CINCINNATI — “At the end of the day, it's a game and we got to go out and execute.”
That’s the mantra from first year Cincinnati Bengals cornerbacks coach Charles Burks.
“Nobody's gonna remember what happened in September, ever,” said Burks. “So if you're playing great football in September, it doesn't matter. If you're playing bad football in September, it doesn't matter. As the months go on, and the weeks pile on, that's when you want to play your best football.
Burks came to Cincinnati by way of the Miami Dolphins in a relatively short NFL coaching career. This is just his fourth year. Burks spent seven years guiding younger players in college, Division II.
“Division II, you're not working with the best top, top of the line athlete. So,you have to do a good job of putting that particular player in position, you got to spend a lot of time understanding what he's good at. Getting a division two player confident to the field, you can get an NFL player confident to the field.”
An easier job, but just as important to get the guys in the right position to win. In the case of the corners, trying to cover the likes of AFC receivers Tyreek Hill or Amari Cooper, they know the quarterback is going to try to get the ball their way.
“Everybody in the audience, everybody at the game knows who that guy is. So, we got to figure out how to A: make that make that ball go somewhere else Or B: you know, not let that person wreck the game.
Burks said down the road, he would love to be a defensive coordinator but right now he is living his dream just coaching in the NFL, getting ready one game at a time.
