January 27, 2025 • 26 mins
Dan Hoard introduces us to new defensive line coach and run game coordinator Jerry Montgomery.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
I get everybody on dan Hord and thanks for downloading
The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Right Down b Line. Addition,
as we get to know the Bengals new defensive line
coach Jerry Montgomery. 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
(00:26):
designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a
new level, and by Kettering Health, the best care for
the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider
of the Bengals. Now 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 wherever you
get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since a Super
(00:49):
Bowl in New Orleans. We're all sad that the Bengals
didn't make it back to the Super Bowl this year,
and I am a little extra sad because I consider
New Orleans to be the greatest city in the world
to host a big sporting event, and I speak from experience.
For starters, everything is within walking distance the Hotel's Bourbon Street,
(01:11):
the French Quarter, the Superdome, live music, tremendous restaurants, in
great sightseeing. Before our son was born, the Big Easy
was the number one place that my wife and I
love to go for short vacations, and it's ideal for
a big sporting event because nearly all of the fans
congregate in the French Quarter every day and night wearing
(01:32):
their team gear. You'll see everybody you know that made
the trip and will undoubtedly run into friends you haven't
seen in years. Additionally, you'll see the opposing teams fans
every day, and in New Orleans, where the perpetual vibe
is to relax and have a good time, the interaction
stays friendly. My first taste of all of this was
(01:53):
in March of nineteen eighty seven when I covered the
Final Four for the Syracuse Radio Network and sat almost
directly behind Bobby Knight when Keith Smart's last second shot
gave Indiana one point win over Syracuse for the national championship.
And speaking of first tastes, that trip marked my introduction
to the Hurricane, the unofficial cocktail of New Orleans that
(02:17):
is as sweet as kool aid but packs a lethal punch. Fortunately,
I was given valuable advice by a local taxi driver
who said a hurricane is like a woman's bosom. One
is not enough, but three are too many. That advice
has served me well. I returned to New Orleans nine
(02:38):
months later for the Sugar Bowl between Syracuse and Auburn,
and years later did the play by play of another
Sugar Bowl when Cincinnati faced Florida. Attending a Sugar Bowl
gives you the chance to ring in the new year
in a city where last Call doesn't exist. I vividly
remember doing the countdown to midnight in five time zones
(02:58):
on Bourbon Street. In other words, five four three two one,
Happy New Year in New York, New Orleans, Denver, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Honolulu.
I was tucked away in bed by the time they
got to Auckland. This will be the eleventh Super Bowl
(03:20):
in New Orleans, and I've covered one of them. The
nineteen ninety seven matchup between Green Bay and New England.
Packers quarterback Brett Farv was the big story all week
because he was from nearby Kill, Mississippi. Like nearly every
reporter covering that Super Bowl, I dutifully made the trip
to Kill to do the Farv's hometown Angle. While there,
(03:42):
I ran into a fledgling musician named Stevie t who
had written a tribute song to Farv called Brett's on
a Quest. These priceless lyrics are forever seared into my brain.
Daddy was a coach, showed him the way train fight win.
That's the form you lehy, not exactly Lennon and McCartney.
(04:05):
My best New Orleans experience came as a fan, as
my wife and I attended the two thousand and three
Final Four to see our alma mater, Syracuse beat Kansas
for the national championship. It was like a college reunion
set in the Big Easy as most of our closest
friends from schools showed up unannounced for the weekend, and
best of all, our team won. I was hoping to
(04:27):
experience that again in a couple of weeks, but it
wasn't meant to be. I guess we'll all have to
settle for Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California next February.
Now let's get to my guest. The Bengals announced the
hiring of two defensive coaches on Monday. Linebackers coach Mike Hodges,
who spent the last eight years with the Saints, and
(04:47):
defensive line coach and run game coordinator Jerry Montgomery, who
was with the Patriots last year after spending the previous
nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Montgomery is forty
five years old, and we'll look to elevate a position
group that must perform better for the Bengals to make
significant improvement on defense. I spoke to them via zoom
(05:09):
on Monday, Jelly, I was amused by your Twitter profile
because it says husband, father, and love. Teaching fundamentals. Is
that your strength as a defensive line coach, you know what.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
That's how I was brought up, because it doesn't matter
what you'd call. At the end of the day, you
can go back to any mistake that happens, unless it's
a total bust and you don't know what you're supposed
to be doing all right on any given play, all right.
It starts with your hands, eyes, and feet, and if
those things aren't right and what you're taught and fundamentally
(05:48):
and you're making mistakes, it's usually because it starts with
one of those two three one of those two or
three things. So that's how I was raised, and I
was brought up with coach parents and Ron Ake and
and spend some time with p Jink. It's also guys
that are just fundamentally sound and base and it starts
from there, and then from there, you know, we're going
(06:10):
to challenge these guys to push them outside of their
comfort zone as far as learning football.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know, I'm glad you mentioned some of your coaching
influences because you played at a high level at Iowa.
You got to look from the Saints in the NFL.
What did your best coaches do for you in helping
you become the player you became?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Be great teachers. I can say this.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I was lucky and I was fortunate to have good teachers,
especially at the University of Iowa. And that's their program
to this day is one of the most successful programs
in college football with less talent than anybody else in
the country. You put those kids at Alabama in front
(06:54):
of coach parents, you know, you're talking about him like
they're talking about Nick. But again, you take Nick, Bill
and Kirk, they were all on one staff together, so
you know they all come from the same tree, but
just a great foundation. And I was a sponge as
a player, So when I got done playing. I knew
(07:16):
right away, you know what I wanted to do. And
it's crazy because I quit chasing the dream of playing.
Just you know, you get cut enough, you're like all right,
time to go to the world world. And I get
a medical sales job. And then ron Ake and my
D line coach, calls me, says, hey, what are you doing.
I just told myself I just took a job on
it make some real money, he says. He goes, there's
(07:38):
a junior college job at North Iowa Area Community College,
which no longer has football. He goes, hey, you can
go be the D line coach there. They're looking for
a young college guy that just graduated. And he goes,
you can get you know, a fifteen hundred dollars stipend,
free room and board. And I said, oh, coach, you know.
He goes, No, that's what you need to do. So
(08:01):
I had to go tell my wife. My coach says, hey,
this is who I am, this is what I need
to do. And that's what I did, and so and
then just never looked back. How long were you in
medical sales? Never started the job, never started the job.
So accepted the offer and then literally the phone call
(08:22):
happened the next you know, the next day, and then
I took the the d line job at Nayak.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Were visiting with Jerry Montgomery. You played tackle. How much
difference is there between coaching tackles and coaching ends? If
there is a.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Difference, fundamentally, there's a little more space for ends when
you're on edges, but you know, the there's a lot
more blocked you can receive in things inside with the
interior tackles compared to the things that you have to
work with the guys on the edges. And again from
(08:57):
a passer standpoint, there's a slight difference. And you know
how fast you have to work or move on the
inside compared to the outside. All right, So other than that,
it's it's all the same. And you know, I look
forward to working with the group that we have there
and you know, possibly some of the new faces that
we'll have next year.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Also, your title in Cincinnati includes run game coordinator. I
think we've all heard that with offensive line coaches. I'm
not sure I've heard it with defensive line coaches. Explain
run game coordinator from a defensive perspective.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
At the end of the day, you know Al is
going to call it, but I hope to make his
job a lot easier. If he's got questions about anything
that happens within that run game, I should be able
to have answers. If there's issues on the field, I
should be able to have answers and solutions to those
problems and how we want to fix them in game adjustment.
(09:53):
So my job is just to make his job a
lot easier when it comes to the run game. And
you know, that's got to be something that I'm mastering that.
You know I did that. I had the same title
in Green Bay. But ultimately, you know, Al's gonna call
the defense, but I'll have a heavy influence on you know,
(10:14):
what we're seeing, how we want to attack it, and
then run that by Al. And so that's kind of
how it goes.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
What do you know about Al And did you follow
his defense as at Notre Dame over the last few years.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Well, you know, I love college football. I've got a
son that's a red shirt sophomore at the University of Iowa.
So we're watching college football every weekend. Every Saturday. We
watched the whole playoff run, watch their national championship run.
There and you know, he's done a tremendous job wherever
he's been, when he was the head coach at Temple
(10:45):
to his time at Miami, and just everybody I've talked
to has a ton of respect for him as a
coach and as a person. And you know, that's what
I'm most excited about, is just being around another good
coach and teacher, somebody I can learn from and grow from.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Jerry Montgomery, as our guest, you essentially became a free
agent when the Patriots decided to change head coaches. Was
there competition for your services? Did the Bengals have to
beat others out in order to lure you to Cincinnati?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
You know, I'll keep you know the names in house,
but yeah, I mean there were other opportunities to go
to multiple different places, but you know one this one
is means, you know, it's important to us in our family.
It's close to the Midwest. My wife is you know,
grew up on a farm in Dyersville, Isowa. So we're
(11:36):
six hours or something like that from home. She can
watch a high school game Friday night of our son
who's a freshman who'll be a sophomore next year, and
be able to get in a car and get to
Iowa City to watch our one son that plays and
our other son who's a freshman there as a student
assistant in the football office. So so that was important
(11:58):
to us. And hell, like what was Zach has done
here has been you know, pretty damn special. And so
you know, I'm excited about being around you know, Hall
of Fame quarterback and having the opportunity to to fix
any issues we have on defense and making it as
good as we can. So yeah, so I'm excited about that.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Is Dyersville the site of the Field of Dreams field.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
It is it is her farm is I would say
her farm is exactly like two and a half miles
from the Field of Dreams farm, so they she grew
up on a dairy farm. My father in law has
has since sold his cows and he's just you know,
crop farms now and and it has some corns and
(12:42):
bean beans and things like that.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So we're back there all the time.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
If you build it with a defensive line, the Super
Bowl can come.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
There you go, there, you go. Aut.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Jerry Montgomery is our guest. You're part of Matt Lafloor's
staff for several years. In Green Bay and Mike Holmgrin
before that. Matt obviously hasn't tied to Zach Taylor from
their time together with the Rams. Did that have anything
to do with this connection and winding up in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
You know what, it didn't. I didn't know anybody, you
know what, I take that back. I didn't know anybody
on the staff other than Jordan Kovac. So Jordan we
coached at the University of Michigan when I was a
D line coach there. He was our start and safety,
so and I know he's a bright young star in
his profession, smart, smart kid like he was player. But
(13:34):
I didn't have any connections or ties to the staff.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I was.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Down the road with the team and I got a
text Thursday morning that they put in my slipt and
had an opportunity to visit with Zach, and then it
just kind of happened quickly, and so I was excited
when the opportunity came, But no, there was there was
no connections. Knew of people on the staff Zach and
(14:01):
knew about and so on and so forth, and obviously
playing them first game of the season last year, and
knew some of the guys that were there from the
previous staff that it is.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
No longer with it.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
I think, I said Mike Hombgrin, I met Mike McCarthys
before you coach a batt lafleur. Let's discuss some of
the personnel that's under contract for the upcoming season, Beginning
with Trey Hendrickson. He led the NFL with seventeen and
a half sacks. He had seventeen and a half the
year before. He's averaged fourteen plus in his four years
with the Bengals. How do you describe Trey and what's
(14:35):
it mean to begin with that building block as you
try to put together an elite defensive line.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, man, to have a guy that's been that productive,
you know, there's not a whole lot that's going to
have to change. You know, we'll teach him the scheme
and what we want to do. But when it gets
down to, you know, affecting the quarterback, it looks like
he's doing a hell of a job as it so,
I mean, those type of numbers are awesome. Now, what
you'd like to have is a couple other guys on
(15:03):
that front, especially on the inside, be able to affect
the quarterback. You know, you're not gonna have somebody inside
other than Aaron Donald having seventeen. But you'd like to
be able to affect the quarterback, and that was one
thing in Green Bay we were able to do with
the front four is be able to affect it from
the inside out. So when you can be able to
(15:25):
push the pocket from the inside, those guys on the edge,
it makes their job a lot easier. So that quarterback
is spinning out to the level of the rushers on
the edge. So you know, look forward to adding to
the group. But man, it's a good start to have him,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
More with Jerry on, Miles Murphy, Sam Hubbard and much more.
But first, here's a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth
podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to
be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber
future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
(16:05):
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. The Bengals drafted
a couple of defensive tackles last year. Chris Jenkins in
the second round, McKinley Jackson in the third. Did you
study those guys prior to last year's draft and what
do you think of them?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Yeah, you know, good size, productive, you know, guys that
have played hard, been with some good programs, so good
building blocks, you know. And one thing we're going to
do and ask them to do is play extremely hard
and play with technique fundamentals. So I look forward to
(16:40):
working with those two.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Also, how can you help Miles Murphy turn his immense
physical gifts into more production on the field.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I've said it two or three times already, you've brought
it up. It's going to start with our fundamentals. Like
that is everything, because at the end of the day,
if we can get those young men to play with
great technique fundamentals, they're going to have a chance to
be productive. We're gonna teach them how to do things,
how to play blocks, and that way, when they get something,
(17:12):
they can play it the way we want them to
play it. And then if they do it the way
we ask them to do it, they're going to be
in position to make plays. We're not going to have
to go chase plays. We're not going to have to
create things to make plays. They're gonna make the plays
that come to them, and that's that's what we're supposed
to do, is de line.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Sam Hubbard's been a key Bengal now for seven years.
He's got a year left on his deal. He's approaching
his thirtieth birthday. What have you thought of Sam Hubbard
over the years?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Steady, steady, Eddie, Consistent.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I mean, you look at the Bengals defenses over the
you know, the five to six five six years. Those
guys have been staples in the leagues and you know,
one plays on the left, one plays on the right,
and they've done a good job and consistent. They play hard,
So I mean, that's that's all you can ask for
(18:02):
with guys is to play to the best of your
ability week in and week out.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
And they've done that. They've showed that, and they're proven players.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
See line coach Jerry Montgomery is our guest, as I'm
sure you know, assistant coaches in Cincinnati have a significant
voice when it comes to the draft and when it
comes to free agency. Has that been the case in
your past and are you looking forward to that with
the Bengals.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, I'm excited about it because I think and again,
every place is different, but I think there's times where
you feel like you've invested a lot of time into
evaluating these prospects and getting to know them, finding out
what their football IQ is, how they're you know, how
(18:43):
they're going to handle the things that you give them,
how they process, and then you feel really good about
somebody and then they're there at that spot we talked
about taking them, and then you take somebody else that
you didn't necessarily love. And so I'm looking forward to
being able to sit in there and you know, voice
my opinion on things, and then whatever we decide to do,
(19:06):
we decide to do. But yeah, I mean it's different
everwhere you go. So I hear here you're heavily involved,
which is awesome because I think sometimes as coaches, you know,
that's what we complain about most is not having a
lot of say in the guys that we get or
that we take.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
What are the most important traits you look for?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Well, again, you can have the most talented guy in
the world, but you know we talk about in our
d line room, toughness, effort, technique, and fundamentals. Those three
things doesn't take talent. So if we're willing to buy
into those things, we're gonna have a chance. But again,
(19:49):
always I think it's important. You want guys that have talent,
but you want guys that can process and learn and
be able to take the game to the next level.
And my room, I'm gonna be very demanding on them
to uh, you know, get out of their comfort zone
and learning the game and seeing it the way a
coach Seeson. Not not everybody can handle that, but the
(20:10):
guys that I've had in the past that have been
able to do that, the Kenny Clarks, the Dean Lowry's
you know, you know, there's a ton of guys that
I work with that have been able to handle and
process that, and they're extremely effective players on the field
because they can take in the things that we're trying
to teach them to grow so so that that that's
(20:32):
one of the most important things. And too, you know,
you can look like Tarzan and play like Jane. You know,
it's great to have size, and I love it, but
you need to be able to play the game. So
when you turn on that film, uh, it's got to
be more than him just looking good. He's got to
be able to play he's got to be productive. We
took a guy in Green Bay by the name of
(20:53):
Carl Brooks. All he did at b from Bowling green
All he did was he played stand up outside backer.
He played five technique, he played three technique, he played
nose tackle. And he was productive in all of those positions.
And I love him. And you know, we got him
as a rookie and guess what he did at this level.
(21:13):
He was a productive player. He was able to affect
a quarterback. He learned how to play the run the
way we wanted to play the run, and you know,
so that's you know, but again, is he walk in
the building? Is he going to look like Tarzan? Probably not,
But he definitely was a ballplayer when you snap that ball.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
You worked with Mike Daniels when he was a pro
bowler in Green Bay. He finished his career with Cincinnati.
He was part of the Super Bowl team in twenty
twenty one. Have you talked to Mike since deciding to
come to the Bengals and if so, what has he
shared about being in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, you know, he.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Reached out to me once he heard it. As a
matter of fact, it's funny. I got a tech from
him just a little while ago. He's excited for me
to get the chance to get my hands on the
guys in the building and mold them to the way
that that you know, we see fit and how we
want to play defense here. And uh so, yeah, I
mean he's already coach, I want to come. I want
(22:08):
to be at training camp. I want to be I
want to see you work with these guys, you know.
So you know, Mike, Mike stamped up twenty four to seven.
He's the same guy all the time. And that's a
prime example. Mike Daniels was a guy that he played
the game at a high, high, high level and may
not always wound up taking the information that we wanted
(22:30):
to give him. But he was like, Coach, I just
want to beat the guy across from me. And I
was like, you know what, Mike, I'm good with that. So, like,
he was great at technique fundamentals and he was a
productive player because of that. So you know, but when
he walked out there, he didn't look like Tarzan, did
he He wasn't six five sixty six. But hey, I'll
take those guys that if they got some good football IQ.
(22:51):
But Mike Mike definitely, he loved his time there.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Jerry, you got the several NFC championship games in your
years in Green Bay, can get to a Super Bowl?
How much does winning two more games and bringing home
a Lombardi Trophy drive you?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
It's it's tough. I mean, you look at what happened
last night and you just feel for those guys you get.
You work so hard to get to that moment and
then it just wasn't quite good enough or you know
you will one snap away.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
And so.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
That's part of the reason in coming to Cincinnati is
if you feel like you have a legit chance at
you know, taking that step, and so absolutely, I mean
it would mean everything to be able to win a championship. Look,
there's there's only one team that ends a year happy,
So I'd like to be in those shoes for once.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
That's what we were hoping for as well. I feel
like this is a question I have to ask anybody
that comes to Cincinnati, what do you think of Burrow?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Hey, he's a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
So crazy story his dad almost offered me a job
when he was a decordinator.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
At uh at at Ohio, So uh it goes way
back when I was a young coach at Northern Iowa
and uh, I get that phone call and uh, you know,
I was, I was this.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Close to getting the job, and for whatever reason, they
had to go in another direction. But we've always stayed
in close contact. So when I go, when he heard
I got the job, he reached out to me. The
old man did so. Uh yeah, but his son phenomenal
and uh facing him in Green Bay, he's elite. He
gets the ball out, he's athletic, he see, he sees coverages. Uh,
(24:42):
he can put, he can spin the ball just about
anywhere you want it and how you want it. So
it'll be neat to be be with a guy like
Aaron and then get a chance to uh be with him.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
You and the Burroughs were meant to be together at
some point.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
There.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
It is silent question for Jerry Montgomery, and I appreciate
your time. I started with a question about your Twitter profile.
I'm gonna end with one. It's kind of strange. In
the picture, you're on a beach with your family. You're
wearing a retro Cincinnati Royals jersey. Is there a story
behind the retro Cincinnati Royals Jersey.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
You know what, No, there is it just coincidence.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
I you know, I enjoy my time out on the beach,
so I've got all my my taktops are all throwback Jersey.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
So when we're out there, I always get questions, Oh, here,
you're a fan. Here your fan here? All right. I
probably could have made that sound a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
But well, had you been wearing Oscar Robertson's number, I
would have really wondered about the connection. But it's a
Chris Webber throwback. I think that's not quite a full
Cincinnati tie there. In any case, said Jerry, We're excited
to have you in Cincinnati. I really appreciate your time
today and I look forward to meeting doing person soon.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Absolutely appreciate it. Enjoyed my time also.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
That's going to do it for this episode of the
Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by pay Core. Proud
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Fiber future Proof fiber Internet designed elevate your home, business
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(26:27):
done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if
you have a minute, give it a rating or share
a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm
Dan Hord and thank you for listening to the Bengals
Booth podcast
I get everybody on dan Hord and thanks for downloading
The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Right Down b Line. Addition,
as we get to know the Bengals new defensive line
coach Jerry Montgomery. 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
(00:26):
designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a
new level, and by Kettering Health, the best care for
the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider
of the Bengals. Now 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 wherever you
get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since a Super
(00:49):
Bowl in New Orleans. We're all sad that the Bengals
didn't make it back to the Super Bowl this year,
and I am a little extra sad because I consider
New Orleans to be the greatest city in the world
to host a big sporting event, and I speak from experience.
For starters, everything is within walking distance the Hotel's Bourbon Street,
(01:11):
the French Quarter, the Superdome, live music, tremendous restaurants, in
great sightseeing. Before our son was born, the Big Easy
was the number one place that my wife and I
love to go for short vacations, and it's ideal for
a big sporting event because nearly all of the fans
congregate in the French Quarter every day and night wearing
(01:32):
their team gear. You'll see everybody you know that made
the trip and will undoubtedly run into friends you haven't
seen in years. Additionally, you'll see the opposing teams fans
every day, and in New Orleans, where the perpetual vibe
is to relax and have a good time, the interaction
stays friendly. My first taste of all of this was
(01:53):
in March of nineteen eighty seven when I covered the
Final Four for the Syracuse Radio Network and sat almost
directly behind Bobby Knight when Keith Smart's last second shot
gave Indiana one point win over Syracuse for the national championship.
And speaking of first tastes, that trip marked my introduction
to the Hurricane, the unofficial cocktail of New Orleans that
(02:17):
is as sweet as kool aid but packs a lethal punch. Fortunately,
I was given valuable advice by a local taxi driver
who said a hurricane is like a woman's bosom. One
is not enough, but three are too many. That advice
has served me well. I returned to New Orleans nine
(02:38):
months later for the Sugar Bowl between Syracuse and Auburn,
and years later did the play by play of another
Sugar Bowl when Cincinnati faced Florida. Attending a Sugar Bowl
gives you the chance to ring in the new year
in a city where last Call doesn't exist. I vividly
remember doing the countdown to midnight in five time zones
(02:58):
on Bourbon Street. In other words, five four three two one,
Happy New Year in New York, New Orleans, Denver, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Honolulu.
I was tucked away in bed by the time they
got to Auckland. This will be the eleventh Super Bowl
(03:20):
in New Orleans, and I've covered one of them. The
nineteen ninety seven matchup between Green Bay and New England.
Packers quarterback Brett Farv was the big story all week
because he was from nearby Kill, Mississippi. Like nearly every
reporter covering that Super Bowl, I dutifully made the trip
to Kill to do the Farv's hometown Angle. While there,
(03:42):
I ran into a fledgling musician named Stevie t who
had written a tribute song to Farv called Brett's on
a Quest. These priceless lyrics are forever seared into my brain.
Daddy was a coach, showed him the way train fight win.
That's the form you lehy, not exactly Lennon and McCartney.
(04:05):
My best New Orleans experience came as a fan, as
my wife and I attended the two thousand and three
Final Four to see our alma mater, Syracuse beat Kansas
for the national championship. It was like a college reunion
set in the Big Easy as most of our closest
friends from schools showed up unannounced for the weekend, and
best of all, our team won. I was hoping to
(04:27):
experience that again in a couple of weeks, but it
wasn't meant to be. I guess we'll all have to
settle for Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California next February.
Now let's get to my guest. The Bengals announced the
hiring of two defensive coaches on Monday. Linebackers coach Mike Hodges,
who spent the last eight years with the Saints, and
(04:47):
defensive line coach and run game coordinator Jerry Montgomery, who
was with the Patriots last year after spending the previous
nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Montgomery is forty
five years old, and we'll look to elevate a position
group that must perform better for the Bengals to make
significant improvement on defense. I spoke to them via zoom
(05:09):
on Monday, Jelly, I was amused by your Twitter profile
because it says husband, father, and love. Teaching fundamentals. Is
that your strength as a defensive line coach, you know what.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
That's how I was brought up, because it doesn't matter
what you'd call. At the end of the day, you
can go back to any mistake that happens, unless it's
a total bust and you don't know what you're supposed
to be doing all right on any given play, all right.
It starts with your hands, eyes, and feet, and if
those things aren't right and what you're taught and fundamentally
(05:48):
and you're making mistakes, it's usually because it starts with
one of those two three one of those two or
three things. So that's how I was raised, and I
was brought up with coach parents and Ron Ake and
and spend some time with p Jink. It's also guys
that are just fundamentally sound and base and it starts
from there, and then from there, you know, we're going
(06:10):
to challenge these guys to push them outside of their
comfort zone as far as learning football.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know, I'm glad you mentioned some of your coaching
influences because you played at a high level at Iowa.
You got to look from the Saints in the NFL.
What did your best coaches do for you in helping
you become the player you became?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Be great teachers. I can say this.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I was lucky and I was fortunate to have good teachers,
especially at the University of Iowa. And that's their program
to this day is one of the most successful programs
in college football with less talent than anybody else in
the country. You put those kids at Alabama in front
(06:54):
of coach parents, you know, you're talking about him like
they're talking about Nick. But again, you take Nick, Bill
and Kirk, they were all on one staff together, so
you know they all come from the same tree, but
just a great foundation. And I was a sponge as
a player, So when I got done playing. I knew
(07:16):
right away, you know what I wanted to do. And
it's crazy because I quit chasing the dream of playing.
Just you know, you get cut enough, you're like all right,
time to go to the world world. And I get
a medical sales job. And then ron Ake and my
D line coach, calls me, says, hey, what are you doing.
I just told myself I just took a job on
it make some real money, he says. He goes, there's
(07:38):
a junior college job at North Iowa Area Community College,
which no longer has football. He goes, hey, you can
go be the D line coach there. They're looking for
a young college guy that just graduated. And he goes,
you can get you know, a fifteen hundred dollars stipend,
free room and board. And I said, oh, coach, you know.
He goes, No, that's what you need to do. So
(08:01):
I had to go tell my wife. My coach says, hey,
this is who I am, this is what I need
to do. And that's what I did, and so and
then just never looked back. How long were you in
medical sales? Never started the job, never started the job.
So accepted the offer and then literally the phone call
(08:22):
happened the next you know, the next day, and then
I took the the d line job at Nayak.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Were visiting with Jerry Montgomery. You played tackle. How much
difference is there between coaching tackles and coaching ends? If
there is a.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Difference, fundamentally, there's a little more space for ends when
you're on edges, but you know, the there's a lot
more blocked you can receive in things inside with the
interior tackles compared to the things that you have to
work with the guys on the edges. And again from
(08:57):
a passer standpoint, there's a slight difference. And you know
how fast you have to work or move on the
inside compared to the outside. All right, So other than that,
it's it's all the same. And you know, I look
forward to working with the group that we have there
and you know, possibly some of the new faces that
we'll have next year.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Also, your title in Cincinnati includes run game coordinator. I
think we've all heard that with offensive line coaches. I'm
not sure I've heard it with defensive line coaches. Explain
run game coordinator from a defensive perspective.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
At the end of the day, you know Al is
going to call it, but I hope to make his
job a lot easier. If he's got questions about anything
that happens within that run game, I should be able
to have answers. If there's issues on the field, I
should be able to have answers and solutions to those
problems and how we want to fix them in game adjustment.
(09:53):
So my job is just to make his job a
lot easier when it comes to the run game. And
you know, that's got to be something that I'm mastering that.
You know I did that. I had the same title
in Green Bay. But ultimately, you know, Al's gonna call
the defense, but I'll have a heavy influence on you know,
(10:14):
what we're seeing, how we want to attack it, and
then run that by Al. And so that's kind of
how it goes.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
What do you know about Al And did you follow
his defense as at Notre Dame over the last few years.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Well, you know, I love college football. I've got a
son that's a red shirt sophomore at the University of Iowa.
So we're watching college football every weekend. Every Saturday. We
watched the whole playoff run, watch their national championship run.
There and you know, he's done a tremendous job wherever
he's been, when he was the head coach at Temple
(10:45):
to his time at Miami, and just everybody I've talked
to has a ton of respect for him as a
coach and as a person. And you know, that's what
I'm most excited about, is just being around another good
coach and teacher, somebody I can learn from and grow from.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Jerry Montgomery, as our guest, you essentially became a free
agent when the Patriots decided to change head coaches. Was
there competition for your services? Did the Bengals have to
beat others out in order to lure you to Cincinnati?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
You know, I'll keep you know the names in house,
but yeah, I mean there were other opportunities to go
to multiple different places, but you know one this one
is means, you know, it's important to us in our family.
It's close to the Midwest. My wife is you know,
grew up on a farm in Dyersville, Isowa. So we're
(11:36):
six hours or something like that from home. She can
watch a high school game Friday night of our son
who's a freshman who'll be a sophomore next year, and
be able to get in a car and get to
Iowa City to watch our one son that plays and
our other son who's a freshman there as a student
assistant in the football office. So so that was important
(11:58):
to us. And hell, like what was Zach has done
here has been you know, pretty damn special. And so
you know, I'm excited about being around you know, Hall
of Fame quarterback and having the opportunity to to fix
any issues we have on defense and making it as
good as we can. So yeah, so I'm excited about that.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Is Dyersville the site of the Field of Dreams field.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
It is it is her farm is I would say
her farm is exactly like two and a half miles
from the Field of Dreams farm, so they she grew
up on a dairy farm. My father in law has
has since sold his cows and he's just you know,
crop farms now and and it has some corns and
(12:42):
bean beans and things like that.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So we're back there all the time.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
If you build it with a defensive line, the Super
Bowl can come.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
There you go, there, you go. Aut.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Jerry Montgomery is our guest. You're part of Matt Lafloor's
staff for several years. In Green Bay and Mike Holmgrin
before that. Matt obviously hasn't tied to Zach Taylor from
their time together with the Rams. Did that have anything
to do with this connection and winding up in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
You know what, it didn't. I didn't know anybody, you
know what, I take that back. I didn't know anybody
on the staff other than Jordan Kovac. So Jordan we
coached at the University of Michigan when I was a
D line coach there. He was our start and safety,
so and I know he's a bright young star in
his profession, smart, smart kid like he was player. But
(13:34):
I didn't have any connections or ties to the staff.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I was.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Down the road with the team and I got a
text Thursday morning that they put in my slipt and
had an opportunity to visit with Zach, and then it
just kind of happened quickly, and so I was excited
when the opportunity came, But no, there was there was
no connections. Knew of people on the staff Zach and
(14:01):
knew about and so on and so forth, and obviously
playing them first game of the season last year, and
knew some of the guys that were there from the
previous staff that it is.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
No longer with it.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
I think, I said Mike Hombgrin, I met Mike McCarthys
before you coach a batt lafleur. Let's discuss some of
the personnel that's under contract for the upcoming season, Beginning
with Trey Hendrickson. He led the NFL with seventeen and
a half sacks. He had seventeen and a half the
year before. He's averaged fourteen plus in his four years
with the Bengals. How do you describe Trey and what's
(14:35):
it mean to begin with that building block as you
try to put together an elite defensive line.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, man, to have a guy that's been that productive,
you know, there's not a whole lot that's going to
have to change. You know, we'll teach him the scheme
and what we want to do. But when it gets
down to, you know, affecting the quarterback, it looks like
he's doing a hell of a job as it so,
I mean, those type of numbers are awesome. Now, what
you'd like to have is a couple other guys on
(15:03):
that front, especially on the inside, be able to affect
the quarterback. You know, you're not gonna have somebody inside
other than Aaron Donald having seventeen. But you'd like to
be able to affect the quarterback, and that was one
thing in Green Bay we were able to do with
the front four is be able to affect it from
the inside out. So when you can be able to
(15:25):
push the pocket from the inside, those guys on the edge,
it makes their job a lot easier. So that quarterback
is spinning out to the level of the rushers on
the edge. So you know, look forward to adding to
the group. But man, it's a good start to have him,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
More with Jerry on, Miles Murphy, Sam Hubbard and much more.
But first, here's a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth
podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to
be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber
future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
(16:05):
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. The Bengals drafted
a couple of defensive tackles last year. Chris Jenkins in
the second round, McKinley Jackson in the third. Did you
study those guys prior to last year's draft and what
do you think of them?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Yeah, you know, good size, productive, you know, guys that
have played hard, been with some good programs, so good
building blocks, you know. And one thing we're going to
do and ask them to do is play extremely hard
and play with technique fundamentals. So I look forward to
(16:40):
working with those two.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Also, how can you help Miles Murphy turn his immense
physical gifts into more production on the field.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I've said it two or three times already, you've brought
it up. It's going to start with our fundamentals. Like
that is everything, because at the end of the day,
if we can get those young men to play with
great technique fundamentals, they're going to have a chance to
be productive. We're gonna teach them how to do things,
how to play blocks, and that way, when they get something,
(17:12):
they can play it the way we want them to
play it. And then if they do it the way
we ask them to do it, they're going to be
in position to make plays. We're not going to have
to go chase plays. We're not going to have to
create things to make plays. They're gonna make the plays
that come to them, and that's that's what we're supposed
to do, is de line.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Sam Hubbard's been a key Bengal now for seven years.
He's got a year left on his deal. He's approaching
his thirtieth birthday. What have you thought of Sam Hubbard
over the years?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Steady, steady, Eddie, Consistent.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I mean, you look at the Bengals defenses over the
you know, the five to six five six years. Those
guys have been staples in the leagues and you know,
one plays on the left, one plays on the right,
and they've done a good job and consistent. They play hard,
So I mean, that's that's all you can ask for
(18:02):
with guys is to play to the best of your
ability week in and week out.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
And they've done that. They've showed that, and they're proven players.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
See line coach Jerry Montgomery is our guest, as I'm
sure you know, assistant coaches in Cincinnati have a significant
voice when it comes to the draft and when it
comes to free agency. Has that been the case in
your past and are you looking forward to that with
the Bengals.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, I'm excited about it because I think and again,
every place is different, but I think there's times where
you feel like you've invested a lot of time into
evaluating these prospects and getting to know them, finding out
what their football IQ is, how they're you know, how
(18:43):
they're going to handle the things that you give them,
how they process, and then you feel really good about
somebody and then they're there at that spot we talked
about taking them, and then you take somebody else that
you didn't necessarily love. And so I'm looking forward to
being able to sit in there and you know, voice
my opinion on things, and then whatever we decide to do,
(19:06):
we decide to do. But yeah, I mean it's different
everwhere you go. So I hear here you're heavily involved,
which is awesome because I think sometimes as coaches, you know,
that's what we complain about most is not having a
lot of say in the guys that we get or
that we take.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
What are the most important traits you look for?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Well, again, you can have the most talented guy in
the world, but you know we talk about in our
d line room, toughness, effort, technique, and fundamentals. Those three
things doesn't take talent. So if we're willing to buy
into those things, we're gonna have a chance. But again,
(19:49):
always I think it's important. You want guys that have talent,
but you want guys that can process and learn and
be able to take the game to the next level.
And my room, I'm gonna be very demanding on them
to uh, you know, get out of their comfort zone
and learning the game and seeing it the way a
coach Seeson. Not not everybody can handle that, but the
(20:10):
guys that I've had in the past that have been
able to do that, the Kenny Clarks, the Dean Lowry's
you know, you know, there's a ton of guys that
I work with that have been able to handle and
process that, and they're extremely effective players on the field
because they can take in the things that we're trying
to teach them to grow so so that that that's
(20:32):
one of the most important things. And too, you know,
you can look like Tarzan and play like Jane. You know,
it's great to have size, and I love it, but
you need to be able to play the game. So
when you turn on that film, uh, it's got to
be more than him just looking good. He's got to
be able to play he's got to be productive. We
took a guy in Green Bay by the name of
(20:53):
Carl Brooks. All he did at b from Bowling green
All he did was he played stand up outside backer.
He played five technique, he played three technique, he played
nose tackle. And he was productive in all of those positions.
And I love him. And you know, we got him
as a rookie and guess what he did at this level.
(21:13):
He was a productive player. He was able to affect
a quarterback. He learned how to play the run the
way we wanted to play the run, and you know,
so that's you know, but again, is he walk in
the building? Is he going to look like Tarzan? Probably not,
But he definitely was a ballplayer when you snap that ball.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
You worked with Mike Daniels when he was a pro
bowler in Green Bay. He finished his career with Cincinnati.
He was part of the Super Bowl team in twenty
twenty one. Have you talked to Mike since deciding to
come to the Bengals and if so, what has he
shared about being in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, you know, he.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Reached out to me once he heard it. As a
matter of fact, it's funny. I got a tech from
him just a little while ago. He's excited for me
to get the chance to get my hands on the
guys in the building and mold them to the way
that that you know, we see fit and how we
want to play defense here. And uh so, yeah, I
mean he's already coach, I want to come. I want
(22:08):
to be at training camp. I want to be I
want to see you work with these guys, you know.
So you know, Mike, Mike stamped up twenty four to seven.
He's the same guy all the time. And that's a
prime example. Mike Daniels was a guy that he played
the game at a high, high, high level and may
not always wound up taking the information that we wanted
(22:30):
to give him. But he was like, Coach, I just
want to beat the guy across from me. And I
was like, you know what, Mike, I'm good with that. So, like,
he was great at technique fundamentals and he was a
productive player because of that. So you know, but when
he walked out there, he didn't look like Tarzan, did
he He wasn't six five sixty six. But hey, I'll
take those guys that if they got some good football IQ.
(22:51):
But Mike Mike definitely, he loved his time there.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Jerry, you got the several NFC championship games in your
years in Green Bay, can get to a Super Bowl?
How much does winning two more games and bringing home
a Lombardi Trophy drive you?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
It's it's tough. I mean, you look at what happened
last night and you just feel for those guys you get.
You work so hard to get to that moment and
then it just wasn't quite good enough or you know
you will one snap away.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
And so.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
That's part of the reason in coming to Cincinnati is
if you feel like you have a legit chance at
you know, taking that step, and so absolutely, I mean
it would mean everything to be able to win a championship. Look,
there's there's only one team that ends a year happy,
So I'd like to be in those shoes for once.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
That's what we were hoping for as well. I feel
like this is a question I have to ask anybody
that comes to Cincinnati, what do you think of Burrow?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Hey, he's a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
So crazy story his dad almost offered me a job
when he was a decordinator.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
At uh at at Ohio, So uh it goes way
back when I was a young coach at Northern Iowa
and uh, I get that phone call and uh, you know,
I was, I was this.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Close to getting the job, and for whatever reason, they
had to go in another direction. But we've always stayed
in close contact. So when I go, when he heard
I got the job, he reached out to me. The
old man did so. Uh yeah, but his son phenomenal
and uh facing him in Green Bay, he's elite. He
gets the ball out, he's athletic, he see, he sees coverages. Uh,
(24:42):
he can put, he can spin the ball just about
anywhere you want it and how you want it. So
it'll be neat to be be with a guy like
Aaron and then get a chance to uh be with him.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
You and the Burroughs were meant to be together at
some point.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
There.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
It is silent question for Jerry Montgomery, and I appreciate
your time. I started with a question about your Twitter profile.
I'm gonna end with one. It's kind of strange. In
the picture, you're on a beach with your family. You're
wearing a retro Cincinnati Royals jersey. Is there a story
behind the retro Cincinnati Royals Jersey.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
You know what, No, there is it just coincidence.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
I you know, I enjoy my time out on the beach,
so I've got all my my taktops are all throwback Jersey.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
So when we're out there, I always get questions, Oh, here,
you're a fan. Here your fan here? All right. I
probably could have made that sound a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
But well, had you been wearing Oscar Robertson's number, I
would have really wondered about the connection. But it's a
Chris Webber throwback. I think that's not quite a full
Cincinnati tie there. In any case, said Jerry, We're excited
to have you in Cincinnati. I really appreciate your time
today and I look forward to meeting doing person soon.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Absolutely appreciate it. Enjoyed my time also.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
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 Alta
Fiber future Proof fiber Internet designed elevate your home, business
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you haven't
(26:27):
done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if
you have a minute, give it a rating or share
a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm
Dan Hord and thank you for listening to the Bengals
Booth podcast
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