Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie details the lesson from injuring his knee
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie wouldn't be as good as he is without any self awareness. The position he excels at requires fast learning, often on the literal fly. In two years with the Bengals, Awuzie emerged as the team's No. 1 cornerback somewhat surprisingly. The deal he signed back in 2021 reflected a player […]
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie wouldn't be as good as he is without any self awareness. The position he excels at requires fast learning, often on the literal fly.
In two years with the Bengals, Awuzie emerged as the team's No. 1 cornerback somewhat surprisingly. The deal he signed back in 2021 reflected a player who had not reached his full potential. The player he is two years later is one that defensive coordinators idealize.
But improvement never stops for the 28-year old, even when it comes to the smallest things that can change everything.
When Awuzie suffered a torn ACL on Halloween night last season against the Cleveland Browns, it wasn't just awful luck. The veteran defensive back cites a specific reason for why the injury occurred that night.
“When I got hurt, it was because of my eyes,” Awuzie told Cincinnati.com's Charlie Goldsmith. “My eyes were kind of googly, and I misplaced my foot. That little lapse of focus and that little doubt can prevent you from making a play. It can be the difference between getting beat or getting hurt.”
Ligament tears are far too common for NFL stars like Awuzie, but you rarely hear about why they happen from the player's perspective. They usually occur in situations exactly like what went down with Awuzie. One bad landing or cut can make all the difference.
Losing focus can apparently do more than just put you out of position. It's something that rarely happened to Awuzie during the first seven games of the season. He allowed a passer rating of just 60.9 through Week 7, which ranked 12th in the league for starters.
Awuzie's absence forced the Bengals to adapt defensively, and adapt they did. Putting Cam Taylor-Britt in as a full-time starter kept the unit afloat while Eli Apple closed his Bengals career on a relative high note. With Awuzie coming back to start with Taylor-Britt, the secondary will be in an even stronger place.
Just like Awuzie's renewed focus.
Bengals starter is ‘built different’ in the eyes of Zac Taylor
A quick look at the tape proves him right.
Featured image via © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
