Hi, get everybody.

I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast.

The led your allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes.

Addition, as the Bengals stun the Ravens and the Nation on Thanksgiving Night winning in Baltimore thirty two to fourteen, coming up radio replays, locker room comments and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham.

Then, in this week's fun Facts Conversation, you'll find out why Orrin Burks will probably never have to pay for a beer in Philadelphia.

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It's the greatest thing since Turkey's Away.

That's the name of one of the funniest TV episodes of all time, better known as the WKRP Turkey Drop.

I don't want to spoil it in case you've never seen it, but it involves a fictional Cincinnati radio station attempting to pull off the greatest Thanksgiving promotion of all time.

If you haven't seen it or want to see it again, go to YouTube and type in WKARP Turkey Drop.

As God is my witness, I am positive you'll laugh.

Now let's get to the radio replays from Thursday night's win in Baltimore.

It is Thanksgiving night in Baltimore and Cincinnati Bengals fans are counting their blessings to have a quarterback who is is obsessed with being the best in the game, obsessed with leading his teammates, and obsessed with ultimately winning a Super Bowl.

Tonight, that quarterback, Joe Burrow, is back as the Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens in a primetime showdown here at M and T Bank Stadium.

Here's a toss sweep to the left to the twenty fifteen ten five touchdown.

The King Derrick Henry goes twenty eight yards for the game's first touchdown.

Cincinnati's showing pressure.

On third down and nine, they send five Lamar Jackson from the pocket.

He is hit and he goes down.

The ball comes out and the Bengals recover inside the five.

About it.

Joseph Osai punched it out and Cedric Johnson recovered.

The Bengals will have it inside the five.

They're gonna spot it around the three yard line.

Jackson catches a shot gun snap from the pocket, inches up, now throws and it is caught on the run at the thirty twenty five twenty likely to the ten, the five to the end zone.

Touchdown.

Baltimore forty three yards on a short crossing route to tight end Isaiah Likely.

Yeah, exactly.

Danny came underneath and came all the way across the football field, and boy, he lost control of the football before he crossed the goal line.

Shotgun snap to Burrow, fakes to Chase Brown.

He's gonna fling it deep down the field for Jamar Chase.

What a catch over the shoulder, blanketed by Marlin Humphrey.

One man on the face of the earth can make that catch and his name is Jamar Chase.

Forty three yards.

And Humphrey can't believe it.

This will be a twenty four yard field goal try from the right hash Evan McPherson looking for his third field goal of the half.

Wagner ready to snap it back now the right footed kick and the Bengals have the lead.

Joe is ready catches the shotgun snap, he begins scrambling right.

Burrow throwing downfield for Hudson.

He's got it.

Wow, touchdown Bengals.

What an adjustment to the ball by Hudson and he knocks over the back right pylon for a fourteen yard touchdown.

Joe Burrows first since returning from the toe injury.

Here's a toss to the right, Mitchell running to the five to the goal line, touchdown Ravens.

The Bengals flowed in the wrong direction and when they pitched it to the speedy Keaton Mitchell, there was nobody home to bring him down.

Burrowing the shotgun p rind to his right.

Shotgun snap, Joe under pressure, flings it down the middle of the field.

Yo see Bosh leaps at the three and takes it into the end zone a twenty eight yard touchdown to Andre Yo Siebosh and the Bengals lead is back to eleven with a pat coming up.

Huge play here third and nine at the Cincinnati fifteen.

The Bengals showing pressure.

They've got seven guys up on the line.

Lamar drops back.

Lamar throws downfield, tip intercepted Patrius Knight running it back.

He's at the thirty thirty five forty spin move there and tackled around the forty five yard line.

A tip at the line results in a pick for Dimitrius Night and the Bengals get their fourth takeaway and Night runs it back thirty six yards.

Shotgun snapped to Lamar, Ravens operating quickly.

Sideim throw caught by Zay Flowers loses the ball.

The Bengals scoop it up.

CJ.

Turner runs it to the thirty six.

A fumble recovered by Cincinnati, and that is coffin nails.

Bam, bam, bam.

This will be field goal trying number six from forty one yards out.

Wagner's snap Pato Rico and Moneymax kick is on its way and it is good, his sixth of the game.

The Bengals have scored thirty two points on the road in Baltimore and have a thirty two to fourteen lead with one six to go, and that was the final score as Joe Burrow returns to the lineup with the Bengals listed as a seven point underdog and leaves Baltimore with an eighteen point win.

There's no better feeling than that, you know, putting in, putting in work for for a long time and going out and in it paying off.

It's uh, there's.

Just just this.

There's just no feeling like going.

Out in front of the world with a group of guys that work really hard to go try to win games and going out and putting on a good performance and winning that game.

You know, obviously we got a lot of games left, but we're gonna enjoy this one on this on this little mini by weekend, and everybody's going to go and have Thanksgiving with their families and smile and eat and feel.

Good about it.

Certainly hasn't been easy on me through through six years from a lot of different angles, but you know, I've worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there, and a lot of people around me have done the same.

And I've just been a lot of discussions and a lot of time in the training room and It's just a lot, a lot that has gone into this and you know, I'm proud to be done.

Burrow finished twenty four for forty six for two hundred and sixty one yards, with two touchdowns, no picks, only one sack, and a passer rating of eighty three point seven.

Chase Brown had seventy eight rushing yards and thirty five receiving yards for a total of one thirteen, his sixth straight game with one hundred or more scrimmage yards.

That's a new team record.

Jamar Chase had seven catches for one hundred and ten yards, and Burrow's touchdown passes went to andre Yosi Vash and Tanner Hudson.

I caught up with Hudson in front of his locker.

Tanner happy, Thanksgiving grats on the touchdown catch.

What a night for everybody on this team.

You talk about a team victory, Christ would be Epitomi.

Oh, it really was.

I mean all around, having having go back the way you know, we just rallied around, rally around everybody, the way the defense play to night.

It's a really really good.

Win for this team.

Uh, just how this season has went, it feels really good.

Can you quantify what Joe's return did for the team just in terms of lifting everybody's spirits and energy level.

Yeah, I mean, when you got a guy that's arguably the best quarterback in the league, I think it's gonna elevate everybody's play, whether whether you're thinking about it or not.

So I'm bringing someone with someone like that back.

Yeah, it made a whole lot of team all right.

So you came back to Baltimore tonight last year on two point conversion at the end of the game, they went to you.

Unfortunately it didn't work out.

Could have been about six penalties called on the play.

None were You come back and make a spectacular touchdown catch.

Describe to play and what that moment meant.

Oh, yeah, I mean third and nine.

You know, it's a play that we worked on this week, and going through my head, I just had certain ways I knew I wanted to run it, and the guys a look that I wanted.

Joe put up a great ball that really only I could catch and you know, coming down with it and kind of giving an extra spark to the team, and I felt really good.

Joe was good.

I feel like he's just going to keep getting better.

Considering that he missed nine games with.

It pretty remarkable.

How he did the first night back.

It is remarkable, But it's also he I think he is the best quarterback league.

So I think for him that's probably his standard is just a beat great and that's what he came out here he did.

Do you guys feel like you're back in the hunt but still.

In the hunts?

Oh, we're never This team has never out of it.

This team the way that we like Zach always says, the way that we come to pract is the way we are in the building.

There's there's no.

Quid in the team and we're just going to continue to push and win games.

This again did it in one of the biggest spotlight nights that the NFL has, the Thanksgiving night national TV.

Everybody in the country of the world is watching this one.

Does that make it a little extra special?

Yeah, I mean it's always fun to play.

I mean, to be able to play on Thanksgiving.

The night game.

You know, everybody's stuff sitting on the couch and they got the game on, whether they're asleep or actually watching it.

But yeah, it's to come out in front of the whole world and put on that kind of performance as a team.

Yeah, that's what you want.

Congrat some spectacular touchdown, catching a great win.

Appreciate it.

Then there's the Bengals defense.

It's not enough to say the defense has been much maligned.

They've been mocked and ridiculed.

But for the third straight week, the Bengals held the other team's offense under twenty one points, and the fourteen scored by the Ravens is the fewest Cincinnati has given up all year.

Five takeaways was the big key, and a strip sack by Joseph Osai was the first.

Joseph Osai, what a knight.

Two sacks, four quarterback hits, a force pumble.

I thought it was the best game of your NFL career.

How are you feeling right now?

Feeling great, Very thankful for these guys, thankful to God most importantly, very thankful for my teammates, Thankful that you know, it's been it's been a rough couple of weeks, but they come to word every day and there's no quick there's no nobody's checked out, and it's it's it's beautiful to see it come to for tuition.

Like that on the field.

For sure, it's been a challenging year for the defense.

What's it mean to do it in this circumstance?

Thanksgiving night?

Everybody watching a great team on the other side.

Uh, he's the world means the world.

It has been a challenging here.

It's to me more specific job, challenging a few leagues.

But you know, we're we're in a bucker mentality right now.

Shut up the outside noise.

Nobody but us, nobody but us.

Take this just like we took the last two weeks.

How he played the last two weeks and then use at his momentum, keep going.

That's all five takeaways, including four bumbles.

You guys work on this stuff every day, Yeah tonight, like all that extra work paid off.

Yeah, exactly, exactly, And it only takes one.

Everybody knows when it comes to football, they come in bunches.

It only takes one.

And that's exactly what happened today.

And that's just.

Giving the younger guys hope to keep working at it and keep working other things.

You know, the club, Secure the punch, the tip, get your hands up.

If you're not getting to the rest, gets your hands up.

You can tip a pass, change the game.

And that's exactly what happens.

So it's good to see for.

Sure what effect did Burrow have on the entire team.

You know, you know what I know, that's Joe Burrs.

That's that's what they call him out there.

You know, his ice cold.

For him to be back right now is even so that fight.

You know, you could say the way our we're we're we're progressing, the way our season is looking, you can say it's it's it's easy for him to you know what I mean, check out and not want to not want to be here, and and and and fight with us.

Fun just seeing him come back, fight through that and wanting to be here because he's a football player, like he said, it's it's it's beautiful.

People joking say, well, he doesn't play defense, you can't help the defense.

But does he help the defense just with his presence?

Yeah, I don't.

When you when you see your brother defensive offense, when you see your brother fighting, you know this game is so beautiful in the in the senset, you go to war, you go to war to the brother, to the to the to the left and right of you, and defensive offense, that team you see your brother going to war inspire it inspire anybody, So it doesn't matter if he's not on the defense.

You just see his heart.

You see his heart you.

Want to go ball and and even more with within the field.

So it's great.

It's great having me back.

I would think that this would be really fun because so many guys were involved.

Offense, defense, Yeah, special teams.

I don't know how many game balls Zach handed out, but it could have been.

A lot, yeah for sure.

And it was a beautiful team win for sure.

Topped the bottom when we needed them to get pinned, when we needed them to get pin special teams did exactly that.

When we needed a score, offense did exactly that.

When we needed to stop, defense did exactly that.

You know, early in the game, Zach took a chance, he went for it on fourth down.

I said to the defense, I said, that's trust.

That is trust.

He trusts us.

You know what I'm saying.

It was a turnover right there on the goal line, and he went for it fourth You know what I'm saying.

Everybody in America, I'm pretty sure probably said that was a terrible call.

But I said to the defense, that is trust, he trusts us.

You know what I'm saying, what are you gonna do with that?

So we were able to come up big and get to stop and get off the field.

It's a fun night.

Congratulations, an awesome performance.

Happy thanks.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

The win improves the Bengals to four and eight and ends a streak of four straight had to head losses to the Ravens, and it came against Lamar Jackson, who is now ten and two against Cincinnati.

Dave Lapham spent a few minutes with Zach Taylor after a very satisfying win.

We heard all the celebrating that was going on in the locker room.

Guys were letting their hair down big time.

It sounded.

I mean, I remember what that was like.

I remember the feeling.

Chado cho Cinco made a guest appearance in the locker room through what was that like?

I didn't notice that.

I saw him on the field before the game and after the game.

And we got a lot of great former players here like yourself and Chad o cho Cinco, and they're welcome anytime, and so it was awesome for him to be around the team and celebrate it.

He made the trip all the way out here.

He deserves celebrated with the team.

What about Joe Burrow, I mean, this guy is special.

I mean, there's no I can't think of another tip to use.

He started to get a rhythm, He started to really get a rhythm and a timing, and he was playing very free, wasn't.

He He was?

And not to stick away from that, but our defense gave us the ability to do that.

Our defense gave him and our offense a chance to really settle in and find our rhythm to really explore there in the second half.

And so Joe's done such a great job handling as rehab, handling, the preparation for this game gave us a lot of confidence.

And then to go out there and be able to play on the road in difficult circumstances, I thought was awesome.

And number one, Jamar Chase has had big games against the Baltimore Ravens as well, and Borrow to Chase, it was just so good to see those guys number nine to number one.

It was good to see that connection again.

It is you know, Jamar's you wouldn't trade him for any other receiver in the world.

And he's so dependable on some of those key third down plays when he can get a one on one or even a two on one, Joe's still going to take a shot at him, and Jamar made some huge plays for us.

Drew Sample I thought stepped up big tonight.

I mean, he was effective as a blocker, and he also did the heck of a job running routes and catching the football for you.

Move the chains a lot of first downs on third down conversions.

He played well, didn't he.

He does all the dirty work, you know, and appreciate you mentioned that, because that's he doesn't do jobs that people are ever going to notice in the stands watching the game, But for coaches in our program and around the league, it's known what he does and what role he plays, and he's able to help us in protection.

He's able to help us in the run game.

He's able to play running back for us on some downs and protection he got to check down got us forward.

So again we we appreciate drewd He does a great job for us.

You mentioned your defense, How well your defense played, I mean the points, the points a lot.

I mean Baltimore is used to scoring more points than they did this football game, considering that they played here in front of their crowd in Baltimore.

How big was that?

It was awesome?

You know, I thought our defense just really came out with a lot of confidence.

It's been building over the last two weeks, and to be able to play the game the way they did today and create all the turnovers and just have so much confidence.

You're gonna see some guys really coming along now butt in.

They understand it, they get it, and so now you're just getting more and more reps invested, and we're just gonna get better and better.

I feel like as the season goes.

What about money mack Evan McPherson.

I mean, the guy's got a leg.

It's a Howard, some man hanging off that right hip, and he made some big kicks for you tonight, didn't he awesome?

Six six?

I mean it's assuming it gets a franchise record.

I think it is.

It might be seven for seven.

I think Dan mentioned the guy wins seven for seven at some point.

Oh, we should have figured out a way to get one more, you know, maybef we hadn't fumbled there at the end of the game.

There you got one more.

But these conditions weren't easy.

I mean, it wasn't there was a high wind up there as he's kicking, and to my eye, he did an excellent job kicking all of them.

And he's just got so much confidence this year.

You know, he's back to the Evan that we've always known and that's such a luxury to have.

So if Pittsburgh loses to Buffalo, the best record in the division is six and six.

Legitimately, I mean it's not like people like, oh, come on, legitimately, you're in the hunt.

We're just gonna keep fighting one week at a time.

I know.

We got Buffalo at ten days from now.

That's our focus.

We just try to control that.

Don't worry about the big picture right now.

Just keep taking one game out of time.

This is the exact position we were in last year, you know, and so unfortunately we've been here.

We know how to dig our way out of it.

And that's what's going to take.

And finally, what are you going to do during the bye week?

What do you got any plans or just to chill with the family.

Man, Just chill with the family.

You know, it'll be good to see him over the holidays, and just blessed to have such a great support system.

And so look, forward to seeing them.

Congratulations on a big win, Zach, thank you appreciate it.

These two teams meet again at pay Court Stadium in two and a half weeks, but up next it's a road game in Buffalo A week from Sunday.

The Bills are seven and four heading into a road game at Pittsburgh this week.

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.

Cattering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.

Now time for their radio guys recap.

Lap.

That was one.

Happy locker room because every guy on offense, defense, and special team seemingly contributed.

I couldn't agree with you more, Dan, I mean that that's a great feeling.

It's a team sport.

I think football is probably the epitome of team and if you're you do your one eleventh and everybody does their one eleventh, you can have games like this And this is a big, big deal.

I mean to come to Baltimore and not just beat the Baltimore Ravens, but I mean spank them, embarrassed them in front of their crowd.

I mean their crowd was doing more booing than cheering, it seemed like, during the during the course of the football game.

So I know that locker room was loud, happy, everybody's excited.

And really, if.

If Pittsburgh loses to Buffalo, best recommend Division six and six, the Bengals are right in the hunt.

I mean they're in the thick of it and they're not about to put their tail between their legs and go away.

How much of an impact did Joe Burrow have.

I'm every single person in the room on the other side of that door over.

There, unbelievable, as big as I've ever seen.

I mean, he is the unquestioned leader of the football team.

Here's the straw that serves the drink.

There's no doubt about that.

I mean, as Joe Borrow goes, so go the Cincinnati Bengals.

In my conversation with Zach and the postgame show, and I said, you could see where eventually Joe started getting a rhythm and felt the timing the ball was coming out of his hand well, you know, it seemed like it started to get free and easy for him, and Zack said he couldn't agree more.

And for Joe to play as well as he played with all the circumstances that we talk about, coming to Baltimore and having to play against this football team, it's no easy task and he handled himself very well.

Al Golden has had these guys doing turnover drills from the first day of OTAs.

Before practice begins, they're out there practicing, ripping the ball, punching the ball, doing everything they can to try to get takeaways.

Really hasn't paid off much until tonight and then on Thanksgiving Night with the world watching, they get five takeaways.

It was unbelievable to watch, really, I mean, and as the old saying goes, they come in bunches, you know, once they start to come, they just seek.

The Spickett gets turned on, you know, and the Fawcett starts overflowing.

And everybody contributed, every level of the defense.

Defensive line did their thing.

Everybody played their gap control responsibility.

They knocked the ball out.

Miles Murphy was great.

Joseph a side maybe had the best game that I've ever seen him play, and then you know, the young linebackers were flying around the football field.

Man, they were playing fast, they were playing confidently and with great speed.

And then on the back end, I thought, you know, I thought dj was phenomenal.

I thought he had his best game.

I've seen him play, play tackling, and everybody made plays.

That's the thing, Like you said, everybody contributed to this football game.

It was a team win.

It was probably the best definition of a team win I've seen in a while.

Burrow wound up throwing the ball quite a bit.

He threw forty six passes in the game, but he was under center a decent amount.

He only got sacked once.

Did we start to see maybe a little bit of an evolution with some of the stuff that Joe Flacco did during the six games where he played.

I'm wondering, you know, it seemed like they incorporated some of that stuff.

And I know the Joe's have been talking, you know, Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco about football, everything about football.

You know, the only disadvantage with getting under center is when you play action fake, you turn your back and you turn.

Your head to the defense.

And I think Joe likes the shot comes for that reason, he's always looking to seeing what the defense is doing.

And you know he has the same picture that he's looking at the whole time, instead of the picture changing when you turn your head like that.

But yeah, it's it's I think I think that to have the ability to do both, I think he's going to stand him in good stead as the season progresses, because, let's face it, then they got to go six and zer, they got to win them all.

A lot of people have said, well, I play them if the games, you know, don't have impact on the playoff race.

I'll say this, Let's say that they beat Buffalo.

Let's say that they beat Baltimore in the rematch, and they still don't make the playoffs.

How much better would you feel going into next year beating teams like that, having Burrow back, hopefully continue to see progress by the defense.

I mean, I would feel a million times better about the prospects for net Seaton next season if those types of things happen.

Yeah, it wouldn't be like you know, coach speak, it wouldn't be like high this guy they did it.

They would have gone out and beaten these teams when the games mean something when the game's on the line, when these teams have to win games to get the seed they want to get to go into the playoffs, and you spank them, you slap them, you knock them back.

That's that's important.

And there's no way that Joe Burrow wasn't going to play.

I mean he was.

He feels like he was one hundred percent, and you know, the medical people and everybody agreed.

So he played, and he played at an extremely high level.

I mean, this football team loves their quarterback, I mean loves their quarterback like nobody loves their quarterback.

And I think I think Joe Flacco is in a good situation.

I mean he's there if something happens to Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco is right there to pick up the pieces, you know.

And Bengals find themselves in a pretty damn good situation at the quarterback position.

In the words of Bill Murray and Stripes, an army without a leader is like a foot without a big toe.

The big toe is back, is big toe is healthy.

Bengals have their leader.

Bingo.

I love it, Dan.

That's a wrap on the Baltimore game.

Now time for this week's fun Facts conversation where we get to know a Bengals linebacker who has faced Kansas City in each of the last two Super Bowls.

Time for some fun facts with linebacker Orren.

Burke's from Lorton, Virginia, not too far from Washington, d C.

What were some of the things you enjoyed about growing up there.

Yeah, one just had a lot of family there.

Just I feel like the DMV as a whole, just a lot of culture there, music, food, You're close to a little bit of everything, a lot of politics, a lot of military.

But yeah, I just have great memories growing up there.

A lot of history there as well in the DC area, So I feel like I didn't appreciate it as much as I do as an adult now going back and like really seeing how cool of the city it is.

So love living there.

For visiting with Ooron Burr.

When did you start to stand out as an athlete?

Yeah, I was very active early played baseball, soccer, basketball, and then ended up playing football.

Basketball was definitely my my number one kind of growing up, and I had a lot of big cousins that played basketball.

As well and wanted to be like them, you know.

They ended up playing in college and some in the pros and and abroad as well, but.

My path ended up being football.

I started playing football my freshman year in high school and just wanted to make some friends going into the year, and I just knew that was gonna be a great opportunity to meet guys and you know, bond that way, and eventually fell in love with the game.

But just always was very athletic and loved basketball, like I said, And I feel like that's where I got my grade.

I wasn't always like the best player on the team, but just really learned like how to hustle and just like find a way to add value to a team.

And you know that that's carried over to everything that I do.

So I really enjoyed my you know, my journey.

And I feel like a lot of kids now they special lies like really early into sports, and like I just enjoyed playing all the sports and being competitive, and I feel like that really has worked out in my in my favor.

There's an old picture of you on the internet from being the homecoming king at your high school.

Were you involved in other activities as well?

Are pretty much sports only?

Yeah, A lot of sports I was involved with FCA at our school, as much community service as I can get into, and just very social we had.

We had a really really cool high school experience with just everybody supporting each other with sports and academics.

Was a huge pieces for me.

My family as well obviously ended up going to Vanderbilt, so that was a big piece for me moving into college.

Uh, and my sister went to Stanford play softball there as well.

So we're always student athletes, and I just really appreciate my my upbringing.

My parents let enforced that really early into us, just having great values and knowing that it's beyond sports and just having the impact in your community and beyond.

So yeah, that was a big piece of me.

So with you at Vanderbilt and your sister at Stanford, did your folks more or less tell you make this choice as much about the academics as the athletics.

Not directly, but definitely kind of indirectly.

They were like, you know, just think about the long term situation, what's your major, what you want to do, you know, beyond playing the game, because you know, like the numbers tell you that, you know, you're probably not going to play in the NFL.

Or for her, professional sports, but.

Just having a backup plan when that does come.

And you know, I feel like that has allowed me to be a well rounded individual.

Just just really taking intent about my my academics has helped me tremendously, you know, just the way I process thing, the way I learn, and just again just being a well, well arounded individual.

You started out as a safety at Vanderbilt.

How did you become a linebacker and how did you feel about it?

Yeah, so I was actually a recruiter as a linebacker.

I was James Franklin.

I know, he's a Virginia technologis last recruiting class at Vanity before he went to Penn State.

I was a linebacker that year.

We had a new just have come in with coach Mason and he saw me as a safety.

So I played safety.

I was middle posts, like running all over the place for two years, and then I played a hybrid outside inside position, and then I played inside my last year.

So really all over the field.

But for me, it's just about find a way to get on the field, add value, make plays, and I feel like that allowed me to have the skill set.

You know, this this league has changed a lot at the lineback position, being able to run and cover, and I feel like that safety background has definitely helped me in terms of like seeing the game from a different perspective.

We're chatting with Orrin Burks as we do this interview.

Your alma maters ranked twelfth in the country in college football.

How much fun is it for Vanderbilt grads to see this rise of the commodorees in college football?

Man, it's been it's been a long time coming.

Just so proud of the guys, Coach Lee leading the way and having the opportunity to be around them during the spring and in the summer, just seeing like the culture that they're building, and just just so proud as a loan to go to see them, you know, thriving on the field and doing it at a high level and getting you know, the exposure from the national media.

But just always had faith in you know, this program doing it the right way, and the city of Nashville is getting behind them as well.

So it's been really cool to see the guys take off this year.

You're drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round in twenty eighteen.

How stressful was that day leading up to getting the phone.

Call I wasn't very stressed.

I feel like I had you know, at that point, you do everything you can to put yourself in the best situation in terms of being drafted, and I felt really good about my draft process.

I played well in the senior ball as a laid ad there, did well in the combine.

I felt like I did well in my interviews, and my tape was my tape from college.

You know, I had a lot of versatility from the safety to the inside and outside, and I felt like I had kind of like done everything I could and just really had a sense of like this freedom, you know, just like being able to surrender the outcomes of where I would land.

You have no idea where you're going to be, so like it's not even worth you trying to guess for the guys that are going through that process coming up.

But yeah, I just felt like I had done everything I could and was excited for the opportunity to land anywhere, you know, in the NFL and make my mark.

The Packers missed the playoffs your rookie year.

Since then, you've been on six consecutive playoff teams with Green Bay, San Francisco and Philly.

You've played in the last two Super Bowls.

What have you learned about the most important traits of winning teams?

Man, it's a lot.

I'll say first, it's just culture is so important.

Just the standard for play, play style, not even just scheme, just the way that you play the game, the way that you prepare your process.

It bleeds over to everybody into the building.

It includes the front staff, the back, like everybody has to be bought in for you to really make a run.

And I feel like that has improved my process as well.

It made me a better person, maybe a better man, in terms of like the accountability that it takes, the effort that it takes, and ultimately vulnerability like this game, like you're exposed every every Sunday, You're out there and you know the whole world is seeing you.

So you're just trying to put your best foot forward for yourself and for your brothers next to you.

So I don't know, just taking that approach, as you know, it had it's better in my life, you know, in terms of me having to be better for my brother right next to me.

So I just really enjoyed that about football, the challenge that it is every weekend and week out, it's find a way to get better.

I work with Dave Lappam on the broadcasts.

He was on the Super Bowl team in nineteen eighty one with the Bengals lost to the forty nine Ers.

It still hurts to this day.

You played on the losing team a couple of years ago, and then the next year we're on the winning team with the Philadelphia Eagles.

How did that feel, considering that you still had that fresh wound from the year before.

Yeah, it was just I feel like I just had the mindset I have to see it through, you know, just having an opportunity and coming up short with the Niners and then having the opportunity the next year against the same team that that very rarely happens, so it's a different locker room.

But you know, they had kind of experienced the same thing a couple of years ago, is losing to the Chiefs as well, So I felt like there was a lot of joint motivation towards, you know, getting it right this time.

And Yeah, just just wanted to leave it out there on the field everything I could, you know, preparation and just knowing what to expect for the Super Bowl week as well.

It was really important in terms of sticking to your process.

The craziness outside and you know that that goes into that week as well.

Just being able to keep your head down and work towards the ultimate goal because afterwards there's no greater feeling.

And then then host hoisting that that Lombardi Trophy and being with your brothers in the in the locker room.

So yeah, just looking at looking to repeat that field.

He Sean Nixon is deep and we're underway another game in the National Football League postseason.

Nixon will take it on the far side outside of numbers.

To the twenty on a diagonal twenty five, and he is smashed.

I lost the football.

It's inside the thirty and recovered by the Eagles.

Or and Burkes knocked it loose.

Boy, what a hit that was.

Orrin Burkes just laid an unbelievable shot on Keyshawn Dixon to knock that ball out.

Holy cow, it's not quite the Philly Special, but you made a play that Eagles fans will be talking about for decades.

You force the fumble on the very first play of the playoff run with a jarring hit to the Packers kick returner.

How cool is it?

To have a moment like that that anytime you go back to Philly, somebody's going to say, Orrin Burks, wait to force that fumble.

Yeah, it's special.

It's special, you know, going into playoffs.

I played in a lot of playoff games before that, and I just remember myself telling myself that week, just find a way to make a player is going to change the game.

And what better way to change the game than the opening kickoff, forcing the fun will getting the ball out and we go down to drive start and score right there, just to get a quick jump on it.

Setting the tone for the playoffs the place.

Like again, the play style that we wanted to have, the physicality that we wanted to have.

It's super cool.

I still get like d ms every once in a while, Like I'll never forget that, you know, that play that you were talking about, the opening kickoff of the of the Packers game.

So yeah, just definitely still feel the love, you know, from from Philly fans and beyond, you know, for you know, making a play that you know change the game.

But yeah, just just a really cool moment.

All right, a few wild card topics now for Orrin Berks, who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport.

And why obviously Michael Jordan.

Just like his competitiveness, you know, that's that's hard to emulate, and just like his his his drive to hold the others around him accountable.

The same with Kobe, like kind of that that mindset.

So yeah, I probably have to go with those two Jordans in Kobe.

You earned your degree at Vanderbilt.

Do you know what you want to do after football?

Yeah, I'm you know, figuring it out.

I do a little bit of real styling side, but I really enjoy this business, the critical thinking around that, using business tactics to attack social problems and create change in the community.

So definitely things around that.

That's that's kind of what I'm looking at.

But you know, I'm enjoying my time in the league, and you know, I'll have so many doors that are going to be opened, you know, when when the time comes after I retire.

But I just focus on now.

If I'm not mistaken.

Your wife was a college volleyball player.

How did you two meet?

Yeah, we met through FCA, so we did a joint fellowship called One City, One God.

She was one of the leaders for Belmont and I was one for Vanderbilt, and we had lipscumb Tribeca, Fisk.

There's so many schools right there in Nashville, so planning that and yeah, just ended up meeting her and didn't want to be the guy that, you know, hitting on girls at FCA.

But you know, that's that's ultimately where you want to find somebody that has like like minded and you know, ultimately we have a beautiful family now, been mary s years and a little girl, and it's it's just it's a beautiful thing.

Aside from sports, what are you good at?

I feel like I'm good with people.

I truly enjoy the team aspect of sport, and I try to carry that into my relationships with my wife, with my friends, with my family, and just try to pull the best out of people.

So that's I feel like that's what I'm good at all.

Right, final fun fact for Orrin Burks.

This one's kind of deep.

If you could meet anyone in history, living or deceased, who would that person be?

Yeah, probably be probably Jackie Robinson.

Most people don't know.

That's the reason I wear forty two.

So coming to the league, you have to have a forty or fifty number to be linebacker, and you know that was presented.

You know that thought would be cool to pay homage to, you know, one of the first black athletes in professional sports, and like all that he had to go through, the mental fortitude that he carried and the poise that he carried as well.

So I feel like that would be really cool to hear his story.

Like first, I love it and I will definitely mention it the next time number forty two makes a tackle Orren Burt's appreciate your time, best of luck the rest of the year.

I appreciate it.

That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by pay Core, Proud to be the Bengals official hr software provider, by Ulta 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.

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