Vonn Bell on defense and Joe Burrow on offense were the two biggest no-brainers Monday when Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced the captains’ vote. Even though Bell had a one-year hiatus last season in Carolina, his impact on Cincinnati's championship teams is indelible.
From his overtime interception in the 2021 AFC title game that paved the way to the Super Bowl, to his players-only secondary meetings on off days, to his legendary early-morning Crack of Vonn workouts, Bell's presence has been immense. As linebacker Logan Wilson said in the spring, "It's like he never left."
Shortly after Monday's practice, Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson blitzed Bell for one of his weekly conversations during the season. It ranges from Bell's beginnings as a leader, to the impact of the 2023 death of his father, the great Murray State linebacker Vencent Bell of the 1986 Ohio Valley champs and how this Bengals team may be different but still has championship DNA.
The Conversation:
GH: It's amazing to me you were never a captain in college or the NFL until here and now again in 2024. What's that say about you and this team?
VB: I would say early in my (NFL) career when I was in New Orleans, I had a bunch of leaders. Great guys. Demario Davis. Cam Jordan. Drew Brees. Roman Harper. Kurt Coleman. James Laurinaitis. I had all those type of caliber guys around me. AP (Adrian Peterson). I feel like I gained all that knowledge, and I just took it along with me, and I added my style with it.
I always had a leadership background. Even how I carried myself as a young dude. So when I would get to year seven, year eight, it was my time to lead. It's just like passing a torch down along the way of the journey. I just took whatever I learned from them. I applied it and I just stuck to the grind and God blessed me with the leadership capabilities and leadership skills. I'm applying his gifts and giving him glory through it.
GH: Stunningly you weren't a captain at Ohio State.
VB: I was a knucklehead sometimes. I was young still.
GH: How different is your role now from 2020-2022? Or is it different?
VB: I don't think it's too much different.
GH: You're around different guys now. Younger it would appear than when you first got here.
VB: It's different because of (then) older guys like Chid (Awuzie), Jessie (Bates III). We still had a young Germaine (Pratt). We had Josh Bynes. We had William Jackson. But these guys now, I feel like coming into it, the game has changed. The game has changed, and I feel like it helps you grow still. You can never say, 'I got it,' but it helps you in a good way of growth.
And throughout the game, you want to stay right. You want to stay as smart. You want to keep learning from different areas of how people view different parts, and you get your failures and your successes. And I think that helps you, that helps you learn down the road. Being around young guys, that keeps you youthful.
GH: What is the main thing you want to bring in your role?
VB: Structure. Structure.
GH: Is it time to start up those player-only secondary meetings on the off days?
VB: Tomorrow.
GH: First day of school?
VB: Starts tomorrow.
GH: Will it be different or kind of like they were?
VB: Kind of like they were. I'm not going to kill the guys. I always tell them it's different from how a coach brings it and presents it to you than in front of one of your brothers bringing it to you and presenting it to you.
GH: What time do you show up for work tomorrow?
VB: I'll be here early. I've got to work out before I get in there.
GH: 6 a.m.?
VB: It will be around there.
GH: Since you were here the last time, you lost your dad. How has that impacted you? (The great Murray State linebacker Vencent Bell of the 1986 Ohio Valley champs passed last year.)
VB: One of my backbones and one of my cornerstones. My guy for life. He'd always pick up the phone and I could always tell if I had a good game. He said, 'It's not good enough.' He always pushed me.
GH: He was always that guy, right?
VB: Always that guy. I just have to keep on pushing. He always told me to take care of my business. Whatever I do, take care of my business, and the businesses win a championship.
GH: Did you think of him when they read off the captains?
VB: Always think of him. Every time I step on the field, I think about him.
GH: The last time you were named captain, you probably called him.
VB: He called me, actually. I always think about him on the field, I would just want to execute the job, and he would always say, 'Job well done, son.' And he just wanted me to keep on going.
GH: One last thing, Coach. Or General. I'm using all the names the guys call you. Is this team similar to '21 and '22? Does it still have that whiff of a winner?
VB: I think it does. But, you know, each team is different, uniquely. And it does have that like, 'We could be something.' Once you identify yourself, when you know, now you have to go execute it. So, it's a special group. I think it's a very special group.
GH: What do you think is the difference?
VB: I think the difference is now I feel like they understand. They feel like it's now. They feel the urgency. They feel the urgency. And I truly believe that, and I can kind of feel that within the preparation and talking to guys and being on the field.
GH: A little different than '21?
VB: It was like, '21 was like, 'We think we can do this. We have a chance to do it.' But now it's like, we know. We know now. It's a unique feeling. You just have to trust and believe.
