WR Chad Ochocinco bringing dance partner to Cincinnati, ready to get in some football

WR Ochocinco ready for some football

CINCINNATI — Chad Ochocinco is heading back to town to do more multitasking — work out with his Cincinnati Bengals teammates, tackle the tango with his dance partner and cover the NFL draft with the help of his head-to-head competition, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

“I’m just taking a break and coming to Cincinnati to see the fellas,” Ochocinco said, in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

Some break.

It’s been a whirlwind offseason for the 32-year-old receiver, who played in his sixth Pro Bowl — he lobbied unsuccessfully to kick an extra point — and took his social networking to another level, enlisting other NFL players to help him cover the Super Bowl.

That was just the start.

He has spent the past month on “Dancing With the Stars,” learning ballroom posture and footwork with the help of partner Cheryl Burke. He’s had mixed results — the judges liked his two previous dances, but gave him low marks for his quickstep performance in tiger stripes on Monday night.

“I liked it,” Ochocinco said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the judges. They’re tripping. I don’t pay any mind because I’m enjoying it. It’s something new for me.”

He’ll bring Burke along to practice the tango — their next dance — when he’s not working out at Paul Brown Stadium during his three-day stay in Cincinnati.

He’ll also team up long-distance with Revis, who shut him down during the final regular-season game and again one week later in the playoffs last season. Revis is the latest NFL player recruited to help with Ochocinco’s “News Network” sponsored by Motorola.

Revis will be in New York providing interviews during NFL draft week. Motorola also has enlisted defensive tackle Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma — expected to be one of the early picks — to share his experiences on the OCNN platforms.

“A lot of people are going to see this continue to take off and get bigger and bigger,” Ochocinco said. “Revis is one of the best cover guys in the NFL right now. The whole point is I want the same type of coverage when it comes to giving the news and letting his following know what’s going on. It’s going to be interesting.”

Revis said in a statement that he was “a bit surprised” to get asked to join Ochocinco’s social networking, since the two are rivals on the field.

Ochocinco, a second-round pick in 2001, doesn’t have any thoughts on who the Bengals ought to take early in the draft, when they could be looking to improve their passing game.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Our team is set right now with what we need to get to the Super Bowl. Anything we get in the draft is a plus.”

Ochocinco’s future could be a factor in how the Bengals approach the next couple of drafts. He tried to broker a trade two years ago, but failed and had to play out his contract. He was in much better spirits last season and was back to Pro Bowl status, helping the Bengals go 10-6 and win the AFC North.

He’s entering the final year on his deal, leaving his long-term status uncertain. Ochocinco said on Tuesday that he wants to stay beyond this year.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he said. “I’ve had a great time in Cincinnati. I love Cincinnati. I’m loving everything about it. The city has been extremely good to me. The Bengals have been overgenerous with some of the things they’ve done for me. In return, I’ve been the great player and always represented my city and the organization the right way, especially with the things I’ve got going on now.”

Ochocinco usually skips the voluntary offseason workouts at Paul Brown Stadium, staying in shape on his own. Last year, he integrated boxing into his workouts. Dancing was this year’s addition.

“It’s no different than with the boxing training,” he said. “I get up at 5 a.m. and lift weights, then dancing takes the place of the boxing regimen. Two hours of football practice equals eight hours in the dance studio. It’s the same thing, no different.”

On the Net:

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