Andy Dalton came into the NFL with the reputation as a leader in college football. He was able to inspire his team, embrace the underdog role and more often than not, lead them to victory. His transition to the NFL has not been easy, however. He was drafted by a team in full-fledged rebuilding mode, although Head Coach Marvin Lewis would disagree, and the previous franchise quarterback has decided he would rather retire than play another down for this organization. Dalton has handled himself quite well given the circumstances. He has managed to say all the right things as he establishes himself as the new face of the franchise, while at the same time winning over his teammates. This was in full effect during a recent interview where he was asked about the Bengals low expectations for the season.
"We’re out to prove everybody wrong. I think everybody has a negative view of the Bengals, but we're kind of a new squad here. We've got a lot of young guys and a lot of guys who are eager to get out and play well. I think having that attitude and a new offense is really going to be good for the players we have here. Everybody is excited about the season, and we should be ready to go."
If Dalton is able to recreate the refuse-to-lose, underdog mentality at Texas Christian among the Cincinnati Bengals, the team may just be able to compete in the tough AFC North sooner that most would expect.
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