01-12-2016, 08:24 PM
This act at the end of the game connects more to me than a playoff win.
Andrew Whitworth's response to being asked why he went back on the field to shake the Steeler's player's hands instead of going straight to the locker room...
When the game ended Whitworth was one of just four Bengals – the others were kicker Mike Nugent, receiver Marvin Jones and halfback Rex Burkhead – who sought out Steelers players on the field to congratulate them.
Then the massive Whitworth lowered his 330 pounds onto his knees near the 50-yard line to say a postgame prayer. He soon was joined by Burkhead, fellow Bengals Cedric Peerman and Vinny Rey and Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell.
As he stood at his locker later, Whitworth was asked why he had bothered to shake hands when so many teammates had headed straight to the dressing room.
“I shook hands with them because at the end of the day integrity and character and who you are as a man is more important than who you are as a football player,” he said. “And in the face of a loss you have to man up and walk out there"
Andrew Whitworth's response to being asked why he went back on the field to shake the Steeler's player's hands instead of going straight to the locker room...
When the game ended Whitworth was one of just four Bengals – the others were kicker Mike Nugent, receiver Marvin Jones and halfback Rex Burkhead – who sought out Steelers players on the field to congratulate them.
Then the massive Whitworth lowered his 330 pounds onto his knees near the 50-yard line to say a postgame prayer. He soon was joined by Burkhead, fellow Bengals Cedric Peerman and Vinny Rey and Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell.
As he stood at his locker later, Whitworth was asked why he had bothered to shake hands when so many teammates had headed straight to the dressing room.
“I shook hands with them because at the end of the day integrity and character and who you are as a man is more important than who you are as a football player,” he said. “And in the face of a loss you have to man up and walk out there"
