Bengals Booth Podcast: You're Unbelievable

to Mount Wren. That's Bengals rookie Renell Wren. All of that is straight ahead. But first, here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitch, your Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean.

It's the greatest thing since unusual bobbleheads. This Saturday, you See football fans got their hands on the Tony Pike to armand Bin's bobble head, which celebrates one of the greatest moments in you See football history, the last minute game winning touchdown pass that gave the Bearcats a forty five to forty four come from behind win at pitt Back in two thousand and nine to complete a perfect

regular season. It's a really cool bobble head. And I'm not just saying that because it includes an audio chip combining my radio play by play with the TV call of ESPN Sean McDonough. Here's my idea for a great Bengals bobble head, and maybe somebody can do this for charity. Picture Sam White in a big parka and a winner hat. He's got his playsheet in his left hand and a microphone in his right. You press the audio button, and

here's Sam say the following. Well, the next person that sees anybody throw anything onto this field, point them out and get him out of here. You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati. Now, that would be a great bobblehead. Let's get to football. Heading into Sunday's game, Lamar Jackson was on a pace to shatter the NFL record for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback. Michael Vick

holds the record with one thirty nine yards. Jackson was on a pace to top that by more than two hundred. That's no surprise to the Bengals. In two previous starts against Cincinnati, Jackson had rushed for one hundred nineteen yards in the first game and a buck fifty two in the second, so at the start of Sunday's game, the

Bengals defense was geared up to stop the run. The Ravens opened the game in a pistol formation former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson with another former Heisman Trophy winner mark Ingram behind him. Jackson looking to throw, he fires deep down the middle of the field over the shoulder catch made at the Cincinnati thirty yard line. Jick antick play to begin the game, as Hollywood Brown used his blazing speed to get behind the Bengals secondary for a

forty nine yard game. Baltimore's opening drive consisted of five plays, a Lamar Jackson run that lost one yard and five passes that gained seventy six. I formation backfield on third and goal from the two, Jackson fakes a handoff, throws and it is caught at the goal line for a touchdown by Mark Andrews. Here's Sam Hubbard on the Ravens coming out throwing. They have the number one rushing attack

in the NFL. You know, we anticipated them running, trying to run the ball down our throats, and they, you know, they came out and did a great job passing the ball. You know, Lamar Jackson can obviously run it, and showed he can throw the ball too, So credit to them. That really puts you in a bund, doesn't it. I mean, there's there's no way to stop the run unless you are loading up to try to defend it. And then

he showed his passing ability. Yeah. Plus he had a lot of run play options and play action passes, which you know, we're first thing you gotta do is, like you said, stop the run. But they did a great job of, you know, having the passing attack off of it. The second time the Ravens got the ball, they went to the ground game. A twelve play drive consisted of ten running plays, but the big play on the drive

was another Lamar Jackson pass. Jackson, with all data throw hips a fastball to boil, breaks a tackle, charges toward the end zone and gets tackled at the one yard line. Jesse Bates gambled and lost lost badly. I talked to Jesse after the game. Is Jackson better as a passer

than people give him credit for. Oh absolutely. Um. I played against him in college for I mean my whole career there, so um, you know, I've got a little familiar with Lamar playing against them, So I've seen him sling it for years, and I've seen him run it. I mean, you just don't see a lot of running quarterbacks, and when he runs, everybody just thinks of that. So I think he's very dynamic once you get him, Moss

on the pocket to own the ball. The thirty five yard passed to Nick Boyle led to a one yard touchdown run by Mark Ingram and Baltimore led fourteen nothing at the end of the first quarter. A Randy Bullock field goal put the Bengals on the scoreboard early in the second. Then Jackson went right back to work. Now the tight end, Hayden Hurst motions from left to right. Lamar Jackson fakes an inside handoff, throws toward the end zone, and Mark Andrews is wide open for a Baltimore touchdown.

It was twenty one to three Baltimore, and at that point Lamar Jackson was ten for ten for one hundred and seventy one yards with two touchdowns and no picks. That was impossible for Ryan Finley to match in his first NFL start, but the Bengals were able to move the ball thanks to Joe Mixon. Finley hands it to Mixon and he charges for the first down. Boy, he hit the aligne of scrimmageer. They had a steam and

forward progress took him to the Baltimore forty eight. He took off like he's running a time forty yard dash. I mean, he said, you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna run through the Great Wall of China. Flight need to look like a drug bust with a battering ram oh. Mixon ran angry all afternoon, carrying a career high thirty times for one hundred and fourteen yards against the NFL's second best run defense, far and away his best game

of the year. That my teammates they killing on me, and you know, they expect me to be a one hundred percent and available each and every snap. And you know the opportunities that I get, you know, I just try to make the most of them and you know, try to keep them up. I Mean it's tough out there, but I just gotta keep going. I mean, you see what we could do um. Like I said, Man, I just only hope to, you know, keep building on the performance and in the run game, and you know, being

available and going hard for my teammates. Now, I'll take pride in this stuff. And you know, I just you know, I just want to win, man, and I just want to put on a team in the best position possible. That's it. Mixon's hard running. He helped the Bengals drive into the red zone where a touchdown was scored, but not by Cincinnati. Finley drops straight back to throw looking forever, intercepted Humphrey running it back and it looks like he'll

take it to the house. Make that Marcus Peters on the run back and it's his second pick six as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. And man, I'll tell you what. Ryan Finley got stroked. LJ. Ford put a block on Ryan Finley. Oh Man, took him off his feet, destroyed him on that return. It was an eighty nine yard return that made it twenty eight to three. Here's Ryan Finley on his costly I NT that was just

a good play by Marcus Peters. Um kind of just can't leave it, can't leave it on his back hip like that and an inside um so, uh, you know that's that's completely on me. I gotta I gotta take that off the tape and then uh kind of just ball security. You know, we talked about it, so um ball securities at a premium. To his credit, Finley bounced right back and drove the Bengals seventy yards for their first TD. Finley waiting for a shotgun snap back at

the eleven yard line, Hopkins fires it back. Finley throws into the end zone for Eiffert. He leaps, he comes down with the ball, touchdown Bengals as he used his size to go up and over Brandon car and haul in Ryan Finley's first career touchdown pass. Finley finished sixteen for thirty for one hundred and sixty seven yards with a passer rating of sixty six point nine. His only interception was followed immediately by his only touchdown. Bad plays

are gonna happen. That's about as bad as it gets, you know, on a good drive, about to go score and pick six. But you know, what are you gonna do? You got you gotta bounce back, you know, lead touchdown drives. It was a twenty eight to ten game at the half. The first time the Ravens got the ball in the third quarter, Jackson provided a highlight that few quarterbacks in history can match. Second down in three, Jackson fakes a handoff,

runs to the left. Here he goes. He's to the forty great spinbove to the thirty twenty five twenty fifteen ten five touchdown. What a run by Lamar Jackson. As good as it gets in the National Football League. I'll tell you what. He had two of the tightest spins, like a whirling dervish. That forty seven yard sprint made it thirty five to ten. Here's Sam Hubbard. You know, I think he solidified his you know himself in the MVP race. And you know there's a reason for it.

He's one of the most dynamic electric players in the NFL. And Jackson wasn't finished. Baltimore has it. At the Cincinnati twenty. The Ravens go with an empty backfield in five wides. Cincinnati sends a blitz Jackson throws before getting hit. It is caught in the end zone by Hollywood Brown for another Lamar Jackson touchdown pass and Lamar third of the day. Jackson finished fifteen for seventeen for two hundred twenty three yards, with three touchdowns, no picks, and a perfect passer rating

of one fifty eight point three. It's the second time he's done that this year, making Lamar Jackson the first quarterback in NFL history to have two perfect passer rating games in the same season. Safety Shawn Williams did not hold back with his praise for Jackson after the game. How hard is it to defend Lamar when you gear up to stop the run and then he comes out winging it around at the beginning of the game. I don't gonna say it's impossible, but it's not. But it's

damn impossible. I mean it's hard. I mean he's hot right now, man, I mean he is who is probo all pro MVP. He's a cannont fall of it. So, I mean, I don't know, I don't know how to stop it. Is he a better thrower than most people realize? Absolutely? I mean to throw that he made on their for sideline to the Titan eighty one, I'm standing right then. I'm like, he threw it at such an angle and I'm like, Holy how did he complete that? I don't

know how he completed it. But he did. I mean, look at even the one he completed the jets on Jesse, Like I thought he threw the ball underhanded? Did he side art? Yeah? I mean like I called the last glints and I'm like, holy yeah. And then you have the running throughout that forty seven yard running had whether a tight spin move that's about as good as it gets for running back, much less than a quarterback. Absolutely.

I mean, like you were just talking about the quarterback, like you haven't even like gotten to like mark Ingram and how he can like what he could do. So, I mean they have multiple as multiple threats could get. So I don't know what to tell you how to stop it. I hete anyone that knows how to stop it. I hear the respect in your voice. I mean it's it's a grudging hey, right now, it's almost impossible. Yeah,

it is. I mean, like COSI like that team might go to win the Super Bowl, go to the Super Bowl. I mean, I mean, like I said, I don't know how to stop it. They're hot, they have probably like the MVP quarterback. I don't know, so when their fans are chanting MVP, you're thinking, yeah, you're right, I mean he got my vote for he got my vote vote definitely. I mean he's definitely the best that I've faced this year.

And hats off to him and what they're doing over there, and and you know when he can do that and put up those points and look at the defense, look at what the defense can do. When you playing with a twenty point thirty point lead, you just tee off, you blitz and you you you get more confident. You've got nothing to lose at that point. So that's why you see Earl making the plays, um car and making the plays and just the rest of them. So that's what it is. It's the other side of the ball.

I know you guys are working on you know, doing your thing, but are you excited to see Joe have the kind of game that he had today? I mean, not only Joe was, just the other eleven, include other ten including Joe. Like nobody's quitting, nobody's surrendering, nobody's nobody's giving up. Like you're still pushing forward, you're still winning. We'll try trying to win your one on one matchup, trying to win a football game. So that M proud of even on defense, like we never never like quit later,

But no one tapped out. You still gotta play football. You gotta like the last fourteen minutes the game. You got tackle. You know that you're they're gonna get it. They're gonna get into personnels. They were winning personnel. They're gonna win a ball, So what are you gonna do. The game's final touchdown was scored by the Ravens defense shotgun snap back to Finley retreats in trouble, Sack loses the ball, scooped up and running it back for Baltimore is Tious Bowser and he'll run it into the end

zone for a Ravens touchdown. Boy. A fourth quarter field goal by Randy Bullock made the final score forty nine thirteen. The Bengals are owing nine. They've tied a franchise record by losing eleven consecutive games, and since the Dolphins and Jets both won their second game of the season on Sunday, Cincinnati's chances of having the number one pick in next year's draft got a little bit stronger. The red Skins have the second worst record in the NFL at one

and eight. After the game, Dave Lapham spent four minutes with Zach Taylor. Obviously, you know, didn't unfold the way you wanted it to. The two turnovers that that result in touchdowns. I mean, you know, I talked with Ryan about it. He knows, you know, it's got to take care of the football a little bit better than that. But the positives, I say, you know, it didn't. The

kid doesn't seem like he gets rattled. I mean, he went out there and had some good staffs for you, but if he eliminates those, I thought in terms of change and protection, seeing what he was supposed to see, I thought it was pretty good. There was a lot of positives he had there, and then just the biggest thing going forward is not making the same mistake twice.

You know, he threw a pick six against the corner who he really identified cover zero, got us out of a bad play, tried to get us to a check we talked about, and you got Marks Peters just got a history of doing that kind of stuff. He did it, and credit to him, he made the play. There was a lot of things to be encouraged about from Ryan. I thought his preparation of the course of the week.

He really hasn't taken any reps over the last eight weeks, and so if we've got to get the reps this week against one of the top defenses in the league, and he did a lot of really positive things and it's just something we got to build on going forward. I saw you sprinting down the sideline looking like you were trying to call a time out. Was it just the play clock winding down or did you see something you didn't like or well it was it was a

tough look. He was getting this, so a check we talked about and again I was concerned that we're gonna run out of time there, so I was ready to call time out. But they made a play there. In hindsight, man with the official hood, did he not grant it or just trust me, there's a lot of things in hindsight that you wish you'd gone differently, and you just have to be able to move on to the next play and not like you tend to get not not focused on what could have just happened there, and it

didn't happen. They made a play. We got to move on and respond. When I thought the next drive we did. We went down and scored a touchdown and ate up all the clock before the half. We were gonna get the ball back down twenty eight to ten, and again we just had to turn it run downs. They were start the half running game two weeks in a row. You know, Rams out rush, the Rams out rush this football team. I thought you made a good little adjustment

with the blocking scheme and the three technique. I've talked to everybody about it, but doubling that three technique and then pulling the center around you guys got some mileage out of that. Joe read that out pretty well. Yeah. I thought Jim Turner did a great job with the playing in the last two weeks, putting us in position

to be able to get the running game going. And we've seen all season that we were we were close, you know, and nobody wants to hear that, but we've known it and believed it, and so the last two weeks it started to pay off and we know that we're trending in the right direction there. I guess what can you say about Lamar Jackson. I mean, he'll he'll douge you with his feet and then he today had a perfect quarterback rading mean, the kid, the kids playing

some ball, he's special. He's playing with a lot of confidence. The team's playing with a lot of confidence. You can't afford to make some of the little mistakes we made there in the second third quarter that that really put us out of it against the team that's playing like that right now. And he's dynamic and all we interest see what people do try to stop him the rest of the way. When he runs the football, he's like Barry Sanders. You know, my pregame was like, don't let

him write he's the Barry Sanders of running quarterbacks. Make him throw it. Man, I eat my words, you know. I mean, the dude can throw it. He did. I mean, he's and those guys, those guys play well for him. Some of those tight ends made some of the most impressious bust of catches I've seen all season. And so he really is just elevating the players around him, and

you're getting the best from all those guys. And you know, it's it's a team that we can't make the mistakes we made against if we want a chance to win. That run that he had for a touchdown when he had the tight spin, I mean, man, that's gonna that's a video game thing right there. It is. It's hard.

We got to be cleaner tackling. There was a couple examples and some of those touchdown runs where we got to do a better job of of, you know, wrapping up and driving our feet and winning those fifty fifty tackling battles, and we just didn't get it done today. The way the running game is starting to, you know, get unlocked a little bit though. With a young quarterback, it's any quarterbacks best friend. With a young quarterback, it's

his best best friend, right it is. You know, it's it's something we got to continue to harp on and find ways to be creative and increase some opportunities for ourselves and build the play actions and the nakeds off of that stuff. But step in the right direction of that regard. Let's good to see Tyler Eiffort get a touchdown reception that was you know, he's a mismatch. I mean,

he's tough. He's tough in the red zone. It is, you know, it's it was a great ball, great ball by Ryan first of all, and a great catch by Tyler and he got two feet in and you know, we needed that at the point of the game. So he stepped up defense coach. I mean it was in the fourth quarter of their averaging ten yards of play and they'd only got into third down like three times. I mean, they were so productive on first and second down. Is it just is a matter of better tackling? Is

it a matter of being in the right gap? Is a matter of everything? What is it? You know that there were some examples of tackling. There's some examples with the ball in there. We're in a position to make a play. It's it's one on one. You got that guy in man coverage. You gotta step up and make the play. And they didn't. We didn't, And that's really what it came down to in a lot of examples. Now time for postgame analysis, and we start by discussing

Lamar Jackson. His passer rating for this season is up to one on one point seven. He's on a pace to run for one thousand, two hundred and forty eight yards and in his first sixteen starts for Baltimore, the Ravens are thirteen and three, including three and oz against Cincinnati. He is his own video game. He is, you know, in college, he was a man amongst boys in the NFL. For him to make it man amongst boys. He's doing

what he did in college. It's it's unbelievably. He won the Heisman college and tracking to be a strong MVP candidate, obviously, and he made meet my words, you know, I said in the pregame, he's Barry Sanders running it. Make him throw it, perfect quarterback rating three touchdown passes, I mean he had, he had two incompletions and like you said a few times during the game, one of them was a spike to stop the clock. Unbelievable and the one that the other one that fell incomplete, he gave him

a chance. It was a perfect ball. And he's throwing from different arm angles. He's slotting his arm differently. He is. He's a freakazoid. And you know everybody's saying, is he changing how they're going to run offense in the NFL? Find another one like him? He's not. He's not one in a decade, He's one in a millennium. I mean, the guy is like he's he's good a runner of the football quarterback I've seen, and he's proven himself to

be way better than everts thrown. And I think the Bengals are happy they don't have to see him again this year, no question. I mean the first time they saw him he went for one hundred and fifty two. So you know, I'm thinking, don't let him be Barry Sanders again. Make him play quarterback all he does and next time they see him as he pitches of one fifty eight point three, he no. You know, perfect game, Tom stevers Um, I mean, it's like, what can't this guy do? So? And Greg Roman got to tip my

cap to him. Even in the passing game, everything is very simple. Utilizing the tight ends is tight ends made great plays for him. You know, he's got Hollywood Brown to make the speed plays. He's got the big tight ends that are control in the middle of the football field. I mean play action. When they run play action, it is legit because they can hurt just so bad running the football. You have to respect it. And there's huge cavities between linebackers and safeties and man and Lamar Jackson.

Dan He's can throw you know, the Quisonberry. He can throw over the top, he can throw anywhere he needs to throw it. He changes his arms, slaughter his arm angle, and he's very very special, very unique guy. There's no question the Ravens where the number one running team in the NFL coming into the game. So Baltimore on the opening drive begins with a forty nine yard pass. They had seventy five yards to score a touchdown on their

first drive. Seventy six passing minus one rushing. You have to load up the defense to stop the run, and that gives Lamar Jackson wide open targets. Great great call by the by Greg Roman and the offensive staff to say, okay, let's go contrarian. We gashed him running the football. We know they're going to crowd the line of scrimmage, they're gonna take away that running game. Let's just let's just make them alter their game plan right away. Let's throw

it over their heads. Hollywood. Brian won, Hollywood. He went over the top and Lamar Jackson layman out there for him. So yeah, it's like, oh, you know, now what? And you know then the defense comes up and with two takeaways for touchdowns, so they outscored the Bengals defensively. Bengals only had one touchdown in the day and they had two, they scoring fourteen to ten. To compliment what's going on without offense, So the Ravens right now are playing complimentary football.

They're playing as well as anybody in the NFL right now, a five game winning streak. And you know when they go to Seattle and beat Seattle, they beat the Patriots on Sunday night football at Baltimore. That's a legit football team. Found out how legit. Today, Ryan Finley made his first NFL start. He threw his first NFL touchdown, passed the Tyler Riifer. What were your overall impressions of his performance? Obviously, you know, some good, some very bad. You know, you

certainly don't want to throw the interception. Talk to Zack in the postgame about it. He was frantically sprinting down the sideline trying to call a time out because the play he thought to play clock was going to expire, and he said that they Finley made a check that they had and he made the right check. Peters just made a better play. And that's what a you know, a roll a bowl type cornerback will do, bait a little bit and break on it. And he made the

play on him. And and then ball security in the pocket, you know, is going to be something that he's gonna have to learn. And the key is don't repeat those mistakes, you know, learn from him. And talking to Ryan in the locker room after the game, you know, he said, man, I saw and learned a lot today in terms of I mean not just audibilizing out of one play to another, but one protection to another, because Baltimore does so much and they change things, you know, during the course of

your cadency. Even so, Trey Hopkins was throwing a lot of compliments at Ryan Finley. Ryan Finley throwing a lot of compliments at Trey Hopkins, you know, the way they handled all that part of it. So there was some good and Ryan I thought, you know, game management for that part it was great. And then the other thing is when you have a tragedy, how do you handle it? Do you assume the fetal position and roll over and play dead the rest of the game. Where do you

do something about it? And after the first one, he went on his touchdown drive and responded. So they moved the ball. They just you know, to make more plays again in the red zone. It was good to see Tyler Eifford catch a touchdown pass, but they have that touchdown on the red zone. Other than that, they had two red zone penetrations where they got nothing, they had to pick six and lost the ball on down. So you have to be more consistent. You know, thirty three percent,

that's what they were coming in. That's last in the league. You might think it's hard to find a positive after forty nine to thirteen loss, but there was one and an obvious one on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, and that was the running of Joe Mixon. Thirty carries a new career high one hundred fourteen yards, the first time this year he's cracked a hundred. Yeah, our good friend Jeff Puts Hobson is going to be disappointed when the

Bengals carry it thirty times. When more they're undefeated or whatever. We not in this situation, not playing a team like the Bengals played today. The thing about Joe Mixon that impressed me so much is how hard he ran every

single opportunity, even when they were down thirty. Joe's bringing it, and you know that's that's gonna pay dividends at some point time, because you know his teammates notice that, and you know then he starts to one of the best players in the team going as hard as he's going all those things will raise the boat a little bit. So Joe's got to keep that mindset, that mentality, can't get frustrated, just has to, you know, get after it. And he was really good in the post game locker

room talking about it. You know, obviously he was disappointed, and he's a winner. I mean, he hates losing football games. He's probably lost more football games this year than he ever lost in high school and college combined by a long shot. So it's a it's a new learning experience for him. But if he keeps running like he did, and I thought the offensive line control the line of scrimmage as well as they have all season long as

well against a damn good defensive front. So those are encouraging signs with the young quarterback trying to find his way in the NFL. Next the road game in Oakland against the five and four Raiders, and since the Chiefs lost at Tennessee on Sunday, Oakland is only a half game him out of first in the AFC West. Now time for this week's fun Facts interview, where we get to know the person under the pads. This week, it's a massive defensive lineman taken in the fourth round of

this year's draft. Time for some fun facts with defensive lineman Ronell ren from Saint Louis, Missouri. You are the son of a police officer. Correct, it's correct. Tell me a little bit about the lessons you got from your dad. I mean, really, the biggest thing would just being a discipline in the house. My father always told me to you know, never everybody always emphasized on like nothing goes

on past twelve o'clock midnight. So being able to have an understanding, getting my schoolwork done, playing football and then coming home and everything and just starting the day back up. You know, it's a blessing to have a father in my life still to this day. So discipline is the biggest thing. So basically I had to emphasize on I'd rather be taught in the house and be disciplined in how to being disciplined on the streets. We're visiting with Renelle Ran. You're a big man. Were you always the

big kid in the neighborhood? I was always the big kid in neighborhood. I really hit my grossper doing high school, Yes, sir. In youth sports, did the parents if the opposing players wonder if you were older than their kid. You know what the crazy thing is, They never came to me knowing or asking if I was like older than like the other people and everything. They just knew because of my side, they knew something wasn't right. But you know, I'm very blessed to what I have and everything, and

just uses that towards a football field and everything. So what were your other interests as you're growing up? Oh? Really? I was a basketball player first, so I played basketball when I was seven years old, played ever since then. I didn't start football until my junior in high school. So my coach told me, I can't do both in college, so you rather do basketball football. And I feel like I was better at football because I couldn't jibb or shoot the ball to save my life. So I just

stick to this sport and then look where it got me. Hey, there's room and a basketball team though for a guy that plays defense and grabs rebounds, now you ain't you ain't lying, But somebody in my side being six four back then when I was two fifteen, two twenty, you know, they usually drove the ball up to court. I was just a postman and doing my thing down there. So the game change, I gained a lot more weight, So you know, I'm in an interior and I'm in the trenches.

We're doing fun facts with Ronell rand. You attended Lutheran North High School in the Saint Louis area. Did you take the school work seriously at that age? I really did. Um, To be honest, I didn't take my grade serious until I started getting recruited for football my junior and senior year, So I really had to stay in the books, and you know, I really had to be the teacher's pet to receive the grades that I wanted if I still

worked hard for it. And then, thank god, I landed Arizona State the D one Scholarship and it led me here. So all right, So you mentioned Arizona State. You were the top ranked defensive lineman in Missouri as a high school senior. The Midwestern schools came calling. The University of Cincinnati apparently tried, But you did choose Arizona stage why, I mean really, Um, when I first took my official

visit there, it was just paradise. Um. I forgot who they played, but I remember back and I think it was twenty thirteen when I was a senior twenty fourteen. I was a senior in high school. They played some team, but once I got there, it was like a some degrees in November or December. The hotel was lovely, The campus was big and wide, and once I actually got there and committed there and everything and started playing it

barely rained there. It was just paradise sun out. Um, not wendy, not chill or cold or anything, but it was just hot and just warm and everything. That's the environment I wanted to be in. So then coming back here to Cincinnati, you know, it's a whole different climate change, so I got to adjust to that. But I'm from Missouri though, so I'm used to it. So just being just getting back to the flow and everything. We're talking

to Ronell Ran. During your college career, there was a coaching change and former NFL head coach Term Words took over. Was that a big surprise to the guys on the team? Really? The crazy thing is the whole People don't judge me for this, but I did not know who Herm Edwards was until he got there. But he definitely did change

the program around. Um. I really missed the old head coach that used to be there, but you know, at the end of the day, it's a business change and Herm Edwards definitely came in there and did what he had to do and he's actually doing great then what we did last season, and I just suspect him for the best and for my teammates. Back to the issue, So when he first got there, um, you play his Uh, he emphasizes when you played to win the game. So he did this thing to players towards if you're not

doing your job, you'll just be on an academic scholarship. Um, you sit on the sidelines or sitting the um you know, the seats where everybody else said had to watch the game. But he treat he treated us like a pro. So basically, um, you're not doing your thing. The next man up. It's interesting to hear that he emphasized you play to win the game, because he had that famous speech when he was the head coach of the New York Jets. He stood up in front of the meeting he said, you

play to win the game. So he still does that nowadays. He still does that. Now, yes, sir, you're a team captain your senior year. What did that mean? Man? I was really surprised because knowing when I my freshman year there, I had to look after the veterans and all that, and I didn't like I set the example but not quite the example as I wanted to until I hit

my senior year. So being able to have that blessing for the student athletes to vote me to be a captain and just took me to the higher standard to know that the things I used to do I couldn't do and they're gonna lead off my example, not just on the field, but off the field. Off the field is very important because they want to not for not people being judgmental, whatever, but you have to set the standard.

You have to do what you gotta do or to you know, improve and how the people fall behind your footsteps so they can improve as well. Once you leave out that stadium. After a fine career in the Arizona State, you got invited to the Senior Bowl in the NFL combine. How big of a deal were those opportunities for you? Oh, that was a huge deal. It's a blessing to go

to both the recent Senior Bowl. It taught me a lot about discipline and you know, getting up really because I haven't like gotten up there early in such a long time, and just being able to, you know, present yourself for a job. You know, it's all about interviewing and everything because I never had a job until I

got here and everything. So just being able to know that, you know, you're in the business world now and you got to do your thing because if you don't, they're gonna find somebody else, and you know, life moves on. The Bengals drafted you in the fourth round. Describe your draft experience. Man, Man, it was great sending at home, you know, having people texting me saying, you're gonna go this round. You're gonna go this round. Like, man, just

relax the butterflies the whole time. UM got selected Day three with the Cincinnati Bengals. Um, It's definitely a blessing, and I'm still working towards I'm still working to this day, and I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to UM be in the NFL. And I just pray that I can just continue to be in this league for a very long time and instead of standard and lead and just and just do everything I can to you know, set myself to UM a successful life. After the game,

of football. A few more fun facts with Renell Wren. After the Bengal selected you defensive line, coach Nikkiason referred to you as Mount R. Do you like the nickname? Oh? I love the nickname. I love the nickname. Just um just seeing my frame and just knew and just knowing what I was capable of doing, and um the football field gets with Arizona State. They just knew, knew that I was just that big person that could just um collapse the pocket and just just stuff the run and everything.

So I'm doing I'm doing very well over here other than playing football. What are you good at? Man? Um? See the crazy thing gets uh at the football practice and games and all that. I really just go home, play with my dog at a blue nose pit and just playing a pis for the video games and all that and just relax on the flip side. Where are you terrible at singing? I try to sing while I'm in the shower and everything. You know, try to vent to myself. We all sound good in the shower, though

we all exactly to ourselves. Multitasks. I try to be able to do that, but now I don't texting job, I don't try I try not to texting, job and everything, so being responsible right there. But yeah, where do you like to spend your money on? That's a great question. You know. I love to save. I love to save. Um. The biggest thing right now is food. Um. Other than that receiving like the payments that I get from the

Bengas Organization. I just saved that up and you know, continue to take a day at the day and everything. I only to spend, only spend money on anything for real. I'm really just saying for the all season, take a couple of trips and then how did that get back to work into training? All that? Your folks should be proud to hear that. I'm sure if you could meet anybody in history, athlete, politician, religious figure, who would that person be. Two people I would love to meet T. D. Jakes.

He's a pastor down to Texas and Jolos thing. He runs a big church down there in Texas too. I'm a very strong believer in Christ and I would just love to meet them and have them to pray over me. And just being able to have that, not to have that platform as if I'm like the big person. Everybody should look at me now but just being able to, you know, spread spread the gospel and to continue to do what I do to glorify God and everything I do. The final thing, as I mentioned at the very beginning,

you're from Saint Louis Dideff. Go up in the arch. I did. I went up there three times. I'm talking about lifetime so far. Did you fit in that little car that they take you up here? I did the past two times. This third time I went, I took my girlfriend and my mom and my sister and everything. I barely fit. What we've got, the job done outstanding. I enjoyed this. Welcome to Cincinnati. Thanks for the time. Yes, Sarah,

appreciate you. That's Renell Wren. Here's a quick invitation to join us at one of our on location radio shows this week. On Wednesday night, from six to eight, we'll be at good Fellows Barn Grill in the Anderson Town Center for the Bengals Game Plan Show. Then on Friday afternoon from three to six, we'll be at Buffalo Wings and Rings the Beechmont location for the Bengals pep Rally Show. A current player will join us at each show and we'll have plenty of giveaways as well. That's going to

do it for this episode of the podcast. If you haven't done so already, don't forget to subscribe, and when you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment. Five star ratings are really appreciated and help more Bengals fans find this podcast as I'm Dan Horde and thank you for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast