Sports Radio Interviews

Larry Johnson Feels Right at Home in Cincinnati

There is a team for everyone in the NFL. If you have gotten into trouble with a team, the police or anything else look no further than the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have made a name for themselves in helping out embattled players and getting them back on the right track. Larry Johnson hits all those categories. After calling out his former coach, Todd Haley, and fans in Kansas City on his twitter page, the Chiefs decided to cut him. This has worked out for both teams. The Chiefs have found their new running back in Jamaal Charles and the Bengals have found another running back to help carry the load alongside Cedric Benson. Johnson ran for 107 yards against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and showed that he has a lot left in his tank. This bodes well for the Bengals as they are expected to win the AFC North and get deep into the playoffs. In a season where they have swept both the Steelers and Ravens, I am not sure if there is a team that can beat the Bengals late in January given that they play at their best.

Larry Johnson joined WLW in Cincinnati to talk about his relationship with Marvin Lewis and whether he had a relationship before him joining the Bengals, his relationship with the offensive line and how fast he has picked it up, whether he had heard anything about the Bengals coaching staff that he now knows is wrong, and the feeling of coming to a team and being welcomed.

On his relationship with Marvin Lewis and whether he had a relationship before him joining the Bengals:

“Not really. I had talked to him. I was actually boarding a flight to go be with my family and all that. He just called me right when I was at the airport. We just talked for a while. I think it was before they played Pittsburgh or after they played Pittsburgh. We just talked and he let me know the expectations if I were to come in and I told him my thoughts and feelings and we kind of just went from there and it happened to work out. You never want to get a job off of anybody else’s injury but you know that unfortunate incident happened and they asked me to come in and the rest is that I am signed and here.”

On his relationship with the offensive line and how fast he has picked it up:

“That is why I like those zone plays. I love those zone plays because you can always mess with the linebackers and the d. tackles because they never can be right because there is no initial hole really. It’s really you go up in there and some things happen and you wither break right or break left or you break all the way outside and to the right. See I love those inside zone plays. Its just for me they are more comfortable for me to run because there is never limiting me to one hole. There is always one or three.”

Whether he had heard anything about the Bengals coaching staff that he now knows is wrong:

“Not really. When I looked at Coach Lewis I always thought he was a tough coach and obviously I went from his reputation at Baltimore… He knew my father so my father spoke highly of him and for me going into this situation it was like a great coach to play for and I kind of didn’t know how cool he was. I knew he was a good, tough as nails coach but I didn’t know and understand how cool he was. When I sat down and talked to him face-to-face I liked him even more because he was so cool and laid back with me. It was just great to be in this situation because you have to have a coach like that for everything to work. He is dealing with a million egos on their team and to bring another one in is just I really take my hat off to him because he has done an excellent job with the Bengals so far as an outsider looking in.”

On the feeling of coming to a team and being welcomed:

“It feels great. When I first got here the first restaurant that I wanted to go to was Ruby’s and there was just so much love and appreciation and then I went to Hyde Park. I went to a restaurant in Hyde Park and I just felt so welcomed and that it felt good to be able to come to a new city and he first impression was it was just great coming to a new city. Walking into the stadium it felt even more better because there was so much love for the fans that have cared so much for the Bengals for a long, long time before I even got here is just great to have them welcome me into the stadium.”

Brad, Lance and Lap talk with new Bengals running back Larry Johnson (interview starts at 7:30)

Tags: 100-yard game rushing, AFC North, Boys Town, Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals, Larry Johnson fits right into the Bengals offense, Larry Johnson rushes for 107 yards, Marvin Lewis, NFL