Bengals 2005 seventh-round draft pick Jonathan Fanene conducted a conference call with local Cincinnati media following his selection. The transcript follows:
DEFENSIVE END JONATHAN FANENE
Q: What do you think about the Bengals picking you?
"I'm excited. Everything worked out well and I'm ready to be out there and get to work again."
Q: You grew up in American Samoa?
"Yes. I was born in Hawaii. I grew up in American Samoa where I went to high school, played football, then came over and went to school at Utah. I came over in 2000."
Q: You don't have much of a football background as far as organized playing?
"It's not as big as it is in the states. The program probably started about 20 years ago. It's not as organized as football in the states. There are a lot of good players from American Samoa, then they come to the states to see if they're good enough to keep playing."
Q: You were a quarterback, is that right?
"Yes, I was. I weighed 215 pounds then. I played quarterback, tight end and receiver when I was a sophomore in high school."
Q: Did you have to throw the ball to yourself?
"Yes."
Q: Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis mentioned you played for former Bengal Samoa Samoa. Was he one of your coaches?
"He was my head coach in high school and coached quarterbacks as well. He coaches me and taught me the game. He actually told me he was with the Bengals back in the day. I'm actually getting ready to call him and let him know the news."
Q: If it weren't for him, do you think you would have gone as far in football as you did?
"A lot of the things I learned were from him. This is the sport I wanted to play."
