Bengals RB Bernard, Green-Ellis starring in another reality show


Next game

What: Preseason Game 2

Who: Tennessee Titans (0-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

When: 7 p.m.

TV: Tape Delay on Ch. 45 at 11 p.m. and Ch. 12 at 11:35 p.m.

Radio: WCKY-AM (1530), WEBN-FM (102.7), WTUE-FM (104.7)

Hard Knocks is not the only reality show following the Cincinnati Bengals around this summer.

Gillette and NFL Media have teamed up on a project called “Built for Training,” which is a six-installment web series that provides an inside glimpse at training camp through the eyes of three teammate tandems across the league.

Bengals running backs Giovani Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis are featured along with Denver Broncos defensive backs Champ Bailey and Kayvon Webster and Pittsburgh Steelers linemen Ramon Foster and Mike Golic Jr., with the focus being on seasoned veterans working with rookies.

“It’s a mentor type of program, where Benny is my mentor,” Bernard said. “It’s actually kind of cool to see how everything works. It’s like an inside scoop on what’s going on at training camp and how me and Benny interact.”

The shows are free to view at www.nfl.com/builtfortraining.

Bernard and Green-Ellis received the bulk of the attention in the first episode, which debuted Aug. 6. The second episode posted Tuesday, with the remaining shows set to air each of the next three Tuesdays.

“They follow us on the field and after practice when we’re working on blitz pickups or things like that, along with a lot of the off the field stuff you see on Hard Knocks,” Green-Ellis said. “It really is pretty neat because it gives people a view of a guy actually helping someone else.

“They always see us competing and playing, but they rarely see how we interact as people.”

Fans are able to ask the players question by using the #Gillette and #BuiltForTraining hastags on Twitter, but it may be another week or so before Bernard and Green-Ellis are able to answer.

“We’ll answer the questions when we’re allowed to use Twitter,” Bernard said. “We’re not allowed to use it right now, so it’s been a little quiet in that regard.”

Bernard said the episode he is most looking forward to is the one with a music video the players recorded in LA last spring after voluntary workouts wrapped.

“We met up with the other guys and they took the sound of us working out and created a music video out of it,” he said. “It’s really cool. One of the things they did is when I was on the treadmill, they took the sound of every time my feet hit and made that the beat. And Benny was doing some different exercises that were making sound. It’s pretty neat to see how they put it together.”

While Gillette and NFL Media had plenty of vet/rookie tandems to choose from across the league, Bengals running backs coach Hue Jackson said Green-Ellis and Bernard are a perfect fit.

“I think they all try to help each other, but there’s an especially strong bond between those two,” Jackson said. “It’s one of those big brother, little brother type of relationships. You’ve got a wily vet who’s been in the league and been to the Super Bowl and he’s watching a young guy come in who’s trying to have success in the league.

“Gio’s a good young man who’s fun to coach and fun to be around and really works at it,” Jackson continued. “He’s a pretty outgoing young man, and he can talk now. He’s got no problem talking and telling you what he feels, which is a good thing.”

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