Safety Ndukwe Playing Big for Bengals
Third-year Safety Chinedum Ndukwe is Making an Early Impact
Oct 6, 2009
With exactly one quarter of the NFL regular season in the books, the Cincinnati Bengals are off to a solid start and are riding a three-game winning streak into Week 5.
The Bengals (3-1) play at AFC North division rival Baltimore Ravens (3-1) in arguably the game of the week this week with the early-season division lead on the line.
Bengals' Defense
One of the main reasons for the Bengals early success has been the play of the defense under second-year defensive corrdinator Mike Zimmer. The Bengals defense has been able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback with Antwan Odom tied for the league lead with eight sacks and the linebacking corp led by rookie Rey Maulaluga and second-year player Keith Rivers.
“Anytime you have a year under your belt with a defensive coordinator, the second year is always going to be more comfortable,” third-year safety Chinedum Ndukwe said. “Coach Zimmer has instilled a mentality on defense that we didn’t have before.
The Bengals’ secondary has also played well early in the season, and one of the unsung heroes on defense is Ndukwe. Ndukwe was slowed with an injury in the first three games of the season but made an impact last week in the 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns with eight tackles and a sack.
“It was huge to get the win over the Browns because it was a division game and a big rivalry, and it also gave us some momentum going into the Baltimore game,” Ndukwe said.
Transition to the NFL
Ndukwe has been a key contributor since he was drafted by Cincinnati out of Notre Dame in the 7th round of the 2007 draft. He made an immediate impact, playing in 14 games as a rookie (two starts) with 44 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks and a fumble recovery he returned for a touchdown. Last season, Ndukwe started 11 games, racking up 64 tackles with three sacks and an interception.
“One of the biggest adjustments for me coming to the NFL from college was the fact that I was still learning my position when I was drafted,” Ndukwe said. “I switched from wide reciever to defensive back my junior year at Notre Dame. It was an adjustment to go from catching the ball to tackling guys, but I just keep working at my craft and I think that’s why I have had some success early on in my career.”
After switching to defense, Ndukwe went on to start at safety in his junior and senior seasons at Notre Dame. Ndukwe said he stills stays in touch with some of his former coaches and players back at Notre Dame and follows the Irish’s games eventhough he has moved on to the next level.
“I still trade some texts with Charlie [Weiss] here and there and my sister still goes to Notre Dame, so I like to get back to visit whenever I can,” Ndukwe said. “I also still have some friends on the team like safety Kyle McCarthy that I talk to. Notre Dame will always have a special place in my heart.”
Prep Records
Ndukwe starred as a wide receiver at Dublin Coffman High School in Columbus before heading to South Bend. He finished his prep career with 150 career catches, 2,174 yards and 24 touchdowns, and caught 59 passes for 850 yards and 11 TDs as junior. He set the Coffman High School record for career receiving yardage (2,174), most yards in a season (838), most receptions in a game (12), most receiving yards in a game (212), career receptions (150) and most catches in a season (59). He played in the North-South All-Star Game and the Big 33 All-Star Game.
“I am still learning the safety position, but I have the mentality to always keep improving,” Ndukwe said.
With a road game against the Ravens on Sunday, the Bengals will get a prime opportunity to show the rest of the league that three-game winning streak was no fluke. Cincinnati’s defense will get tested by a surprisingly high-powered Baltimore offense, while the Ravens’ defense strong as usual. Baltimore’s offense is ranked 3rd in the NFL, averaging 413. 5 yards per game (146. 5 rushing, 267 passing), so Ndukwe and the rest of the Bengals’ secondary should expect to see a lot of action.
“When you go into a game, you always want to prove that you have the best defense in the game, so we take it as a challenge going up against Baltimore. We always want to be the defense that forces the most turnovers and puts our offense in good positions.”
Cincinnati’s defense is ranked in the middle of the pack at 17th overall in the NFL, allowing 345 yards per game (103 yards rushing, 242 yards passing), but has come up with some key stops late in games when needed.
If Ndukwe and the rest of the Bengals’ defense can make some plays on Sunday and find a way to get a victory at Baltimore, the league can’t help but notice the pleasant surprise in Cincinnati.
