Watch Super Bowl LVI from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles live on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday; the AFC's Cincinnati Bengals face the Los Angeles Rams from the NFC (Kick-Off, 11.30pm), with live coverage underway from 10pm
Tuesday 8 February 2022 10:18, UK
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says his quarterback Joe Burrow "is built for this stage" ahead of Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night where they face the Los Angeles Rams.
In the first team media session of Super Bowl week, Taylor told reporters on Monday: "He [Burrow] is built for this stage. He's played for state championships, he's played for national championships, now he's playing for the Super Bowl.
"I think that's been his expectation all along. He's not surprised by it.
"He rises to these occasions, and we're certainly happy to have him."
Burrow addressed that confidence he exudes as a player when asked by Sky Sports NFL's Neil Reynolds where it comes from? "I have always been a confident player," Burrow answered.
"More so now than I have ever been before, because I feel like I've proven to myself that I can play at a high level at this level of football."
Burrow added: "I think as a quarterback, it's really important to exude that confidence, not only in yourself but all of your team-mates.
"The quarterback sets the tone for the culture in the locker room, and so I try to be that kind of player and person for everybody here."
Burrow is an Ohio native and also spoke of his excitement at leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl for just the third time in their history - and first since the 1988 season.
"Being from Ohio, and being the quarterback of the Bengals, is something I'm really proud of," he told reporters.
"Growing up, there really weren't a lot of Bengals fans - it was all Steelers and Browns. The Bengals fans here and there kind of got made fun of a little bit.
"As a team, we're excited to put a product on the field that the fans are proud of and that gives them bragging rights - they haven't had that in a while. I'm excited to give that to them."
Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah - drafted in 2015 and who suffered through five-straight losing seasons in Cincinnati prior to this one - said similar to Burrow, telling the media: "I'm glad that the city is getting to witness a season like this.
"They deserve it. The job is not done, we still have one more game to bring back something for them, but it means a lot to know they've got out back."
Uzomah was carted off the field during Cincinnati's AFC Championship win over the Kansas City Chiefs with a knee injury, but he appeared to be in a bullish mood and expects to play on Sunday.
"To me, I'm not missing the biggest game of my life, right?" he said.
"That's my approach going into every day of rehab. If I wake up, and I'm like, 'Oh, it's a little sore,' it doesn't matter.
"When I put my feet on the ground, it's go time. Let's do everything I can to make sure I'm ready and available to play. That's where my mind is."
"I feel good. I feel really, really good."
Watch Super Bowl LVI live on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event from 10pm on Sunday, February 13, with current players Kirk Cousins and Calais Campbell, and Hall of Famer Warren Moon among the guests joining Neil Reynolds for 90 minutes of build-up to the big game.
