00:00Who communicates the who communicated the fine part?
00:03I'm just not sure how that process is actually me a text, shot me a text and it was received, you know, I, you know, that's another way or way I can grow.
00:15I need to be patient and more level headed and I look forward to that moving forward as a human being that's going through whatever this part is that they didn't like I said it, I think two years ago or last year.
00:28They definitely didn't educate me on this at FAU, right?
00:32Like you don't get this kind of media training, nor do you get this kind of circumstances thrown at you.
00:38So first and foremost, I'm a follower of Christ.
00:41Second, I'm a father.
00:43And third, I'm a husband, right?
00:46And those are my priorities right now.
00:48And those are the things that I speak the truth.
00:52I'm ready to answer.
00:53Like you guys have great questions and I appreciate them.
00:56And this has been a tremendous blessing to have a platform to voice that.
01:00So anything else you got?
01:01I think one more.
01:02Do you expect to talk to Zach today?
01:04Is that important to you?
01:06I think communication with Zach is like is going well, right?
01:13Like as well as it can.
01:15So we're going to just take that day by day.
01:17I love him.
01:18I think he's a great coach.
01:20I think he tells the truth, you know, in no way do I feel like he has not conveyed anything that's not truthful to me.
01:27You know, and I think he's a man of integrity, right?
01:30He leads and he wears the lumps and I respect him.
01:33I hope he respects me.
01:35I never want to hurt his character in this process.
01:38He was one of the people that did know of the conversations that took place last year.
01:43And I look forward to those kind of things being resolved.
01:48And that's what I meant by like people have gone through this before, right?
01:53And we're just not agreeing on some parts of what was communicated because there weren't verbal numbers that could forecast what Max Crosby, Miles Garrett, and Daniil Hunter are getting.
02:05So having that conversation in July of 2024 does not forecast May of 2025.
02:13So, yeah, can you shed more light on that, on what was communicated last year?
02:17It sounds like they wanted to say, hey, next year we'll give you a market deal and then the market change.
02:22Right.
02:22It wasn't even to that point.
02:24And credit to a well-run organization like the Bengals.
02:28There were nothing in stone, right?
02:31And they have the ability to say they've done right by me.
02:34And that's okay with my family.
02:37If that's the way it goes, so be it.
02:40I am not going to apologize for the rates of the defensive ends being paid in the National Football League.
02:46I also think it should be celebrated that talent has made its way into Cincinnati.
02:58I mean, there's no place that doesn't have a stud, including B.J. Hill.
03:02You know, so he's incredible.
03:04So, those are the kind of conversations that took place, which was basically, go do it, you know, play it, play it out, you know, we'll take care of you.
03:14And that's the cliff notes of it.
03:16It's not a direct quote, nor do I plan on quoting them in any way, shape, or form.
03:21It's just disappointing being on the other side of it and seeing where we are now, taking on that risk and trying to lead the 27th best defense in the country to win a Super Bowl.
