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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2009 > June > 19 > Entry
A gentle giant with a mean streak
WHITWORTH IS A BIG MAN;
NOW HE’S HUNKERED DOWN
AT LEFT OFFENSIVE TACKLE,
LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT
Andrew Whitworth became an instant folk hero for the Cincinnati Bengals in their 21-19 victory over Jacksonville on Nov. 2, 2008.
That was the day he gave a rousing pre-game speech — he was mad as you-know-what about the Bengals’ 0-8 record and wasn’t going to take losing anymore — then he retaliated against Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson, who pulled off Whitworth’s helmet after a heated blocking exchange and attempted to gouge Whitworth’s eyes.
Both players were ejected for fighting at 2:14 of the third quarter. At that moment, a leader was born for the Bengals.
Nowadays, Big Whit (6-7, 330) occupies one of the most important positions on the team.
After spending most of his three seasons at left guard, he’s back where he belongs — at left tackle, protecting quarterback Carson Palmer’s blind side.
“Left tackle is a position that you have one of your elite players play,” Whitworth said during a break at minicamp, which concludes Saturday, June 20, at Paul Brown Stadium. “That’s the position I want to take the responsibility of playing, and playing well.”
Whitworth entered the NFL in 2006 as a second-round draft pick out of LSU, where he was a pillar of the Tigers’ line at left tackle from 2002-05. Of his 38 NFL starts, 13 came at left tackle for the often-injured Levi Jones, whose release in May cleared a path for Whitworth to return “home.”
Head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive line coach Paul Alexander didn’t hesitate in naming Whitworth the starter. With each repetition, the big fellow gets more comfortable and confident.
“It’s a chance for me to just solidly work at that spot and have one focus, rather than the last couple of years where it’s kind of been up in the air where I’d play,” he said. “Just to have one spot, lock it down and get ready to play well at it, that’s what I’ve been doing.
“I consider myself a leader, a go-to guy on this team. I want the pressure on my shoulders to play well and I’m ready for those challenges.”
Off the field, Whitworth’s a gentle giant. On the field, he has a mean streak. He’s not afraid to get nasty.
“The thing about your left tackle is you’ve got to trust that guy completely,” Alexander said. “The greatest trait in Whit is — everything from an athletic and mental leadership standpoint — you trust the guy.
“I don’t think people recognize just how good of an athlete he is. He’s a great athlete. He has tremendous hand-eye coordination, balance, smarts and he’s tougher than nails.”
Contact Chick Ludwig at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By TouchDown Troy
June 19, 2009 4:33 PM | Link to this
Wit is going to be great for Carson this year. Im also excited about Kyle Cook sounds like he’s not going to take any s—-!By get real
June 20, 2009 10:33 AM | Link to this
I hope you are right Chick. Im having a hard time getting excited about the o-line right now, but I hope they prove me wrong. Their play will dictate the course of the season.