time.

I remember that game. They couldn't stop us, and Corey just ran right over top of him. It was so bad that the next week they fired their defensive coordinator. I thought that was somewhat unfair. Corey was power back, and when you first saw him, what you saw was a guy that ran heavy. He was a two hundred and thirty pound guy, and when he ran he had balance. He seemed to sink into the ground as he ran.

He was our.

Top runner of all time. And unfortunately we couldn't hang on and we couldn't manage him. At the end, he got out of sorts about what I don't even remember, but we couldn't keep him content, so we felt obligated to trade him. We traded him up to a Belichick in New England, and for them, he took the Patriots to two Super Bowls. So he did it here, he did it there. He could do it period wherever he was. And yes, a top player, a great player.

I remember you describing observing him. I think it was at Spinnyfield early in his Bengals tenure, and it was like the earth moved when he got going. Oh.

I remember being on the sideline and he ran by after he had caught a ball out wide, and he was close to me, and as he ran by, I honestly felt the ground shake underfoot, and that registered with me. I've never had that experience with another back. But you wouldn't have wanted to tackle him if you were a cornerback. I guarantee you.

That another of the game changers in franchise history was David Fulcher. You didn't see safeties that were six three, two hundred and thirty eight pounds who could be used in so many ways before him.

Yeah, he was a big safety, to say the least. We Dick le Bow was our secondary coach, and he took folchure and used him in a way that got out of David what he had to give. But that sounds as though I'm describing a player who was slow. He wasn't slow. He was just big. And when I say big at the end of his career, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say he was actually at two sixty. Tell me when you last saw a safety

A tenth round draft pick in nineteen eighty three, became one of the best defensive players in franchise history, a guy who led the team in tackles five times as a noseguard, which is unheard of.

Tim CRUMRAI, Yeah, Timmy came to us out of Wisconsin. He wasn't anything that we thought much about when he came. He was off size small for a defensive tackle. When they went home. This was after the draft. He came when they went home. We get together with the players later. We brought him in for some work and we didn't even bother to tell him to come because we didn't think he could do anything much. But he came anyway, which showed you how he saw the world. And he

My broadcast partner, Dave Lapham was smart enough off the field to get admitted into Harvard although he chose Syracuse, and smart enough on the field to play all five offensive line spots in the same game multiple times.

Dave was smart enough, no one questions that, but that's never what stood out about him in my mind. He went beyond that. He was built like a football player. The first time I ever saw him, he was in his shorts and a training table at the Blue Gray game down in Alabama, and jeez, I looked at him and I said, this guy, he's built like they're supposed to be. Big go over. He was an excellent player and he could play anywhere you needed him. But it went beyond that. He has become someone tied to the

Could not agree with you more. Clapp was the starting left guard on the nineteen eighty one Super Bowl team. The starting right guard in both Super Bowls, as a matter of fact, was Max Montoya, probably the greatest guard in franchise history.

He was a great player. Max had a cherubic face. You would have thought he was innocent as a lamb, but he had a dark heart As a football player. He showed no mercy. He was rough and he could dish it out he could take it. When he was on the field, there was no quarter given or asked. But for us, he was with a great group of offensive linemen. That group that he was a member of

One of the many great nicknames in team history is Leaping Lamar, for Lamar Parrish, who scored thirteen touchdowns on returns and recoveries and set a team record by averaging nearly nineteen yards per punt return in nineteen seventy four.

Lamar deserves more people remember him than do I don't know why that's so. During his time here I think was about seven years he played for us, he was the most talented cornerback we ever had, and we've had some great cornerbacks, but he was also the best returner we ever had. And the one story that we stood out in my mind about Lamar was when we played Washington here, they had a good team, and we had something like three yards total offense. We didn't move the

But it was just.

A description about Lamar, who could do exceptional things at his position. He had exceptional, unique, almost quickness. He could cover like a blanket, receivers didn't get open on him, and he could play the ball. We had on the other side. Kenny was over there, and we had two corners equal of any team ever.

Long before there were great receiving tight ends like Tony Gonzalez and Travis Kelcey. The Bengals helped pioneer moving the tight end all around the formation with a twelfth round draft pick named Bob Trumpy.

Trumpy had a storied relationship with the Bengals as a player. As an announcer, he became a public figure here locally as a radio call in show host. He was good at that. But as a player when he started out here, he was probably off size for where we put him a tight end, but he could really run and he would take cover two. That's when they have two safeties in the middle of the field, run right through it and they couldn't keep up with them. Safeties couldn't keep

Finally, a linebacker from your alma mater, Dartmouth College, who was a Bengals starter for fourteen years, Reggie Williams.

Reggie and I both went to Dartmouth, so when he came along up there, I was anxious to get him for us. I knew about him, and Dartmouth isn't so much a powerhouse as a football team and Ivy league team. I think Dartmouth did win the national championship in the twenties one time, but Reggie came along much after that, and at Dartmouth today he's considered the best player they've

This has been a treat for me. I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

We'll enjoy doing it too.

Two of those eleven players will be selected by season ticket members and suite holders this year, joining Paul Brown, Anthony Munoz, Ken Anderson, Willie Anderson, Ken Riley, Isaac Curtis Boomersiasin and Chad Johnson in the Ring of Honor. They will be inducted at halftime of the Monday night home game against Washington on September twenty third. That's week three