Tahj Brooks

Running Back, Texas Tech

What was it like to get the call when you were drafted?

"It was a great experience. I'm very blessed that the Bengals organization drafted me. It was awesome. It put a smile to my face. Me and the running backs coach (Justin Hill) go very well. He was a guy that recruited me in college and I'm glad I got to be back with him."

What was that process like when Justin Hill was recruiting you? He was at Tulsa back then, right?

"Right. It's crazy — my freshman year of high school, I committed to him. It was a great, long relationship, and then I feel like it wasn't my best, just because of the school. I decided to go Power 5, which, I committed to Texas Tech. Then after Texas Tech, I did my season there and then we re-kindled. I feel like the relationship goes a long way. Especially him, he's a great guy, he's an honest guy. He's going to tell you straightforward and he's going to coach you hard, so it's some of the qualities I look for in a coach."

How would you describe your style as a runner?

"I feel like I'm an all-around back. I'm very versatile. I can catch the ball out of the backfield, I'm very explosive in the run game and I have very violent hands in pass protection. That's something you see on my tape a lot, and I'm very blessed to be about that."

What made you so productive over your last two years?

"I feel like what made me so productive was just the consistency you see on tape. The balance, and how I run my style. I don't let one person tackle me. That's something I've just build in my career. In the pass game, I feel like I have the best hands on the field. I feel like I have the best hands in this running back class. That's just the attitude that I bring toward the organization, in just the pass game and being explosive that way."

What is it like knowing you're coming to a team that is really pass-heavy? How does that approach how you make that adjustment from college to the pros?

"I can't wait. I feel like it's a new challenge, but it's not a challenge that I'm afraid of. It's a challenge that I'm ready to go attack. I'm ready to get to know the guys, get to know the guys in my room, get to learn the playbook. It's going to be special because I feel like I love getting in the slot, I love being outside at the 'Y' with a linebacker matched up on me, because I feel like man-on-man with a linebacker on me, I'm going to win that every time."

How closely do you follow Joe Burrow?

"I don't follow him too closely, but now I have to. That guy is a great quarterback. My old strength coach, coach Lance Barlow, he actually was Joe Burrow's strength coach at LSU at that time. Those guys, they've been doing it for a long time. I'm just trying to join those guys, learn under them, see what they do, ask questions when questions need to be asked and go from there."

How much did you run from under center versus shotgun in your scheme in college?

"It's crazy, I ran under center maybe eight times in my whole career. We're traditionally shot gun, and that can be either on the left or the right side of the quarterback, or that can be in pistol. So, that's what my special teams coordinator did the most."

What is your special teams experience?

"I played a lot of special teams. I was a (rotational) returner, I was the main returner for some games. I was a (personal protector) on punt. I can add value that way. I can hold up blocks on punt return and do it in that way in transition."

Does that help you, knowing you're coming to a team that plays a lot in shotgun?

"It helps, but I can be versatile. I'm a big guy they can put in the I-formation and be seven yards deep, and get an inside zone or an outside zone. I feel like I'm versatile to whatever offense that presents itself. I think that's one thing about my game that I've learned a lot about myself. I just can't wait to do it."