Dalton Dons Mantle

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[quote][size="5"][b]Dalton dons mantle[/b][/size]
By GEOFF HOBSON



The big news maybe wasn't the jersey the Bengals gave Andy Dalton Saturday morning, but what he did with it at the end of his introductory news conference at Paul Brown Stadium.

Dalton, the TCU quarterback they took in the second round, gave third-rounder Dontay Moch his cell phone to take a picture with him holding his No. 14 jersey with fiancée Jordan Jones on the podium.

"He always tries to keep me involved in whatever he's doing," Jones said. "The one thing he's done through this whole process is stay humble. He's the same way he was before this all started."

After whirlwind trips to a dozen NFL cities in the past month and several other workouts literally probing him from from head to toe, now the scrutiny remains. He's supposed to be the quarterback of the future and is wearing the one of the greatest numbers of the past with the number of Ken Anderson, the franchise's all-time leading passer.

Dalton wore it at TCU and he displayed the same level head that was the foundation of the Horned Frogs' 13-0 run to the Rose Bowl title.

"I don't know a lot about him, but I know he was here for a long time and was very successful," Dalton said. "It's great to get the No. 14. It's funny…"

The funny thing, he said, is that one of the people at his parents' home in Katy, Texas, during the draft is that "my best friend's wife's dad went to high school with Ken Anderson." There may be no relation, but Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham sees the similarities and doesn't think his old road roommate would mind.

"If Kenny Anderson met Andy Dalton, he'd have no problems with him wearing his number," Lapham said. "They're kind of cut from the same cloth. Small-town guys. Humble guys. Successful. Don't let it go to their heads."

He can stretch out the parallels a little more. Dalton is a shade under 6-2 at 213 pounds. Anderson was 6-2, 212 pounds. And their hallmarks are their brains and accuracy. Don't get him started on the knocks against his arm.

"I think the arm strength question was with the 12 workouts. They were wanting to see and every single team I worked out for said you can make all the throws," he said. "Not one of them said one thing about arm strength and that kind of stuff."

Only three players have worn 14 and two of them are Bengals' all-timers. The first one was future Super Bowl coach Sam Wyche. The only player to wear it since Anderson retired after 16 seasons in 1986 is wide receiver Maurice Purify for five games in 2009.

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