Former Longhorn Joseph Ossai: 'Excited' to Return to Action for the Bengals
Joseph Ossai was a dominant force off the edge for the Longhorns in 2020, as he was named a consensus First Team AP All-American. Ossai racked up 55 total tackles in 2020, including 5.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, which led the Big 12.
As a result of his impressive 2020 season, Ossai was the second Longhorn taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, drafted in the third round with the 69th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.
In the Bengals' first preseason game, Ossai showed why he was a potential steal in the third round, putting up seven pressures and two run stops and a sack of Tom Brady. Ossai would finish the week as PFF's third-highest graded rookie, finishing behind only Patrick Surtain II and Mac Jones.
However, Ossai would not contribute on the field in the regular season for the Bengals, as he suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason win over the Buccaneers, which required season-ending surgery.
Now, as teams prepare for the 2022 NFL season, Ossai is ready to get back on the field and help contribute to a Bengals team looking to repeat as AFC Champions.
"By the time (training) camp rolls around, I should be full go," Ossai said Monday from Austin, Texas. "To say I'm excited is an understatement."
Ossai is not the only one excited for himself to get back on the field either, as the Bengals defensive staff is ready to see him on the field and producing.
"A lot of enthusiasm. A lot of passion about the game. He had a real good motor in college," says senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner, who Zoomed with him so many times last draft season. "He's very competitive. He's a very explosive athlete. We think he's ascending. He's a player who's got length and speed. That's what everybody is looking for on the edge."
While Ossai did not see any regular-season snaps during the 2021 season, he would still find himself in the film room, studying tape to make sure he stayed sharp and would find himself ready to go once he was cleared to play.
"Sometimes during the course of the year I had to go find some film," Ossai said. "It was good to see. It was reassuring because I would think, 'Has this left me?' It was reassuring to me because that was the beginning of the season and as the season goes on, you get better as you experience more, especially as a rookie."
Entering the 2022 season, Ossai is likely to be a key contributor to a Bengals defense that is fresh off a Super Bowl run. Coming off an injury, look for Ossai to make a name for himself under the bright lights and show the NFL why he was so coveted coming out of Texas.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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