Archdeacon: Former child actor makes believers of Browns defense

Long before he got into football, Bengals wide receiver Trenton Irwin was a child actor in California.

He had started out following the footsteps of his dad, who had been a recurring character on the daytime soap, The Young and The Restless, had appeared in shows like The Mentalist and Mad Men and been featured with his kids, Trenton and daughter Alyssa, on a Bravo series.

Trenton then started to build his own resume and appeared in numerous commercials, especially a popular Kraft Velveeta spot in 2010.

By the time he was a freshman at Hart High School in Santa Clarita, he was playing varsity football, something no other ninth grader was doing.

But the day before a game, he shot a long-booked commercial for Microsoft and showed up late for practice.

The coach benched him first the first part of the next game and afterward Trenton said he told his dad: “That’s it. I’m done acting. I’m a football player.”

Sunday in the Bengals’ 23-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium, Irwin proved he certainly is quite a football player. But he also showed he’s still got some acting chops, as well.

In warmups before the game, starting receiver Tee Higgins had a lingering hamstring issue flare up again and he was scratched from duty.

Before that injured tight end Hayden Hurst had been ruled inactive.

And then, on the second play from scrimmage, another starting receiver, Tyler Boyd, dislocated his finger on a pass the Browns broke up and was lost for the day.

Suddenly Irwin was needed to fill in and though he’d been a prolific receiver at Stanford — catching 152 passes for 1,738 career yards — he’d struggled to get secure footing in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins had signed him briefly as a free agent in 2019 and to date he’d been involved in 23 roster transactions as a pro. After he was cut by the Miami, he was picked up by Cincinnati, which has had him on yoyo up and down – cut, practice squad, cut, and on occasion, activating him.

Before this season, he had had three catches in the NFL.

In recent weeks this season he’s gotten spot duty and made eight receptions, including his first touchdown catch, a 1-yard flick from quarterback Joe Burrow against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sunday, he had one catch for 13 yards in the first half and had spent much of the day blocking, especially on Browns safety Grant Delpit.

At halftime he said Burrow came up to him and told him to be ready: “We’ve got the flea flicker coming up!”

Irwin said he’d never practiced the trick play. Higgins had been the one who had gotten most of the preparatory reps.

And then, midway through the third quarter, Burrow made the call.

“I’d been hitting No. 22 (Delpit) all day because he would come hard on the run plays,” Irwin said. “I hoped he’d do it again and then I could block him and release and we could throw over the top.” Irwin played his role to perfection.

He drew Delpit in and then the Browns safety roared ahead on what he thought was a Cincinnati run. Irwin took off and was wide open in the middle of the field when Burrow – who had handed the ball to running back Joe Mixon and then gotten it pitched right back to him – lofted a pinpoint pass.

Irwin made an over the shoulder catch and outraced a Browns cornerback to the end zone for a catch-the-Browns flat-footed 45-yard TD play.

“I guess there was a little acting,” Irwin said with a grin.

He carried the ball with him to the Bengals sideline and suddenly broke out in an Irish dance, a celebration that perplexed his teammates he said laughing:

“They wondered what I was doing, and I just told them I was bringing the River Dance back. Chad Johnson did it when he was here and I took Irish dance when I was in school.

“I thought I’d try to and get a little jiggy with it. “I had planned to do it when I scored my first touchdown (against the Steelers) but the guys jumped on me and I thought I should celebrate with the boys. But this time I was all by myself.”

As Irwin sat in the Bengals locker room after the game, the touchdown ball lay in the locker behind him.

Asked if he had a trophy case here in Cincinnati, he shook his head and smiled: “I guess I’ll have to think about that.”

He picked up the ball and held it, without saying anything at first.

Every now and then a teammate would walk past and call out: “Playmaker! Hey Playmaker!”

You could tell they were happy for him.

After the press had left and many of the other players had showered and dressed, Irwin still sat there and talked about the team – how he loves the feel among the players and coaches – and how they’re peaking at the right time.

This was why he chose football long ago and why he’s kept hanging in there after he’s been bounced around so many times

“Man, I love this,” he said. “These last five weeks have been really cool.”

The ball was in his lap.

A smile was on his face.

He was not acting.