ESPN AFC North Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

	David Stluka/Getty Images
	If Bengals kicker Shayne Graham could play another position, he'd choose safety.

CINCINNATI -- Recently we caught up with Bengals kicker Shayne Graham to discuss, among other things, flying his first airplane and what it feels like to nail a game-winning field goal.

1. Tell us about your first dual-piloting experience this summer.

Shayne Graham: It was an F-16 trainer plane, a two-seater. I've always wanted to do it, and I've done a lot of military support over the past year. But I found a connection to make it happen and I went through five hours of training on a simulator. They taught me about ejection, safety and how to handle all the G-force so that your body doesn't pass out. When I got up there, we were up there for an hour and 15 minutes, and it was by far the coolest thing I've ever done. Think of your best roller-coaster ride you've ever been on and just triple it. Or multiply it by 100, because obviously a roller coaster is never going to reach 500-600 miles per hour. It's was just amazing. If I ever have the opportunity to do it again, I would probably pass up anything except a football game or a Super Bowl. The only thing I could imagine being cooler than that is kicking a game winner in the Super Bowl.

2. You fly fast and can also drive fast. Is your car the most popular set of wheels in the Bengals' locker room?

SG: [Laughs.] Yeah, I have a Lamborghini Gallardo, which is a convertible. It can drive fast. But there are laws against driving fast so I can't say I do drive it all that fast. But ever since I was a kid I had a poster of a Lamborghini on the wall, and it was just something that kind of stuck with me. I made some investments here and there, and with the security that football's brought me it made it available for me to be able to do that. So it was something I made a decision to do, and I enjoy it. Cars are a hobby of mine, and I've always had an interest in cars. I've always tried to keep them clean and looking nice even when I was in high school and had a car with 200,000 miles on it.

3. Who else on the team has a nice ride?

SG: I know Chad [Johnson] has a couple nice ones. I know Rudi Johnson has some, Levi [Jones]. You know, a lot of guys are going to have nice cars on the team, but I'd say Rudi's Maserati and Chad's Lamborghini [are the best], although it's never here though. A bunch of guys also have some nice Mercedes.

4. If you weren't a place kicker, what other position would you play on the football field?

SG: Trainer or water boy [laughs].

5. C'mon, it has to be a playing position.

SG: Playing position? That's a tough one, because I'm athletically coordinated enough to do a lot of these positions but I have the worst hands than anyone in the world. So it would have to be defense, and I'd say safety. I don't think I could cover a receiver one-on-one, and I don't get to do a lot of contact, but I enjoy it when I do. So I would enjoy having that part of it.  

(Bonus round!)

6. OK, back to being a kicker. What does it feel like to nail a game-winning field goal?

SG: It's incredible. You go into that kick expecting to make it. But you have to treat your adrenaline and all that rush the same as any other kick. You don't want to act any different. You don't want to feel any different by giving yourself any more pressure. But when you make it, just knowing that it's all over and everyone just saw you make it and know that you performed, it builds confidence around you with your team. It's just a feeling of accomplishment that I've worked hard and this is what I'm supposed to do. So you can't get too excited about it, because really the goal posts were the same size and the ball was the same size and the field is the same size. Nothing was really any different about the kick, it just happened to be with no time left.