KeithRivers - Yardbarker Blogs

Taking the yard into the cold tub

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:04:01 -0500

I'm livin on the edge right now, posting this from the cold tub in our training room...dont want to drop the phone in here. It may have been 32 degrees the other day but thats nothing compared to what I'm feelin right now. I try to stay in for 10-15 mins but its been a battle to stay in the whole time and not make a run to the hot tub. I don't know that I'll make the full 10-15 today but I'm going to try. I usually pass the time cracking jokes with some of the other guys but today I'm blogging. I'm brining the yard into the cold tub with me...get ready...remember seinfeld...shrinkage!

32 Degrees in Cincy today but didn't slow us down

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:31:04 -0500

About to crash but wanted to say what's up in the Yard

Today was our first day of the offseason conditioning program. Got back to Cincy Sunday night and went to work this morning, I guess it would be yesterday morning now. I'm a SoCal guy and it was a little tough looking out the window of my apartment and seeing the temperature was 32. I can see a big display downtown from my window. It was sunny, looked warm, but wasn't. I'm not used to that. Workout was good this morning but my hammys are killing me. I had ankle surgery in January, a little scope to clean it out, so this was my first real lift on my legs. i have been doing some lighter stuff since the scope because if you do too much too fast the spur grows back. I've been cleared to get after it now. It was fun seeing the guys again. We have a good group training together. Everything is slotted, the big guys go early, the middle weight guys go at 9:30 and the skinny guys go latest. I'm in the middle group - the linebackers, running backs, fullbacks and the specialists that's our group. We did a little warm up run first to get loose, did our lift and then went back out for an unsupervised run. We police ourselves and get on each other pretty good. It was a good day. Glad to be back at it with the guys. I'll check in with more this week.

The wires come off Tuesday!!

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:00:02 -0500

Hey Yardbarkers Wanted to give an update - I get the wires off Tuesday so I'll be able to eat again. It's been too long. I've lost 20 pounds but I should be able to put that back on pretty easy. At least I hope so. I am anxious to find out what I can't eat. I know it will be soft stuff to start so I'll be looking for some mac and cheese, some fish, stuff like that. I used to go to sleep and have dreams about food. I get so tired during the days, I'd be watching TV and some food commercial would come on and I'd start to dose and immediately start dreaming about the food in the commercial. I think the most challenging thing about this whole injury has been going to games. It's the worst. The first game I made it back for was the win over Jacksonville. I was excited and happy to be there for the win, but then I was depressed and sad because I was not really a part of the first victory. Standing there watching sucks. Other than watching film each week with the guys I don't really watch football anymore. It's too upsetting. I still go in for meetings to keep up with everything and I watch film. On Saturdays at the team hotel the linebackers do a film study session and give tips to each other. I'm there for those. Ken Norton taught me how to watch film at SC and Coach FitzGerald has given me even more tips. I'm definitely a better film watcher now. I haven't really been able to work out because I can't get my breathing right and I really don't get enough calories to do much. Once Tuesday comes I'll be focused on working out again, picking up where I left off and getting to a totally different level of football. All my hopes and goals for this season are gone so I am totally focused on getting ready for next year. Since I haven't been able to do much physically I've picked up some new movies, some Wii games and Dhani Jones got me a remote control helicopter that I fly around the house. I also picked up a couple turntables, a mixer and new computer and started fooling around, mashing up music. I love all kinds of music so that's been fun. But what I'm really looking forward to is Tuesday so that I can get these wires off, open my mouth, brush my teeth and get my teeth cleaned. I'll be sure to fill you in after that first meal.

Suggestions for Blu Ray movies?

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:51:39 -0500

I've been trying to get Iron Man on Blu Ray the last couple of weeks but it hasn't happened. I guess I should've entered one of the Yardbarker trivia contests to win a copy because I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN CINCINNATI. I've been to the store 4 times and they keep telling me they'll have it, but I haven't got jack. I have a Blu Ray player and no Blu Ray disks -- it's like peanut butter with no jelly. In fact, I have two Blu Ray players and no disks. I wanted to start the collection off with Iron Man. I saw half of it on the plane and thought it looked really good so I've been set on getting it. It's the only movie out there now that I'm interested in, but I'll take suggestions if you have any. At this point after the four trips I may have to go in another direction. If there are some good ones out there let me know, maybe I'll be able to find those here.

Through the wire like Kanye West

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:12:55 -0500

Hey everyone thanks so much for sending me so much support. I feel a lot better and looking to a speedy recovery, wish it wasn't going to take as long as it's going to. I knew the injury was serious after they x-rayed me in the stadium and the x-ray showed broken in two places. Following the x-ray I went to the hospital where they put a brace on one of the breaks to keep it from moving further till the surgery which happened the following evening. The surgery went great, I will be like Kayne West and through the wire for 8 weeks. A day after surgery it was great to receive visits from teammates, coaches friends and the owner. My schedule now isn't much different due to the fact I wanna stay a part of everything and be with my teammates. It's really weird now since I've have pain meds and since I can't drive and stuff but my mom and dad have been taking care of me. That's about all I got, again I want to say thanks for all the support and to the fans I'm sorry my season is cut short but I'm working hard to get healed fast and get back. Also thanks so much to my friends and my family and teammates and coaches who dey and fight on!

Bengal Bash and Steelers Week

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:36:38 -0500

Just finished the Bengal Bash in downtown Cincinnati. It was an event with the Bengals, the Ben-Gals and the fans, kinda like a pep rally. It was fun. We did it at an outdoor venue and had a local band play. Got to meet some fans, sign some autographs. We did a little Q&A, nothing rough, just light-hearted stuff. We have great fans -- even though we've been struggling they are there with us 100% and they always seem happy to meet the players. I really enjoyed it. Bottom line everyone is itching for a win. We need it, the fans need it and there would be no better place to get it than this weekend at home against the Steelers. As a rookie you can see that Steelers week is a big deal. We've had a good week of practice and the great thing about this team is that there are no quitters. Everyone is working really hard to get it right. We're close. Like Coach Lewis says we're like water, at 212 it boils and we're at 211. We just need to get to 212. It's a few plays here and there that separates winning from losing.

Battle for Ohio bragging rights

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:45:26 -0500

It's the battle of Ohio, you feel it as a player, even someone new to it like me. It's kind of like USC-UCLA. But really it doesn't matter who we're playing we just need to win. Period. We had a chance last week, but didn't get it done. We can do it, we just need to put all the pieces together. As a team and as players it's all about progressing and getting better every week. I am becoming more and more sure of what I'm doing, but I am not where I want to be. In all honesty I will never be where I want to be. In my heart and as a competitor I will always believe I can get better so I will always be striving to raise my game. I expect to be better against Cleveland and playing at home always helps. Our first home game was a disappointing loss, but the fans were still there making noise. Even though we've been struggling they are still there showing us love, that means a lot. We have great fans and we need to get some Ws and keep that stadium rockin. It seems like my life is literally football, sleep, football, sleep these days. When I do get home I like to get away from football and watch some normal stuff so that I can recharge for the next day. By normal stuff I mean Entourage, Weeds, Californication - the HBO and Showtime stuff. I know it's a little old but I just got into Oz too. Good show. And Entourage is just cool. It's LA so I get a glimpse of what's going on. It's a cool depiction, you see the landmarks and it's cool to hear them drop names of spots you've been. I got a new dog, an American Bulldog. His name is Ace. My brother Gary found him on the internet from a breeder in Pennsylvania. He went up there and picked him up and brought him down before the Tennessee game. I had him two days and turned him over to the trainer. He's there for 25 days. The trainer is near my house so I stop by and see him. Even though I've only had him a couple weeks he started wagging his tail when he saw me Monday when I visited. That was really cool. I'm excited about him. I'll need a dog walker for a couple days. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays I'll be able to take care of him, but I'll need a walker the other two days. I keep thinking about that Seinfeld episode when they say if aliens were looking down at us they would think the dogs were the humans because we're always picking up their poop. It's a job, but I can't wait to get him home.

Buying the team breakfast

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:09:58 -0500

I found out Monday that I have to buy breakfast for the team Saturday. I came into the team room and heard the news - Keith, you buy breakfast. I'm not sure yet what that means, but I will figure it out quickly. I will talk to some of the guys who went through it last year. I want to make sure I get it right, pick up the right stuff. It does mean I'll have to get up a little earlier Saturday to pick everything up. And this doesn't count the stuff I have to get for the linebackers. I still have to bring food for them on the plane. It's all started. I was out the other night with 3 or 4 of the guys and got stuck with the tab. The lady walked right up to me and said I was told you get the bill. I guess I'll have to start staying in, they're going to force me to hang out by myself nowadays.

Getting ready for the Ravens

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:02:32 -0500

My first week in the NFL and getting ready to play Baltimore. I've never had a Tuesday off before so that was a little different, but I didn't do much with the off day. I paid my rent, paid some bills and watched film. I brought some DVDs home to try to get a feel for the Ravens, look at the backs, watch for tendencies. They're a little tough to scout right now because they have a new coaching staff and no one really shows anything in the preseason. We'd probably get a better idea watching Miami from last year because that's where Cam Cameron was. I'm sure as the week progresses we'll watch some Miami tape. I do know they're good, they've got good running backs. McGahee didn't play in the preseason but he's tough and Ray Rice is good and ran the ball well in the preseason. I am going to watch as much film as I can so that I can gather tips and tendencies that will help me play faster. Adjusting to the 53 man roster is a little different. We went from a big team to a small one... 80 to 53, it's crazy. A lot of the guys you spent time getting to know or laughing in the locker room with are now gone. It's an experience. In college you have all these guys on your team and you're together until the end. In the NFL you always hear about cut-down day but until you actually experience it you don't really understand what it's like.

My new place...

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:17:48 -0500

It didn't take me long to find my new place - I guess when you're anxious to get out of the hotel you'll jump at just about anything. I got an apartment that puts me close to the facility but still gives me a nice view of downtown. I can see US Bank Arena, Paul Brown Stadium and the Reds ballpark from my window, even get the river too, it's pretty cool. I decided I would rent for awhile until I learn more about the city and decide what the best area is for me. I came to Cincinnati before I signed because I wanted to get my place set up so that when camp ended I wouldn't have to worry about it. I wanted to be able to focus on football. So I guess you can say during the holdout I was shopping. I went to the Kenwood Mall and got everything I needed. Went to Our House, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Restoration Hardware to get all my stuff. I'm not an interior design guy, but these places made it easy. I went into Pottery Barn and liked their couch, chaise, ottoman, pillows set up they had on display so I got the whole set up. Same in Our House - liked their whole bedroom set so I got it. I think my place turned out pretty nice, I'll have to give you a little video tour one of these days. It will be my Yardbarker housewarming.

Reggie Bush, talking trash

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:46:04 -0500

We've got the Saints at home this weekend so it'll be a chance to play against Cedric and Reggie. It'll be fun to see those guys. I saw Reggie this summer, we worked out a little bit and he started talking trash, the typical who's going to do what and who's stopping who trash talk. It's all good-natured. I spoke to Thomas Williams (my road dawg from USC) the other day and he said Reggie's still talking trash so I'm looking forward to this game. We don't play against them in the regular season so this is my chance. I hope to get a good shot on him so that I have some bragging rights the rest of the year.

What's up, Yardbarkers?

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:29:46 -0500

Played my first game in Paul Brown Stadium last week. It didn't turn out how we wanted it to but it was fun for me to play in front of the Bengals fans. They were great, really into --- a great atmosphere. It was loud and it was packed, but since I'm still not too versed in my stuff yet I don't let my attention wander too far from the field. I felt a lot more sure about my assignments than I did in Green Bay. I wasn't nervous there, but it was my first game so I was a little unsure. I felt much more comfortable and my tackling was better against Detroit. And I had some of my family there to see my first start and my first home game. My brother and mom, nephew and sister-in-law came to the game and had a great time. I was glad they were there to share it with me.

Monday Night Football

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:58:13 -0500

We get a little taste of Monday Night Football tonight against Green Bay. Obviously doesn't mean as much as a regular season game, but will be cool to play under the lights. We did watch a little Green Bay film this week but this is really about us, working on the things we need to work on as the season approaches. For me, I expect to play a little bit and I will go out and try to make plays. When we go to watch the film as a team I hope to enjoy it instead of going there with high stress because I messed up too many times. Make sure you tune in.

Catching Up

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:38:41 -0500

It's been great getting into camp and trying to catch up to my teammates. I was definitely greated with some light hearted humor when I walked in for my first day. I had to wait for Coach Lewis to come out of a meeting and since I had been out for awhile Shayne Graham walked up and said "Hi, I'm Shayne Graham." I ran into a few things like that. it was all funny. I could definitely tell I had some catching up to do - I arrived for the last day of two-a-days and I started cramping a little bit. They had all been through that already. I'm just glad to back with all the guys. I've been getting some extra work in each day, 15-20 minutes on the field with Coach FitzGerald. We've been working with the tight ends on some blocks - setting the edge with the block, holding a firm edge and getting off the block, really becoming a two-way player. It's stuff both the SAM and WILL backers have to do so it helps my versatility too. Depending on the schedule I'll try to get a little extra film work in too, but mainly I'm staying in the playbook a little more. It's coming along. I'm definitely feeling more comfortable each day.

It's Official I am a Cincinnati Bengal

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:01:07 -0500

Wanted to let everyone know in the Yard that I signed my contract tonight about 10:00 and then got checked into the dorms at Georgetown College. I am very excited and I am anxious to get back out onto the field and start working with my teammates. It's been tough waiting around for this to happen, but it is part of football now, it's part of the process. I'm just glad it's done. Now it's time for me to do what I can do to become the best player I can be. I did send Coach FitzGerald a text to let him know that I signed and that I'd be there ready to go in the morning. He sent me a note back and said congratulations, time to get started and get caught up. Time to prepare and do what I got drafted to do. I sent a text to Coach Norton too - I needed to let him know. I do want to say thank you to the Bengals organization for making this happen and I wanted to thank the Bengals fans for being supportive and not jumping all over me. Like I said, it's part of the process and I'm glad it's over. Now I look forward to getting on the field and giving them something to cheer about. Time for bed. Up in 7 hours for my first day of camp.