Joseph Ossai on Bengals Tenure, Free Agency and Future in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

Transcript

00:00I think I did all right I think I did all right for myself um there's always you know I'm very

00:04critical of myself so there's definitely a lot more that I wanted to do a lot more I could have

00:08done um easier said than done obviously but um yeah that'll happen whatever it is like I said

00:18I'm lucky that we get paid so much to do what we do this is fun for me this is a this is what I

00:24dream about this is what I it's about when in offseason when we're not playing for so long so

00:29whatever if they give me five bucks I'm good you know what I'm saying so I think you get a little

00:34more than that yeah I'll get a little more than that but you know whatever they give me I'm happy

00:40with so we'll see I don't think having losing trade in the middle of the year kind of affected the way

00:44the whole defensive line room went about business how do you think that impacted everything it's

00:48tough when you when you lose a guy like that and then the impact he makes and the impact he has on

00:53a defense any defense it's tough but um I think I think we did a good job of of rallying

00:59as a d-line and and playing with each other and leaning on each other in in hopes of um filling

01:05that hole but you know anyone who's played against him or or played with him knows it's it's a massive

01:11hole that um that's that's gone in a defense when he's not on it so I think I I I'm giving props to

01:20the whole d-line for for rallying around each other and and leaning on each other and and trying to

01:25to to be impactful still without him how's Jerry from his side after he got hurt did that unlock

01:32something for you it was great it was great um you know um I favor that side a bit but I'm not

01:39going to speak to um it unlocking this and that because you know that that brings up the fact that

01:45he wasn't there and I don't like to talk about that but it was it was great to to be over there

01:50predominantly I would say did did Miles become a dude this year and that's what I'm so excited

01:58about man and and I love because seeing young guys grow it's there's nothing like it seeing

02:03young guys develop there's nothing like it Miles become a became a all caps dude this year and I

02:11and I love that I love that and I've always said he had he had all the tangibles you know he just

02:15needed one opportunity in this game is is bigger than most and then the confidence to know that

02:20he can do it and you could see it every week when he got more confident and more confident in the

02:25way he played and his the swagger about him was different and all that stuff and I'm just I'm happy

02:30for him capital all caps d-u-d-e dude you've seen you kind of we've seen you kind of grow over the

02:38years too I mean we were there we covered the AFC championship game in 22 yeah you've grown a lot

02:42since then what has enabled you a lot to to grow from that moment to build the career that you've

02:46built yeah and get to this point now it's been great it's been great there's been there's been

02:50ups and downs for sure um but I'm most excited about the relationships I've built in those years

02:58in those in those learning situations growing you know I gained friends for life in those learning

03:03situations so I wouldn't I wouldn't change any of that for the world um but yeah it's it's been great

03:09you can't grow without going through some hurt you know I mean that's why it's called growing pains

03:13so um yeah five years here it's been great it's been a blessing hopefully there's more if there's

03:21not I hope I keep growing wherever I wherever I get to how much has Jerry helped your development

03:26and in working with him and how how much do you hope you continue to work with him in 2027

03:29I really hope to keep he's a great dude he's a great dude um very detailed in everything he does

03:34and um me personally that's how I love being coached me personally that's what I love because

03:42I'm also very critical about myself so if if you're detailed in what you do and you can align me and

03:48point me in the right direction I think it's great you know he's he's been great this year in developing

03:52me I hope I keep playing with him if I don't I just got to take what he's taught me this year

03:57to where I'm going next year wherever I'm going next year and then figure it out from there

04:02you obviously have gone through this process once before how much does that prepare you for

04:06this time around um uncertainty is never a good thing but um like I mentioned earlier I trust and

04:14believe in God and wherever I need to be I will be there's no need stressing about it I think even

04:19going through that last year is I'm realizing even more now there's no there's no use stressing

04:25about it trust and believe in God the decisions that need to be made will be made and we'll go from

04:30there you know

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended