By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Bengals rookie Dennis Weathersby during a press conference at Paul Brown Stadium Monday afternoon. (Steven M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

Dennis Weathersby tries to guard his emotions as tightly as he guarded opposing receivers in college.

He is a quiet man, not entirely comfortable speaking in public.

Yet the Bengals rookie cornerback on Monday couldn't help but reveal a personal change - in spite of his reluctance to open up.

Weathersby spoke to the media for the first time since April 27, the day the Bengals made the former Oregon State defensive back the first overall pick of the fourth round.

His selection came just a week after he was the victim of a drive-by shooting in his hometown of Duarte, Calif.

"It's like a second chance," he said of his recovery from the single gunshot that entered his back and exited his torso before lodging in his left arm.

"Everything happens for a reason. God was looking after me. I look at this as a plus or a positive and know that every day is not a given.

"So I go out there and do the best I can do with my ability because you never know what can happen."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who appears to be taking on a fatherly role with the 23-year-old Weathersby, wanted the rookie to speak with reporters at Paul Brown Stadium before training camp opened.

"We want to afford him the same opportunity that the other draft picks around the league have, which is to get to training camp with the focus not on the past," Lewis said. "The focus can be on him, Dennis, making the football team, as opposed to what happened in his background."

Barring an unlikely contract holdout, Weathersby will practice when camp opens Monday at Georgetown College.

He has worked regularly with Bengals defensive and strength and conditioning coaches for the past five weeks.

"I feel like I am close to 100 percent," he said. "I feel really good about myself and my body, physically and emotionally. Each day I'm getting better and better."

Weathersby lost what he said was half of his blood, and regaining his strength has been the biggest physical challenge. His goal is to make the roster and contribute, even as a special teams player, and as a backup cornerback.

"We'll just have to monitor him when he's on the field," Bengals secondary coach Kevin Coyle said of Weathersby's condition.

While Weathersby said he never doubted that he would play football again - especially after doctors told him the bullet missed his organs and that he would not require surgery - the game will be different. It will be a respite.

"When I'm out there playing football, or doing something I enjoy, I don't really think about that," he said of the shooting. "So mentally I'll be fine, especially playing a sport that I love to play and doing something I've always wanted to do since I was a little kid."

One of the three suspects has been arrested. Still, Weathersby doesn't dwell on the past.

"That slows down the future," he said.

He once thought of making a social contribution in his hometown, which is northeast of Los Angeles.

"But after that happened I started realizing things. There are a lot of things that I can't control. You can't help anybody who doesn't want to be helped, so, with that notion I don't really see myself putting forth an effort in that community," he said.

"Maybe in a different community, but in a community like that where there are so many wrong things going on and so many disadvantages, things aren't getting better. They're getting worse. I don't feel that I should take part in anything like that."

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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