Jermaine Burton on Lessons Learned, Proving Himself to Bengals and more

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

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00:00Who's been a mentor for you, Jermaine, even last year, just to say,

00:03all right, let's get things going the right direction and kind of encouraging

00:06you to be better as a man and as a football player?

00:10You know, Chase and T, I've really done a real good job, you know,

00:12helping me in and out of the facility and, you know, talking with me,

00:16coming up with better ways and, you know, listening to some of their habits

00:19and ways that they stay consistent and, you know,

00:23just better overall connection with my teammates.

00:25What's the best advice you've got?

00:27I don't really want to talk about the best advice,

00:33but I will just say consistency has a lot to do with it.

00:36Are you excited to kind of prove that you are the guy that the Bengals drafted still this year?

00:41Mm-hmm, for sure.

00:42Jermaine, how difficult was that for you when the team decided to not bring you

00:49to that final game of the season?

00:51You know, nobody should be happy with it.

00:54And, you know, I was very disappointed, but, you know, it's something that I moved on from

00:58and, you know, grew from and, you know, can't wait.

01:02We're looking forward, really looking forward to this year.

01:04How much time did you take, Jermaine, this offseason so far to think about yourself,

01:09your future, and your dedication to what you want your career to be in the NFL?

01:13Day in and day out, you know, sleepless nights, honestly.

01:18You know, just sitting there thinking.

01:20You know, I could sit there and just think about football all night.

01:22And, you know, it's just something that I love and, you know, something that I really, you know, enjoy doing.

01:27So I want to do the best that I can to, you know, be the better player I can be.

01:31Do you think the Bengals are giving you a second chance?

01:36I won't look at it like a, you know, chance.

01:38I just look at it, you know, they're, you know, my coaches and they really believe in me.

01:42So how important of an offseason is this for you to establish a routine

01:45and get into the groove before an NFL season?

01:49Because obviously it's a gun.

01:50Yeah, you know, it's very important.

01:52You know, as a team, we have one goal.

01:53You know, we want to, we really want to win a Super Bowl.

01:55So, you know, everybody in this locker room has worked their ass off offseason.

02:00And, you know, to become the best player that they can be

02:02and better habits and better routines for everybody.

02:05And, you know, it's all about just falling in line with it.

02:07You know, everybody being on the same page.

02:09What do you think the biggest difference is with you now versus where you were a year ago

02:12when you're going through your first offseason program?

02:17I'd say routine.

02:19You know, coming up to the facility, doing different things on your off time.

02:23You know, whether it could be something little.

02:25But, you know, as long as you, I feel like you just continue to do something.

02:28You know, staying in the playbook.

02:30You know, talking over things with your teammates, your coaches.

02:33You know, I feel like it just overall puts you in a better headspace.

02:35So you're talking about routine and consistency.

02:37If you follow all of those things, what's your ceiling you think this season?

02:41Whatever God allows it to be.

02:43But, you know, I just know one thing, I'm not going to stop grinding.

02:46And, yeah, so I'm looking forward to this year.

02:48Is there someone helping you through this in terms of staying on your schedule,

02:53whether it be on a daily basis or, you know, in the offseason?

02:58Is there someone specifically that's helping you that you're really leaning on?

03:01Or is it just something that one day you woke up and you were like,

03:04I want to change the way I'm going about this?

03:07I wouldn't say, you know, like daily.

03:09But, you know, like I said before, I feel like this offseason, you know,

03:13even going into this, you know, going into what we're doing now,

03:18Chase and Tia are doing a really good job of being my mentors of, you know,

03:21advice and, you know, just in many different ways, you know.

03:26So I really appreciate those guys.

03:27And, you know, many other guys around the locker room as well.

03:29You know, B.J. Hill, you know, it's one of the guys I talk with a lot,

03:33you know, joke around with a lot all day.

03:35And, you know, he knows my potential.

03:37And, you know, I look at him as like a mentor as well.

03:39So, but I can name countless guys in here, you know.

03:41That's a really good support for me.

03:43What about your relationship with Joe?

03:45Yeah, you know, me and Joe have a really, you know, funny relationship.

03:49You know, he's a real funny dude.

03:50And, you know, I just really can't wait until this year.

03:53You smile, you laugh.

03:55Does he keep you loose?

03:56Is that a big deal for, you know, after going through the kind of year

04:00you went through last year, just giving you a fresh start and keeping you loose?

04:04Yeah, you know, whether we're just talking football, you know,

04:06talking life or talking anything like that, you know.

04:10You know, he's always a good person to talk to.

04:12And I feel like he's also doing a real good job of being a mentor as well.

04:16What was the reason given for why you didn't travel for the last game of last year?

04:21Yeah.

04:22Was it on field or off field?

04:28Are you able to say that?

04:30Yeah, I'm not sure.

04:31How much of, is that having the biggest make-up call for you?

04:34Maybe not going on that, having that conversation with what we're traveling.

04:37Where does that, out of all the things that happened last year,

04:39where did that rank among, kind of say, hey, I got to really get it together?

04:43You know, I really wish I was there.

04:45But, like I said, you know, it was a situation I moved on from.

04:48And I really can't wait for this year.

04:49Do you think Jamal and Gerti should be a captain this year?

04:53100%.

04:53You know, they feel like they should be.

04:55I feel like they should be as well.

04:57What's the one for you?

04:58Do you feel like you're actually trying to show that you're on the right track now?

05:04I feel like I should just do everything that I can control.

05:06And, you know, that's pretty much what I do, you know, on the field and off the field.

05:10So I'm just, you know, trying my best to be the best player I can be.

05:14You know, just coming up with better habits, better routines,

05:16and, you know, just trying to stay consistent.

05:18What's the biggest thing you've learned from Jamal in your time being around him?

05:22Consistency.

05:23Consistency is key.

05:25What's one, playbook-wise, how comfortable are you now versus even a month ago?

05:30You know, a lot more comfortable.

05:32You know, I'm a lot more comfortable with my teammates.

05:33You know, I've created, you know, a lot of bonds and, you know,

05:36relationships with these guys over the course of the offseason.

05:39You know, even coming back, you know, whether it's going out to eat, you know,

05:42chilling with them, playing the game, talking ball, you know,

05:44in here laughing, joking, all rehabbing together.

05:48You know, I feel like I've really got closer with the guys.

05:50And, you know, I feel like we have a lot of great things in store.

05:54Do you feel pressure?

05:55Do you feel pressure to bounce back?

05:57Do you feel pressure?

05:58Do you think it's a pressure?

05:59No, sir.

06:00At the end of the day, I know my ability.

06:02And, you know, I know my potential.

06:03And I know what I need to do to, you know, to show it.

06:06So, you know, I'm doing all those things right now.

06:08And, you know, hopefully you guys will, you know, see it real soon.

06:12What's the one thing you learned last year?

06:13The one, when you look back at last year, one thing, what was it?

06:21I learned a lot of things last year.

06:24But, you know, you've really got to be a professional in this league.

06:28Is there a part of you that really wants to prove to people that what you showed last year

06:31isn't a true description of who you are?

06:34Yeah, you know, like I said, I really just look forward to this year.

06:37I know, you know, last year, you know, just another year.

06:41And I'm really focused on this year, focused on this team,

06:45focused on what I can do for them,

06:46and, you know, focused on creating a better relationship with my guys.

06:49And, you know, that's all I'm pretty much worried about.

06:51And I feel like things are going pretty good right now.

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