The Bengals pulled off a huge preseason trade when Paycor Stadium celebrated the largest country weekend in Cincinnati history.
Pro Bowl sacker Trey Hendrickson swapped his No. 91 jersey for a Combs signature on his Cincy Hat during a weekend he briefly appeared on the Paycor stage with singing star Luke Combs.
Combs himself wore a Cincy Hat during a weekend more than 100,000 tickets were sold to his shows this past Friday and Saturday nights.
Much to the delight of Cincy Hat founder Ted Karras.
Karras, the Bengals center, has made the hat the centerpiece of his fundraising for securing homes for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Like Hendrickson, Karras met Combs Thursday at Bengals practice. As Karras ran to the short-yardage portion, he found himself passing the two-time County Music Association Entertainer of the Year.
"I'm on the sideline giving him the 30-second elevator pitch for Cincy Hat and what we do and how it would mean a lot to me and the city and the people we serve," Karras said before Sunday's practice.
"He's a legend for going up there two nights in a row. It means a lot."
Hendrickson says he and Combs, a Carolina Panthers fan, hit it off talking about football and life. Hendrickson broke in with the Saints, the Panthers' NFC South rival.
"We were talking about how my first sack was against Cam Newton, an overall No. 1 pick and MVP, and what that meant for me as a rookie," Hendrickson said of the Carolina quarterback. "Things progressed, I got invited to a few things, and I ended up on stage. I'm appreciative of the opportunity. It was a date night for me and my wife, so it was a lot of fun."
Combs, 34, a former Appalachian State student, worked as a bouncer before singing at the same bar and then going on to be nominated for seven Grammys. He seemed to find a bond with Hendrickson, 29, the unheralded pass rusher from Florida Atlantic who has the third most sacks in the 2020s.
"Good dude. Very humble," Hendrickson said. "It's a cool story and he's doing great things for his family."
Karras reports a great thing for the Cincy Hat after Combs left the stage. That version of the hat sold out.
"It's really cool Paycor hosts such mega stars in Cincinnati," Karras said. "He's a Cincy Hat Hall-of-Famer. We have an extensive list now."
