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The season might be over for Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, but he doesn’t plan on acting like it.
Let Awuzie tell it, the season-ending ACL tear that requires surgery in a few weeks once the swelling subsides won’t stop him from being around the team.
Awuzie will be there as often as possible watching film, asking and answering questions and even fielding questions from teammates while he’s away.
“I’m one of the guys that likes to challenge the system and try to get some answers out. If people have questions, I’m one of the guys who asks questions,” Awuzie said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I just want to keep doing that because you never know how you could be impacting the team and the defense. So I want to keep doing that. Obviously we have a lot of young guys, so if they have any questions or any things they want to ask, I want to be there for them. They can text me if I’m not here when I do get my surgery or while I am here. They can get whatever they can out of me.”
It’s something defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo says is pretty rare these days, per ESPN’s Ben Baby:
Bengals def. coordinator Lou Anarumo said CB Chidobe Awuzie is talking about wanting to be involved and watch tape despite facing knee surgery.
Anarumo: "That doesn't happen these days. It tells you about who he is as a man."
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 2, 2022
The Bengals will have a nigh-impossible time replacing a No. 1 corner of Awuzie’s caliber on the field. But he’s intent on making it as smooth as possible for all involved, even during an extensive rehab process as he targets a return next season.
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