The mid and late 2000s were interesting times for the Cincinnati Bengals. They experienced new success under Marvin Lewis and several outstanding personalities rose to NFL stardom.

The period also brought a number of disappointments, from losses in the first round of the playoffs to problems off the field. The Bengals became the bad boys of the NFL, numerous players were arrested and the team brought in talented free agents with other personal baggage.

That changed a bit in the Andy Dalton era that followed and became a central element of Zac Taylor’s leadership of the team. Players with captaincy, other great leadership qualities, outstanding academic performance and a reputation for community service are the cornerstones of this new, successful era.

The last Talking Football with Bengal Jim and Friends featured Elizabeth Blackburn, Bengals director of strategy and engagement. Since taking over the role, the team’s social media game has improved and the team has made great strides in wrapping its metaphorical arms around Who Dey Nation.

Co-host Tom Justin noted the strong character of the players and asked Blackburn about this aspect. Was it intentional? Luck? Was it simply a coincidence that a player with talent on the field was brought in?

“I think it’s definitely more than coincidence,” Blackburn said. “What we do company-wide to build that culture and identify good people, hard-working, talented individuals, is too high a priority for it not to spill over into their personal lives as well.”

Cincinnati has signed high-character players under Taylor, either in the draft or as free agents. Some of the players they have acquired from outside the organization (free agents) have become some of their most vocal leaders and most productive players on the field.

“I think we’ve been committed to this for a long time,” Blackburn continued. “Success is contagious. It lifts everyone’s spirits and when you do things right on the field and off the field – I think you’re seeing that more and more because the freshmen are coming in and they’re learning from them and that’s what it means to be a Bengal and that’s just going to continue.”

We’ve seen many current (and former) players get involved in community projects, usually on a large scale. The team has officially supported many of these projects and even hosted some of them at Paycor Stadium.

When the Bengals interviewed Taylor during the 2019 offseason while he was still an assistant with the Rams, they were “impressed” with his elegance and vision. When he took over as head coach, he and the front office aligned their visions and created this new generation of Bengals football.

It seems that this path will continue as long as this formula and the intention to attract mature men who know how to lead and handle success remain.

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