CINCINNATI — Bengals rookie kicker Evan McPherson keeps lifting Cincinnati higher and higher with every kick. 

What You Need To Know

  • Bengals kicker Evan McPherson is confident heading into the Super Bowl against the Rams

  • Former Bengals kicker Shayne Graham was McPherson’s position coach at Florida 

  • Graham is proud and excited for McPherson, but not surprised at his success

  • McPherson said Graham’s guidance has helped him transition to the NFL
 

“In my mind, I’m walking out there and thinking that this ball is going through the uprights,” McPherson said.

With clutch game-winners against Tennessee and Kansas City, McPherson is becoming a Bengals legend in year one. So much so, his jersey at the team shop is sold out. 

But was McPherson’s success predictable? Former Bengals Kicker Shayne Graham thinks so. 

“To see his confidence and to see the way he handles things mentally, I think that’s what makes him stand apart,” Graham said. 

Graham said he gave the Bengals a leg up on McPherson’s talent before he was drafted, sending videos to Special Teams coordinator Darrin Simmonds while coaching McPherson at the University of Florida. 

But he said he can’t take credit for what we’re seeing each week because McPherson’s talent was already there. 

Graham is most proud of the man McPherson has become. 

“If everybody lived their life as Evan lives his life, the world would be a better place,” Graham said. "I’m tellin’ ya, he’s just as top-shelf as they come — as a person and as a kicker.” 

McPherson said Graham’s guidance has helped him easily transition to the NFL and playing in Cincinnati. 

“You could be the hero or, you know, you could be the villain in just one kick,” McPherson said. “And so we just kind of talked about, you know, his experiences, you know what he did and what he would do different and just kind of what to expect. And I think it probably helped me out a lot.”

The success speaks for itself. Now, Graham is hoping his former team and protégé can bring the Lombardi Trophy to Cincinnati.

“To see the excitement and energy that they have there right now, I couldn’t be happier for them,” Graham said. “To be honest, in a selfish way it feels good for myself because I consider myself a Bengals fan.”

The Bengals and Rams battle it out for Super Bowl LVI this Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC. 

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