By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Sunday's game

CLEVELAND - It was late and pouring rain. Bengals cornerback Jeff Burris knew he was tired. "I hadn't been to bed yet," he said.

Near Batesville, Ind., Burris fell asleep at the wheel as he drove from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on I-74 overnight Friday.

His car hit a guardrail with force enough to trap Burris until emergency personnel arrived and took him to a nearby emergency room.

"Our Savior has a way of humbling, of opening your eyes to all situations whether they be big or small," Burris said, "I thought I was awake enough to maintain and make it for an hour and a half. Next time I know."

Released Saturday morning, Burris not only made the Bengals flight to Cleveland but he helped Cincinnati to a 21-14 win Sunday.

"We were really worried about him," teammate Artrell Hawkins said. "We weren't really even concerned about him being able to get back to the game, just that he was all right."

Burris experienced some pain and numbness in his neck as a result of the accident, but otherwise he had no bumps or bruises.

"The guys around here were just incredible," Burris said. "I got calls from everybody.

"As soon as I walked in the locker room all the guys were like, 'Are you okay? Are you okay?' It makes you feel committed to this team, and that's what I am. I've been committed to this team."

So committed that he nearly knocked himself out of Sunday's game trying to tackle William Green in the first quarter.

The helmet-to-helmet collision sent both players to the ground and forced a fumble, which Cleveland recovered.

Burris later went to the locker room for treatment and X-rays on his neck, but returned to start the third quarter.

"I felt like if I didn't go back I would be letting them down," Burris said. "That was the biggest thing; just going back and being part of this."

The 10th-year veteran came back and was challenged repeatedly by Browns quarterback Tim Couch and his receivers.

Burris deflected three passes and intercepted one with a minute remaining to preserve Cincinnati's first win of the season.

"My weekend was just about fighting through adversity," Burris said. "The biggest thing I learned about this weekend was to make sure we maintain.

"We all face adversity at some point. It's just a matter of how you respond to it."

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