Tim Krumrie, the indestructible nose tackle, and Corey Dillon, the indescribable record machine at running back, tuned up for Monday night's Ring of Honor ceremony with the Bengals' Saturday night reception at Paycor Stadium.
Surrounded by family, friends and teammates overlooking the city they own, they saluted each other.
For the first six years of Dillon's career, 1997-2002, Krumrie served as the Bengals defensive line coach and helped out a young college free agent linebacker who became one of Dillon's close friends.
Adrian Ross. Otherwise known as "The Mad Backer."
Ross came into town to fete Dillon, but he also took time to recognize how Krumrie helped him make the 1998 team undrafted out of Colorado State. He would go on to play 90 games as a Bengal and start a third of them.
"I began my career as 3-4 outside linebacker, but really was a tackling middle linebacker," Ross said. "I didn't have all the pass rush skills I needed to make the team. Coach Tim taught me some of those skills against those big, athletic tackles."
As Krumrie and Ross went through all the pantomime moves of player and coach Saturday night, Krumrie said they were similar to the techniques he showed Jared Allen when he was coaching the Kansas City defensive line.
Allen, a multiple Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist, wasn't named to an All-Pro team or Pro Bowl until his second season under Krumrie and fourth in the league, in 2007, when Allen presented Krumrie with a cowboy hat as a thank you.
That's the hat Krumrie is wearing in Monday's ceremony.
"Those guys like Willie (Anderson) were so strong, they would put their hand on my back and ride me past the quarterback," Ross said. "Krummy said I had to check that hand. Get the hand off by finishing. A lot of rushers make a move, like a rip move, but they don't finish by following through and getting the hand off with a hand check. I learned that and it was the best thing ever."
CD RETURN
Dillon visited ownership Monday before the game and joked, "I stormed the castle." Dillon will tell you he had some volatile moments here, but that's clearly all in the past as he reminisced with Bengals president Mike Brown and his family.
"Great conversation. He's still in good shape. He's not slipping what-so-ever. He remembered a lot of stuff," Dillon said. "He told me I deserve to be up there, and I appreciate that. I think everyone's on the same page and we're moving forward. It's going to be a beautiful moment. My thing right now is to get these young bucks to the Super Bowl."
Bengals director of operations Jeff Brickner gave Dillon a tour of the new locker room and expanded training room.
"I couldn't believe all the bells and whistles. What is this? General Hospital?" Dillon said. "What they're doing down there is amazing. I'm happy for them. I'm proud to be a Bengal."
BIG THREE AGAIN?
Also in town to celebrate his teammate Dillon, former wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is also checking in on his pupil. Before the Bengals drafted wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round this year, Houshmandzadeh coached him in the pre-draft process. He saw Burton's first NFL catch last week, a 47-yard bomb from quarterback Joe Burrow, and he thinks it can open up things for three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase now that wide receiver Tee Higgins is back.
He had to laugh when asked if the Chase, Higgins, Burton trio reminds him of the Chad Johnson-Chris Henry-Houshmandzadeh combo of 20 years ago. He said Higgins' 6-4 frame makes him the Henry of the bunch. So if Chase is Johnson, that makes Burton the Houshmandzadeh of the group.
"Even though he's faster than I was. He's so fast and big, not many people can cover him," Houshmandzadeh said. "The Chiefs were rolling coverages to Ja'Marr (last Sunday). That's going to leave Jermaine one-on-one and he's going to beat that. With Tee back, that's just going to make it easier for Joe and it's going to open up things for Ja'Marr. He's playing like me right now with (intermediate) catches. They need him to pop some big plays. I think Tee and Jermaine are going to help that."
COWBOY ROUNDUP
Krumrie asked two of his oldest supporters to join him for the ceremony. His coach at Mondovi High School, Jim Rose, and his high school quarterback, Jess Cole. That's back when Krumrie played fullback and linebacker.
"He was an animal," said Cole, who also played two seasons with him at Wisconsin. "We had a few plays where I rolled out and he was the lead blocker and to watch what he did to high school cornerbacks was unbelievable."
How good of a coach was Rose? He sent two guys Div. I from a farming community of 2,500 and a school of about 350.
"He was as quiet as you could get. Hardly get a couple of words out of him," Rose said of Krumrie. "A great farm boy. You couldn't slow him down. You saw him. Same thing. The back would break out of the hole and he'd chase him down on the sidelines."
Krumrie grew up on a dairy farm and Cole grew up on a beef farm. Usually, Cole made it over to the Krumrie's home for pre-game meal. Then the next minute, he was watching him on TV playing in the Super Bowl for the Bengals.
"He was an All-American and you knew he was good, but it was that unbelievable work ethic that kept it going," said Cole, who sounds like a lot of folks in Cincinnati. "I truly believe if he hadn't got hurt, they would have won."
Rose confirmed that Krumrie's Mondovi helmet, just like his Bengals helmet, would always cut the bridge of his nose.
"We'd tape it up every game," Rose said.
