Danny Farmer makes a big catch against Jacksonville last December. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The last time Bengals fans heard from Danny Farmer he was standing in the locker room at Paul Brown Stadium thawing out and explaining how he survived the 20-below wind chill factor to make five catches for 102 yards and lead the Bengals past the Jacksonville Jaguars.

        He was a breath of fresh but frosted air late in another lost season. And he was a great story — the Southern California golden boy who played volleyball as well as football at UCLA having his best day as a pro in the second coldest home game in Bengals history.

        The wonder wasn't that he made all those catches, but that such an unpracticed winter weather driver managed to make it to the stadium on a day when the roads were laced with ice.

        “When the game was over, I jumped into the sauna with my pads on,” Farmer, 24, said. “You definitely could not put the cold out of your mind. You definitely had to fight through it.”

        Eight months later, on a blistering, humid afternoon at Georgetown College, when asked for an interview, Farmer's first request is to locate a bit of shade. The Jacksonville game, like the cold weather, seems like ancient history. Farmer is at training camp fighting for a job, one of eight receivers contending for two, possibly three spots on the roster.

        The Bengals picked up Farmer last summer after he was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He caught 19 passes for Cincinnati, 17 in the final six games. He was the only receiver on the team to produce a 100-yard receiving game.

        But if you look at the Bengals' depth chart, Darnay Scott, Peter Warrick and Chad Johnson, this year's second-round draft pick, are a lock to make the team. Farmer is lumped in with the other eight hopefuls.

        It's not as if what Farmer did at the end of last year no longer matters. It does, to an extent. But what he accomplishes during the next four weeks matters a whole lot more, beginning with today's preseason opener against the Chicago Bears in Chicago.

        “I know what he did last year,” said offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. “But every year is different. Maybe the competition is a little bit different now. After the top three, I don't think anybody's for sure made it.”

        As a California kid with surfer-boy good looks, Farmer has to fight the image of being laid back. Even Thursday night, as he made his way to the practice field, wide receivers coach Steve Mooshagian called him a valley boy. Farmer tries to laugh off the jokes, but what he would really like to be known for is his toughness, his consistency, and his knowledge of the game.

        He doubts that there are very many “valley boys” who could have done what he did last year under those frigid conditions.

        “It shows a lot about how I play the game,” Farmer said. “Under adverse conditions, I was able to rise to the top. I try to work through every situation, work hard in the heat, work hard in the cold.”

        But then, when asked what he did to prepare for this season, he points to a yoga class he attended to lenghthen his muscles and improve the length of his stride when he runs. “It's a big thing in California,” he says.

        The image persists.

        Tonight's game against the Bears will provide Farmer with his first opportunity to impress the coaching staff under game conditions since he eased into that sauna last December. But he has more personal reasons for anticipating this game a little more than he would a normal exhibition game.

        His father, George Farmer, played wide receiver for the Bears from 1970-75. Now his son will play the same position at Soldier Field for the first time as he attempts to continue to follow in his dad's NFL footsteps.

        It's a nice thought, but not one he can afford to dwell on for long because he knows his job is on the line every time he steps onto the field.

        “All I can do,” Farmer said, “is put myself in a position to make them not cut me.”

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