Cincinnati Bengals: Open letter to Rey Maualuga

If you could interview Ray Maualuga, what would you ask him? I know what I would. See for yourself in my open letter to Cincinnati’s newest linebacker.

Dear Rey,

Bengals fans are happy to have you, but you can’t blame them if they are a bit nervous.

This is a town that has seen the actions of some its players turn the team into the butt of many late-night television jokes.

You were a risky pick, but you are so intriguing. Some have described you as the most dynamic linebacker of the Pete Carroll era at USC.

Fans are excited, but there are some question marks that surround you. All of Cincinnati wants to know if you can be the guy who plays with a chip on his shoulder and makes all of the other teams sorry they didn’t draft you.

We want to know how you got here. How did you fall into the Bengals arms with the sixth pick of the second round? It was only two months ago you were projected as a top-ten pick.

Television and newspaper reporters said your stock dropped because of character issues. This city is tired of the characters and the issues they bring to the field.

Everyone knows about your troubled history. Are your wild days now in your past? If so, how did you put your partying days behind you?

Fans also want to know if it’s true what the experts say—that you can’t drop back into coverage on third down. They want to know if you have the character flaws that so many NFL “experts” say you do.

What would you say to discredit those critics so the loyal orange and black fans can stay on the Maualuga bandwagon?

And then there is the winning thing.

You spent your collegiate career playing for one of the best collegiate programs in America. Now, you join a team that was ranked 12^th in defense last season.

That’s not terrible news, but this is. The offense was ranked last—not exactly the fine-tuned machine that the Trojans are.

Yes, fellow Trojan Carson Palmer is healthy and expectations are high again, but even with Palmer, the team declined in the season following its 2005 playoff appearance.

If the Bengals don’t have the type of season fans are expecting, how will you react considering losing is not something you’ve had to deal with it in your football career?

You said you want to be the type of impact player that opposing coaches will frame their offensive game plans around. Aren’t you putting a lot of pressure on yourself with comments like that?

Why do you feel like you can be that player? That statement screams leadership. What makes you so good at being a leader? Would past teammates consider you a leader?

Some fans might hear your talk and think,"Yeah great, he’s confident, so what?" What are you going to do to make believers out them?

My advice, not that you would be interested in it, is to play hard, make plays, and stay out of trouble. This town has a lot of love to give its players and it is yours for the taking. You can be Cincinnati’s “Rey of light.”