A Birthday Wish For Brandon Ghee
Today is Brandon Ghee’s 26th birthday. If he has the opportunity to blow out the candles on a birthday cake, his wish should be simple: An injury-free season.
As a rookie in 2010, Ghee suffered a concussion in a preseason game and then spent the last six games of the year on injured reserve due to a groin injury.
In 2011, a hamstring injury caused Brandon to miss much of training camp and he wasn’t added to the active roster until the 10th game of the season.
Then last year after earning rave reviews during May and June mini-camps, Ghee broke his wrist in early August, one week into training camp.
“It was a freak accident,” said Ghee. “I jumped up for a ball and fell on it wrong and it took me out for an entire season.
“My wrist is 100 percent now. I tape it as a precaution but I’m feeling really good right now and I’m just trying to get better.”
His coaches and teammates have noticed. Minor injuries to Leon Hall (thumb) and Adam Jones (calf) meant additional reps for the Bengals younger cornerbacks during the recent OTA period, and Ghee took advantage of the opportunity.
“He always looks good, honestly, when he’s able to be out there,” said Hall. “He’s one of those guys that definitely looks the part. He does well in almost everything that he does – the deal with him is just trying to stay healthy and get in the games.”
“He’s really instinctive,” said Andy Dalton. “He gets good jumps on the routes and he plays the ball well too. I thought he had a good camp.”
“I think Brandon has done a good job of picking up where he left off when he got injured last year – knowing what to do and being somebody that hopefully will compete to stay on the football team, compete to play, and give us great snaps if he does,” said Marvin Lewis.
“Everybody learns differently, but for me, I get better by playing,” Ghee told me. “The more reps I get, the better I’m going to be. I’m glad that I’m getting a lot of reps in this OTA period.”
The Bengals drafted Ghee in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Wake Forest after he was clocked at a sizzling 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. After being sidelined last season, he took advantage of the opportunity to add strength.
“The first thing I had to do was get healthy,” said Ghee. “Once I was healthy, I hit the weight room hard and did a lot of upper body and lower body. Now I’m back to being 100 percent and feel better than ever.
“I’ve gained about six or seven pounds and kept my speed. I just wanted to get a little bigger for playing inside in the nickel and trying to fit on the run (defense). I don’t like tight ends grabbing me, so that’s why I gained a little weight.”
The top three cornerbacks on Cincinnati’s depth chart are obvious: Hall, Jones, and Terence Newman. For Ghee, this is a crucial year to prove that he can provide quality depth at the position.
“Every year is important – I don’t care who you are,” Brandon told me. “But this is my fourth year here and it’s my contract year so I’m trying to do well and earn another contract.
“Last year was very disappointing and I had a whole year to think about it. I’m back now and I’m trying to bounce back and show my character. Everybody goes down, but how you come back is all that matters.”
“He has all of the physical abilities and tools, he’s smart enough, he understands what to do, and he just has to go out and do it, time in and time out,” said Coach Lewis.
“The potential is there, but in the league that only gets you so far,” said Hall. “Ghee has been in the NFL for a while, he kind of knows the ropes, and he knows that he has what it takes to be a good NFL player. He just has to stay healthy and transfer it to the field.”
“If he stays healthy, I think he’s going to help this team,” said Dalton.
That doesn’t seem like too much to wish for.
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Sanzenbacher Standing Out, Despite Looking Familiar
Dane Sanzenbacher is aware of the comparisons to a former Bengals receiver.
There’s the uniform number, the position, the size…
“…the skin color?” said Sanzenbacher. “I know where you’re going with this.”
It’s true, like former Bengals receiver Jordan Shipley, Sanzenbacher is Caucasian. But that’s not why the team’s current #11 bares resemblance to the previous one.
“He’s a tough kid, he’s got great quickness in space, and he’s got a good feel for the game,” said offensive coordinator Jay Gruden of Sanzenbacher. “Everything that he displayed at Ohio State you can see on the field. And the one thing obviously that you can’t see is his toughness. He’ll catch it in a crowd – we know that. He’s got really good hands and runs very good routes.”
Except for the reference to Ohio State, Gruden could have been describing Shipley in 2010 when he led AFC rookies in receiving yards with 600.
“It’s the style of play – I get it,” said Sanzenbacher. “I think he was a great player when he was here. I wouldn’t say that I modeled my game or anything after him, but I can see the similarities and it’s a compliment.”
But Bengals receivers coach James Urban would rather not compare Sanzenbacher to Shipley.
“I try to avoid that,” Urban told me. “They’re different and Dane is his own player. He has a tremendous feel for the game, understands how to get open, and as important as anything playing the slot, he knows when he is open. Sometimes when you play inside where the windows are tighter and shorter, if you don’t know that you’re open you can run right through it. You’ve got to be available for the quarterback and he knows those things.”
Sanzenbacher finished his career at Ohio State with an outstanding senior season in 2010, earning team MVP honors by catching 55 passes for 948 yards, including 11 touchdown grabs. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent and had a solid rookie year, finishing with 27 receptions for 276 yards and 3 TDs.
But after Chicago traded for Brandon Marshall and drafted Alshon Jeffery in the second round last year, Sanzenbacher received limited playing time before being waived on Christmas Eve. The Bengals claimed him the following day.
“It was a different kind of Christmas,” said Sanzenbacher. “My family was with me in Chicago at the time. The phone rings and life changes quickly. I hopped in the car, packed all the stuff that I figured I would need, and I’ve been here ever since.
“At the time, you go from being ticked off while leaving the city to being excited about your new opportunity. I think it’s been a really good move for me.”
On Monday when I asked a member of the Bengals front office what players were standing out during the current OTA period, Sanzenbacher was one of the first names mentioned.
“I feel pretty comfortable,” Dane told me. “As little time as it was, it was nice to have those two weeks at the end of last year to be here get acclimated with everything. It’s not all brand-new. Obviously through the OTAs and everything, we’ll re-install the offense and start from scratch for the rookies, but I feel comfortable and I think that helps you to play fast.
“He’s been making plays (at practice) since we got him in here late last year,” said Urban. “We liked him a lot coming out of Ohio State and we’re glad to have him.”
Sanzenbacher will be battling to earn a roster spot as part of a deep receiving corps. A.J. Green, Andrew Hawkins, Marvin Jones, and Mohamed Sanu are virtual locks to stick, leaving (in alphabetical order) Tyrone Goard, Cobi Hamilton, Taveon Rogers, Roy Roundtree, Sanzenbacher, Brandon Tate, and Ryan Whalen fighting for the final two (or possibly three) spots.
“You can’t really think about the numbers,” said Sanzenbacher. “We’re in OTAs right now for one, so it would be dumb to play the numbers game at this point. As cliché as it sounds, you just have to take advantage of your opportunities.”
“I showed them a quote today that said, ‘You have to take advantage of your opportunity when it comes because you don’t know when your next chance is going to be.’” said Urban. “I keep emphasizing that. I can’t promise them X-number of balls. They’re all going to get their reps but depending on how the reps fall, they may not get many balls that day. When the ball comes they’ve got to make the play and do the right thing. That’s what we’re trying to encourage.”
“You can’t complain about how often your opportunities are coming if you don’t take advantage of the ones that come,” Dane told me. “I think you have to go out there and try to do things that people are going to remember. It only takes one play to turn heads.”
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Fun Facts With Tyler Eifert
One of the staples of the pregame show on the Bengals Radio Network is the “Fantastic Fun Facts” interview where I ask the players a series of offbeat questions on a wide variety of subjects. Although our first broadcast for this season is still more than two months away, I thought it would be fun to get a few interesting nuggets from first round draft pick Tyler Eifert.
Here’s our recent Q & A (Eifert’s answers are in bold):
Aside from football, what do you do well?
Golf. I’m about a 2 or 3 handicap. I like to play a lot.
That’s pretty impressive. Do you bomb it off the tee?
I do – about 340 yards on average.
Seriously?
For real.
Aside from professional athlete, have you had any other jobs?
Nope. I took the trash out and did some chores around the house, but that was about it. I played sports year-round.
Who was your favorite athlete as a kid and why?
It was Michael Jordan because he was just the best and dominated.
What do you spend your money on as a guilty pleasure?
I really don’t spend money on a whole lot.
Electronics, clothes, movies, anything?
I don’t like to go to the movies – I’d rather wait for them to come out (on TV or DVD). With clothes, at Notre Dame I would just wear issued gear because that’s what they gave us. I like cars. It would be fun to spend money on cars someday.
Do you have a dream car?
For something somewhat reasonable, I guess it would be the S65 AMG Mercedes. I think that would be pretty sweet.
So you go for classy instead of something fast and sexy?
Right. It’s classy but it still has some juice.
You’re from Ft. Wayne, IN. What would you say your hometown is best-known for?
I guess cornfields, playing basketball, shooting hoops at a barn.
What was the name of your high school including team nickname?
Bishop Dwenger and our nickname was the Saints.
Any famous grads?
Jason Fabini who played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for a long time.
And at the University of Cincinnati.
That’s right.
What was your favorite thing about Notre Dame?
Probably just the guys in the locker room. Everything we got to go through as a team and getting to be a part of that.
When Brian Kelly wanted to motivate you, what buttons did he push?
He would just coach me and tell me what I needed to do. He wasn’t big on yelling at me or things like that – not that he wouldn’t. All you have to do is tell me what to do and I’ll try to do it.
What gifts did the Notre Dame players get for playing in the BCS Championship game?
We got a gift card from the university with some money on it and then we got to go to a gift suite. But they didn’t send us the gifts that we picked out which was a little surprising. They sent us like a cheaper version of them. I wonder if the winners got them? I guess that’s what you get when you lose. It’s all good though. I’ll take what they gave me.
This might be tough since you’re a rookie, but do have any idea what you would like to do after football?
I’m not sure, but I think it would be fun to coach high school or grade school. I’d also like to work on my golf game when this is all said and done.
You’re a 2-handicap. It’s doesn’t sound like there’s much work needed.
Oh there is. You can always get better.
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Newman Earned Extension With Play And Leadership
When Terence Newman turned down more money from the Oakland Raiders to re-sign with Cincinnati in March, he made it clear that his relationship with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was a key factor.
“I just want to do things the right way and be the best player that I can be, and the only place that I can get that is with him,” said Newman.
Zimmer is delighted that Newman elected to stay in Cincinnati.
“I love the kid,” Zimmer told me. “He does what he’s asked to do, he’s a good athlete, he’s quicker than a cat, and he’s got some toughness about him. I think he’s a heck of a football player.”
But wait a second – did Zimmer really refer to Newman as a kid? The 11-year veteran will turn 35-years-old just a few days before the Bengals season opener in Chicago.
“To me he’s a kid,” said Zimmer with a grin. “He’s no different than when we drafted him in (Dallas) whatever year it was. He said to me one day last year, ‘Somebody asked me why I’m in such a good mood. It’s because I love doing this and love being out here every single day.’ I’m sure when that changes he’ll retire. But I don’t see it.”
Ironically, a year ago when the Bengals signed Newman following his release by the Cowboys, there was plenty of talk that he was too old. Terence responded by starting 16 of 17 games, led the team in passes defensed, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 19th best cornerback in the NFL.
“I don’t think I played as well as I’m getting credit for,” Newman told me. “I thought that I made strides for sure – getting back to having proper technique and things like that. I thought I had an OK season to be honest with you. As players we want to be as perfect as possible so I don’t know if I’ll ever have a season that I’m completely happy with.
“I got a lot of slack my last year in Dallas. To come here and quiet the critics a little bit provides some satisfaction. But I don’t think that anybody is really satisfied until they make it pretty deep in the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl and win it.”
With Newman and Leon Hall starting at cornerback and Adam Jones joining them in the Bengals’ nickel defense, Zimmer has a veteran trio that can handle his demands on the position.
“We ask our corners to do a lot of things,” said Zimmer. “We’re not a Cover 2 team – we’re a team that’s going to get up there and try to press receivers. It allows us to do so much more. It allows us to blitz more, it allows us to pressure people, and it allows the front four to get sacks because we can make them hold the ball just a little bit longer. When you have guys that you can line up at corner and say, ‘You’ve got that guy,’ it allows you to do so many more things.”
“He puts pressure on us, but if somebody believes that much in you, that goes a long way,” said Newman. “If your coach says, ‘Hey, you can go out and cover that guy,’ that bumps up your confidence. That’s what players want to hear. If your coach says, ‘You’re terrible,’ how do you think you’re going to play? Zim’s good at that.”
In addition to his value on defense, Newman is helpful to the Bengals skill position players on offense since the two-time Pro Bowler has seen it all in more than 150 NFL games.
“He’s been around for a long time and he understands route combinations, when to sit (on a route), and when to do different things,” said Andy Dalton. “There will be times when I go up to him at practice and say, ‘What did you see there? Why were you able to get such a good jump on that route?’ It helps to know what he was thinking.”
“We’ll be out there and run a play and all of the receivers will immediately go to him and say, ‘What did you see?’” said Andrew Hawkins. “He tutors us on what a defensive back is thinking and it has made a big difference in all of our games as receivers because he studies so much film and understands the game so well.”
“He’s been a great guy to have on this team – not only as a player but as one of the leaders in the locker room,” said Dalton.
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie undoubtedly wanted Newman for his veteran leadership as well as his playing ability, but Terence ultimately chose to stay with a team that’s been to the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
“I’m in a position in my career where a Super Bowl ring is important,” Newman told me. “I knew that my role out there would have been helping players develop. I don’t know if the Raiders are going to be able to contend for a playoff berth this year.
“I was pretty close to leaving to be honest with you. It took me going out there to kind of jump-start things. I didn’t know how much I was wanted here. I knew that the coaches enjoyed having me around, but it’s a business.”
It’s been Newman’s line of work since 2003 when his coach was Bill Parcells and the number one pick in the NFL draft was Carson Palmer. Eleven years later, Terence earned a 2-year/$5 million contract extension from the Bengals.
“Some of us are like fine wine,” said Newman. “When you get older you understand a little bit more – not only about your body, but the importance of technique and things like that. Sometimes I still fight demons, but I try to go out every day and try to get better at something.”
“He keeps himself young,” said Hawkins. “He’s a jokester, he has a lot of energy, and guys feed off of that. I’ve looked up to him since I was young, so it’s pretty cool to be on the same team as him.”
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Lamur Credits Mom’s Cooking For Added Bulk
Heading into his second NFL season, linebacker Emmanuel Lamur is noticeably bigger than he was as a rookie. Chip Morton and the Bengals strength and conditioning staff deserve much of the credit, but they got some assistance from Emmanuel’s mother.
“Haitian food,” said Lamur when I asked how he added weight in the off-season. “My mom has been cooking rice, beans, jerk chicken, and a lot of pasta. I love to eat. I try to eat at least six times a day. And I’ve been lifting weights and working hard – that’s pretty much it.”
Lamur was a 210 pound safety as a sophomore at Kansas State before shifting to linebacker for his final two college seasons. Although he added some weight after switching positions, Emmanuel was still a spindly 6’4”, 232 pounds in his rookie season with Cincinnati.
But when the Bengals opened OTAs last week, Emmanuel said that he tipped the scales at 244 pounds.
“I’ve put on 12 pounds and I feel faster and stronger,” Lamur told me. “That’s going to help me when I’m taking on and shedding blocks and it should help my blitzing ability.
“He realized that if he wants to be an every down player he has to be able to hit with some of the bigger players,” said linebackers coach Paul Guenther. “That’s what he concentrated on this off-season. He did exactly what we asked him to do and he’s in great shape.”
“Last year I used my speed, which was my bread and butter, to play the game,” said Lamur. “But it takes more than that to play linebacker in this league. You have to be able to take on blocks and be physical. I had to gain weight and 12 pounds is going to help me a lot and I’m planning on gaining another five.”
Lamur signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent last year and was on the practice squad for the first seven games of the season. But after being promoted to the active roster in early November, Emmanuel was used frequently in obvious passing situations and made his first NFL start in the playoff loss at Houston.
“He got better and better each week,” said Guenther. “He started on the practice squad and continued to grow and as time went on, we realized that he should be in there playing for us – particularly on the passing downs.”
“He has a lot of athleticism and ability and he proved last year that the game wasn’t too big for him,” said Marvin Lewis.
The Bengals starting linebackers going into the season appear to be Vontaze Burfict (WILL), Rey Maualuga (MIKE), and James Harrison (SAM). But Lamur is likely to get considerable playing time.
“Emmanuel is fighting for a starting job,” said Guenther. “We have him with the first group in the nickel (defense) right now and he’ll be a swing guy in our base defense depending on the team that we play. If we play a spread-out team, he might be on the field a little bit more in the base. Right now he’s working at the two outside linebacker spots because he knows both of them.”
“Nothing is guaranteed – you’ve got to compete,” said Lamur. “Coach is going to play the best guys. This is a new year and I’ve got to improve and show the coaches what I’m capable of doing.”
At this point, there are 12 more pounds of him to like.
“He’s built like a linebacker and can run like a defensive back,” said Guenther. “I’m really happy with him.”
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Zeitler Stays Late In Effort To Be Great
For several minutes after the Bengals first practice of this three-week period of OTAs (organized team activities), two offensive linemen could be seen doing additional drills with no coaches present.
One of them was undrafted free agent Larry Black, but it wasn’t the rookie’s idea to put in the extra time.
“I asked him (to stay) because I figured he was a young guy and wouldn’t say no,” said Kevin Zeitler. “When you have a lot of young guys around, they’re willing to help, so I grabbed Larry Black and got some work in. That’s what I feel you have to do because you have to outwork the competition.”
“He’s always one of the last guys to leave because he’s always doing something extra and working on something that maybe he didn’t do as well,” said Marvin Lewis. “He’s very conscientious that way.”
“He’s about as dedicated to that as I’ve ever seen,” said my radio partner Dave Lapham. “You’ll see skill position players out there after practice with the quarterbacks working on timing and that sort of thing, but very rarely do you see offensive or defensive lineman out there doing extra work – particularly a starter. I think he’s going to have a banner year.”
Zeitler’s rookie year certainly lived up to expectations if not exceeded them. The 27th pick in last year’s draft started every game at right guard and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 12th-best guard in the NFL.
“Very rarely does an offensive lineman start every snap for his team as a rookie and Kevin was able to do that,” said Lapham. “Now I expect a major leap in his play from year one to year two.”
“I guess it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be,” said Zeitler. “I felt that as the season went along I got better. Still, every time that I watch the film there are so many things that make my stomach cringe. That’s another reason why I do the extra work – I don’t want those things to ever pop up again.”
One of those cringe-worthy moments occurred at practice on Tuesday.
“It was the first day – some things went well and some things were rough,” said Zeitler. “On a reach block, Geno blew me back today. Yeah it’s Geno, but who knows, there are no defensive tackles better than Geno but there could be somebody close. So I have to make sure that it doesn’t happen in a game.”
As a result, he pulled aside an undrafted rookie and did additional drills.
“He wants to be great – not good – but great,” said Lapham. “He wants to be a Hall of Fame type guy. That’s a coach’s dream and I’m sure that (offensive line coach) Paul Alexander is thrilled to death to have a guy like that. The longer he’s around, the more his work habits are going to spill off to the other guys too. He’s a great example that there are no shortcuts to success.”
“You should want to be your best every day and try to be perfect,” said Zeitler. “If you strive toward perfection you can hit excellence.”
“Football is an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes you hate this game so much that you wish you never played it and other days like today, I was running around the field thinking, ‘finally…it’s time to get better!’”
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Bengals Add More Muscle To Team Strength
This year, the Bengals not only had their scouts and coaches in Mobile, AL for the Senior Bowl – defensive end Wallace Gilberry took the opportunity to check out the best NFL draft prospects as well.
“They practice not too far from my house,” Wallace told me. “So I like to go over and get involved.”
As a result, when Cincinnati drafted DE Margus Hunt from SMU with the 21st pick of the second round (#53 overall), Gilberry knew exactly who – and what – the Bengals were getting.
“I saw him down in Mobile and the kid is huge,” said Gilberry with a laugh. “He looks like he is out of place he’s so big. Once I saw that we had drafted him, I was excited to get the kid in here. He probably doesn’t remember me, but I definitely remember him.”
Andy Dalton remembers Hunt too. He faced the 6’8”, 277 pound lineman with 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash in Dalton’s final two seasons at TCU.
“He’s a freak athletically,” said Dalton. “To be so big, and so strong, and so fast – I think he is a great addition for us.”
But not exactly at a position of need.
“We knew that we didn’t have to push him in there right away,” said defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. “We have a good group of defensive lineman and he can learn from them and we can look for ways to incorporate him into the defense as we get going.”
Hunt joins a position group that is arguably the most dominant in the NFL. Last year, the Bengals defensive line accounted for 40 of a franchise-record 51 sacks and all seven lineman who accounted for that total are under contract for this season.
“Why not add more weapons?” said Carlos Dunlap. “The defensive line is the strong point of our team right now and why not bring in a guy who you think can add another aspect to it.”
“You can never have too many big men,” said Domata Peko. “It’s hard to find quality defensive linemen so we’re going to welcome him with open arms to our group.”
“We’ve got a lot of different guys that are big, high-motor guys and drafting Hunt just adds to that,” Dalton told me. “I guess you can’t have too many defensive linemen in the rotation.”
Margus Hunt isn’t the only promising addition up front. Keep in mind that last year’s second round pick – Devon Still – and one of the team’s third round picks – Brandon Thompson – barely played as rookies.
“I can’t wait to see these kids get on the field,” said Gilberry. “I got to practice the whole year with Devon and Brandon and just look at them – they’re hungry, they understand the game, and they’re ready to play. I can’t wait to see what happens when they take the leash off of them.”
Hunt, Still, and Thompson give the Bengals young depth behind Geno Atkins, Robert Geathers, Michael Johnson, Peko, Gilberry, and Dunlap. The battle for playing time should be fierce.
“We’ve got a strong rotation,” Dunlap told me. “Everybody plays and everybody gets to eat.
“This year we want to raise it up another level. I don’t feel like I contributed as much as I could have last year (6 sacks), so I’m challenging myself to get up there with Mike (11.5 sacks) and Geno (12.5 sacks).”
Dunlap and Atkins are entering the final season of their four-year contracts, and the Bengals kept Johnson this year by using an $11.175 million franchise tag. By continuing to spend high draft picks on defensive lineman, the Bengals protect themselves against the possibility of losing somebody in free agency.
“You’ve got to understand where the front office is coming from too,” said Gilberry. “The only thing we can do down here is take care of ourselves and play football.”
“You can’t worry about who they are going to bring in. Hell, I could be gone tomorrow. It’s just that kind of business.”
Gilberry and Geathers don’t appear to be going anywhere after signing three-year extensions in March. The only significant contributor on the defensive line who isn’t back is run-stopper Pat Sims who signed a one-year deal with Oakland.
“Defensive line is one of the strengths of the team, so we’re really excited that they were able to keep us together and add a little more firepower to it,” said Peko.
“When I first got here, guys wanted to get out of this locker room,” said Geathers. “Now guys want to stick around and we like the direction of the team. Guys want to be a Bengal and want to retire as a Bengal.”
Andy Dalton is a long way from retirement – and happy that the only time he has to face the Bengals defensive line is at practice.
“I get to wear a different colored jersey so I don’t have to worry about these guys coming after me,” he said.
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Margus Hunt: International Man Of Mystery
In 2006 it appeared that Margus Hunt was on his way to Olympic gold.
The then-19-year-old became the first athlete in history to win both the shot put and discus in the same year at the World Junior Championships. It made him a national celebrity in his home country of Estonia.
“That was a problem,” said Hunt. “When you come from a country that has 1.3 million people and do something like that, there’s huge pressure on your shoulders to win the Olympics in two years. I had to get out.”
So he moved to the United States to train at SMU under famed track coach Dave Wollman. But by the time he arrived in Dallas, the school had dropped its men’s track program.
“It’s been a weird rollercoaster ride to say the least,” said Hunt. “Six years ago I was sure that I was going to be in the Olympics in 2012. You never know what life is going to bring you. You go with the decisions at hand and just work your butt off.”
In order to stay at SMU, Hunt tried out for football and was given a scholarship based on his freakish athletic ability. But there was one small problem: Margus knew nothing about the game.
“I had my tryout in November of 2008 and then went home for Christmas,” said Hunt. “That’s when I bought Madden.”
That’s right. The 53rd overall selection in this year’s NFL draft began learning the game at the age of 21 by playing Madden NFL football.
“I went out and got Madden to have more of an overview of what the game is about,” said Hunt. “Just the overall view of it – the defense and how it works. You kind of see where the guys are going.”
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Hunt studied football by playing a video game. After all, he says he taught himself English by watching American television and movies.
“I watched a lot of Friends when I was back in Estonia and whatever American movies came out,” said Hunt. “In France, Germany, and Italy, they have TV shows dubbed over, but we had subtitles so I was able to learn English fairly quickly through that.”
He learned the language well enough to graduate on schedule at SMU with a 2.7 GPA in sports management. On the field, Margus went from being a kick blocking specialist as a freshman, to an All-Conference defensive end by the time he was a senior.
“What really helped me is when they put me in the starting lineup my sophomore year,” said Hunt. “We had some issues on the defensive line where one of the guys was suspended, so they made me a defensive end and I got a lot of reps and a lot of work. That showed me what I needed to do if I wanted to get to the NFL in a couple of years.”
After being named the MVP of the Hawaii Bowl in his final college game (3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles), Hunt posted jaw-dropping numbers at the NFL combine for a 6’8”, 277 pound lineman. Of course, sprinting and lifting weights were nothing new for Margus.
“The combine is essentially a track meet,” said Hunt.
“He can run like a deer, he’s got great strength – we just have to point him in the right direction,” said defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Zimmer’s challenge will be helping Hunt adapt to lightning-fast NFL football as a 26-year-old rookie.
“Football-wise he’s about 12,” said Zimmer. “But he’s an exceptionally hard worker. You watch this guy play on tape and he’s running all over the field.”
“Every day I go out there and I have to tell myself, ‘Stay low, stay low. Look where you put your hands. Play with leverage.’” said Hunt. “There are a lot of things to learn every day.”
One thing Margus doesn’t have to learn is how to deal with public scrutiny. When the Bengals selected Hunt in the second round on Friday night it was national news in Estonia.
“We have ESPN back home so there were a bunch of journalists who were up all night watching the draft,” said Hunt.
It took a while for the folks back home to accept his decision to pursue a Super Bowl ring instead of a gold medal.
“Some people even called me a national traitor at one point,” said Hunt. “Track and field is something they’re really proud of and they take a lot of credit in that. But it was something that I had to do for myself and now they finally understand.
“Football has given me new energy and I’m just so excited to be here. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Brian Kelly Gives Bengals And Eifert A Rave Review
When Brian Kelly was still the head coach at Cincinnati, he tried to convince Tyler Eifert to play for the Bearcats. The tight end chose Notre Dame instead, only to have Kelly take over as head coach when Charlie Weis was fired before Tyler’s sophomore year.
“We were looking for this kind of player in our offense at Cincinnati and it just worked out that when I took the job at Notre Dame, he and Kyle Rudolph fell in my lap,” Kelly told me. “They made me look pretty good.”
Rudolph was named the MVP of the Pro Bowl this year following his second season with the Minnesota Vikings. The former Elder High School star was one year ahead of Eifert at Notre Dame and a more obvious NFL prospect.
“He came in his freshman year ready to play,” said Eifert. “I came in at 210 pounds just happy to have a scholarship. I obviously knew that there was a lot of work that I had to do.”
But Kelly could see Eifert’s pro potential.
“Obviously some kids have to grow and mature and he certainly did,” said Kelly. “You knew that Kyle was a sure-fire NFL player and then you saw Tyler Eifert and some of the things that he did – I knew immediately that he was going to be a special player.”
Despite not having a catch as a freshman, Eifert left Notre Dame with the school’s all-time record for receptions by a tight end with 140. When the Bengals contacted Kelly to discuss his tight end before the draft, they received a rave review.
“We was kind of glowing in talking about Tyler and what Tyler meant to their football team,” said Marvin Lewis. “He really felt like he was able to use him in a lot of ways in a mismatch against the defense and that he would give us a lot of flexibility.”
“I told the Bengals that Tyler is smart – he got his degree from Notre Dame in three-and-a-half years,” said Kelly. “He’s physically and mentally tough. And he’s the best pass catcher that I’ve coached – whether it be a wide receiver or a tight end.
“I would think that making the contested catch is probably his strength when you come to all of the intangibles at the tight end position. He will take the ball away from you when the ball is in the air. He turns field goals into touchdowns in the red zone.”
Adding a red zone weapon is obviously one of the reasons why the Bengals used their first round draft pick on a tight end despite already having two-time Pro Bowler Jermaine Gresham on the roster.
“I think the Bengals are going to have so many different opportunities with Gresham as the other tight end,” said Kelly. “Now you force teams to drop down to single safety and single coverage because they have to defend the run. I think that tight end package is something that a lot of NFL teams have looked at and found that they can get some favorable matchups. At Notre Dame, we used that a lot last year and really think that it gave us some great opportunities.”
In addition to thinking that Eifert will be a good fit for the Bengals offense, the Notre Dame Coach says that the 22-year-old from Fort Wayne, IN will fit in nicely in Cincinnati.
“He loves country music and will golf every day if he can,” said Kelly with a laugh. “I told him, ‘You’re a perfect fit for Cincinnati. If those two things are on your wish list, you can’t get a better city than Cincinnati.’ He’s a pretty casual guy. Flip-flops and shorts is generally how he is seen around campus. He’s got a great personality, big smile, but he’s really a laid-back kind of guy.”
And while Eifert hasn’t spent much time talking about Cincinnati with his former college coach, he did discuss his new home with Kyle Rudolph.
“He said, ‘Welcome to the Nasty ‘Nati’ or something like that,” said Eifert. “He was telling me about the hangouts and he said that his parents live here if I need anything. I told him that I might just rent from his parents and stay in his room.”
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Congratulations Corky
So imagine that you hire a guy to add shutters and planter boxes to your home, only to find out that he is an active major league baseball player.
Not only that, but he has homered off of Greg Maddux.
And stole home.
The only possible person to fit that description is Corky Miller.
The 37-year-old catcher is in his 16th professional season, including part of 11 seasons in the big leagues, but the overwhelming majority of his time has been spent in the minors. As a result, “professional athlete” has not been his only occupation.
“I’ve done everything – you name it,” Corky told me. “I’ve been a chef, I’ve laid concrete, I’ve laid floors, I’ve done some woodwork, I’ve done construction, and this year I made exterior shutters and planters with a buddy of mine in Chicago as well as doing some baseball lessons for the local teams. When you spend more time in the minor leagues than the big leagues, you have to have an off-season income.”
Last Friday, Miller played in his 1002nd minor league game before learning two days later that he was being promoted from Louisville to Cincinnati to replace the injured Ryan Hanigan. When Corky starts against the Cubs on Tuesday night, he’ll be playing in his 200th major league game and his first in 933 days.
“This call-up is special because I haven’t been up here in two years,” said Miller. “I worked pretty hard this off-season knowing that Ryan and Devin (Mesoraco) were going to be in the big leagues but I had to be ready in case something happened.
“That’s 200 games over 11 seasons. It’s probably not a big feat for a lot of guys. Hopefully it winds up being a couple more than that.”
Miller has played for five major league teams – Cincinnati, Atlanta, Minnesota, Chicago (AL), and Boston – but has spent the bulk of his career in the Reds organization including a franchise-record nine different seasons with Triple-A Louisville. On April 6th, the Bats gave away Corky Miller bobbleheads.
“My son says that his favorite team is the Louisville Bats,” said Miller with a laugh. “I’ve spent nine years there and having a bobblehead was kind of the icing on the cake.”
Miller’s major league highlights include a two home run game vs. the Cubs as a rookie in 2001, and that home run off of Maddux in 2002.
“Everybody brings that up,” said Miller. “It was just another homer at the time, but I’m sure I’ll tell my kids about it when he’s in the Hall of Fame.”
The bulky catcher also stole home in his 10th major league game.
“It’s my only stolen base period,” Corky told me. “There were runners on first and third and we had the squeeze play on. I think that Omar Daal was on the mound at The Vet in Philadelphia. He picked up his leg and I broke for home thinking that the batter was going to lay down a squeeze bunt and Daal threw over to first. By the time I slid home it wasn’t even close. What stands out in my mind is that we won the game 2-1. I was fast back then. After you catch about a thousand games in the minor leagues you get kind of slow.”
I got to know Corky in 2006 when I was a broadcaster for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox and he was one of our catchers. On Monday in the Reds dugout, I asked him the following question: “Of the 750 players that are currently active on major league rosters, do any of them appreciate being here more than you do?”
“I don’t know about that, but I appreciate it big time for me and my family,” said Miller. “Just getting another chance to be around this atmosphere with these guys – especially with the quality of ball club that we have. Hopefully I’ll be around at the end of September and get to watch what’s going on.”
In other words, he’s in no hurry to hang shutters.
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Dan Hoard
