2005 Bengals Podcast Series: Deltha O'Neal
The 2005 Bengals didn't win a playoff game, reach the Super Bowl or even spark continued success in the vicinity of the team's current run. But even 10 years later that group remains one of the most popular and beloved Bengals teams in franchise history.
With 11 wins, an AFC North title and every new offensive team record set, a city long scorned by 15 years of historically dreadful football fell in love with their local squad all over again. Chad Johnson's celebrations, T.J. Houshmandzadeh's bravado, Carson Palmer's arm, Deltha O'Neal's interceptions and enigmatic rookie Odell Thurman made playing for and being a fan of the Bengals cool again. Marvin Lewis - then an emerging star of the coaching world in his third season - officially transformed the franchise.
Over the next five weeks - one interview at a time - I'll take a deeper look inside the season that captured the city's heart and infamous moment that ripped it back out in one the most tortuous injuries in the city's sports history.
This is the inside story of the 2005 Cincinnati Bengals, one decade later.
Tuesday, June 23: OL Willie Anderson
Tuesday, June 30: WR Chad Johnson/2005 WR coach Hue Jackson
Tuesday, July 7: CB Deltha O'Neal
Tuesday, July 14: LB Brian Simmons/C Rich Braham
Tuesday, July 21: Bengals and Steelers DL Kimo Von Oelhoffen/QB Carson Palmer
This week, I chat with cornerback Deltha O'Neal. He spent four years with the Bengals and enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2005. He set a Bengals' record with 10 interceptions, went to the Pro Bowl and was named All-Pro. Along with partner in turnovers Tory James, O'Neal led the way on one of the most opportunistic defenses in team history. The Bengals picked off 31 passes in 2005. The next highest number in the Marvin Lewis Era? Twenty, notched each of the last two seasons.
The conversation runs the gamut with the fun-loving former first-round pick of the Broncos. He talks about the poor perception some rookies had originally arriving at Cincinnati, how Odell Thurman could have been in the same realm as Ray Lewis, his relationship with Marvin Lewis and what he witnessed from fans in the city that season that was unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
Here are a few highlights:
O'Neal on the effect of the 2004 win on Monday Night Football against Denver on changing the culture for 2005: "Oh yeah, it sparked. It sparked us. A lot of people had that vision. Even the rookies were telling me, oh, the Bengals man? They were telling me on draft day when they got drafted, 'I'm going to the Bengals? Who is even on the Bengals?' I told them, look, you going to a team in the NFL. Don't look at it like that. Look at it as an opportunity for you to show your skills and one day you will get a big contract and your name will speak for yourself and you will help this team. That whole situation with Denver brightened their eyes. OK, this was real."
O'Neal on the reaction from fans around the city: "Everywhere we would go if there was a Bengals function with an autograph signing there were a lot of people out there. I spoke to sports fanatics and they would say this never happens. If people would come here it would be a select few. You would have to be a first-round draft pick there would be a long line, but ordinary guys not first-round draft picks would do a signing and there would be a line out the door. They would all say, man, we love you guys. Hope you do well we got your back. You are holding down the city. You brought football back to the city. That felt good to be a part of that."
O'Neal on the potential of Odell Thurman: "Oh man. Odell was one of those guys. I really wish his career would have turned for the better. Things happen. But Odell was one of those guys if you would have given him four or five years he probably would have been in the likings of Ray Lewis because he was one of those guys that he was going to talk, would talk to the other team and get them riled up but he would back the talk up. That gave us our edge because we have a linebacker who is ready. Let's feed him. He was making plays. It was one of those things everyone was feeding off what his energy was bringing because he brought so much energy to that team during that season."
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