Hamilton native Jayson DiManche played a key role on special teams for the Cincinnati Bengals this year.
Hamilton West grad Jayson DiManche finishes his first NFL season with the Cincinnati Bengals
Jayson DiManche was given a “what-if”?
What if someone had approached him during his senior year at Hamilton West—when just two colleges recruited him to play football—and told him he would be one of the top special teams players for the Cincinnati Bengals in five years?
“I probably would have laughed at them,” said DiManche, who was actually laughing while talking about laughing. “I would have said ‘Hey man, I’ll be lucky to make it through college.’ It’s been a blessing.”
A blessing for both DiManche and the Bengals. Jayson’s rookie year recently completed with 18 tackles, which placed him 19th on the team. He had 10 solos and eight assisted, with most of them coming on special teams.
He also got a few series at linebacker and was used as a blitzer on occasion, but for the most part he made a name for himself on coverage teams.
“It was definitely a good season, not just for me but for the organization,” he said of the Bengals’ 11-5 record and AFC North title. “Especially our (8-0) record at home.
“And for me to have a positive impact on that season, that was good. Personally, I had a productive season, took advantage of the opportunities that I got. I learned a lot this season, got a lot stronger and became a better football player as an individual this season. It was more than I ever hoped for.”
DiManche is the classic tale of how hard work can pay off. Coming out of Hamilton he was recruited by Stony Brook on Long Island and Southern Illinois. Both are Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) schools, which don’t churn out the NFL players at the same rate as the major conferences. They are places where guys have to do that much more to get noticed by scouts.
Jayson opted for Southern Illinois in the interest of maturing as a person.
“I could have stayed home and been with my family,” he said. “I’m a mama’s boy, I could just let her take care of me.
“Or I could go to Carbondale (Ill.), grow a little and become a man. I think that decision helped me make it (in the NFL). I already knew what it was like to do something on my own. It made the transition a little easier.”
After an outstanding career at SIU, DiManche went undrafted but was offered the second largest contract of any free agent last spring by the Bengals.
He made an immediate impact in exhibition games, finishing second on the team with 18 tackles. He was also heavily featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” on the day of final cuts, as they camped out in his room waiting to film his reaction as to whether the rookie free agent would make the team or not.
“I got used to them being around because they were there so long, but the camera being on just me was different,” said DiManche, who made the film crew wait in the hall way until he cleaned his dorm room. “It was fun. I like the cameras. I don’t have any problems showing my face.”
DiManche said he wasn’t very nervous the whole day until the phone actually rang. It was at that point it hit him that his future was being decided by the call. Once he got the good news, DiManche went to work to be the best special teams player he could.
He proceeded to earn three game balls during the season – one that the whole team got for winning the division title, and two for his own individual performances.
When he reflects on his first season, DiManche does so with pride.
“There were a couple things,” he said when asked what stood out. “The blocked punt I had in Cleveland. Some of the plays I made running down on kickoffs. That’s so much fun. Kickoffs are so much fun, it’s a shame I didn’t get to play it much in high school or college.
“I became entrenched in special teams, kickoff returns and just the majority of it. There’s nothing like running down the field with all your teammates, guys like Shawn Williams and Vinny Rey and Andrew Hawkins. You’re running down with guys that are big players who have been around for a long time. They’re getting down and making tackles, you’re getting up and celebrating with them. I live for that. We all take a lot of pride in our coverage.”
DiManche also gave props to head coach Marvin Lewis, linebackers coach Paul Guenther and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons.
“They always knew just what to say to keep me up, keep me motivated and being consistent during the season,” DiManche said. “Coach Guenther’s meetings were probably the most entertaining to be in. He was a very exciting coach to be in meetings with. He’s very passionate with what he talks about, just the little things he says all the time. Things that weren’t PG-rated but definitely got the point across.
“Coach Simmons had had memorable quotes also. Just things they say make such an impact that you want to go out and practice and get better. Those things all had an impact with me.”
It was more than just what happened on the field, however. It was about being in the NFL, seeing different cities and different stadiums. DiManche said his college’s stadium held 15,000 people, paling in comparison to Paul Brown Stadium—“a different animal in itself”—and other NFL fields.
“In the preseason we went to play the Falcons in the Georgia Dome and that was crazy,” he said. “We played in Dallas and their castle. Pittsburgh’s stadium and just how cold it is. Even with the cold, they were extremely hostile. The Bills stadium …everything has its own story, every game has it’s very own adventure.
“It was a blessing to experience all that at my age and I’ve grown up so much. I got so much experience and wisdom from this last year and I want to keep it going.”
But he doesn’t forget his Hamilton roots. A week after the season Jayson returned home to watch his brother Reidgee play on the Hornets JV basketball team. Reidgee was also a standout on the freshman football team.
“I watched some tape of him, I see those great plays and say ‘Wow I could never make those plays,’” Jayson said. “It makes me proud. He played on varsity as a freshman, I didn’t even play JV basketball and he’s on the JV basketball team. He’s a good athlete. He’s gonna be great, and surpass anything I do athletically if he puts his mind to it.”
That’s a lofty goal, considering where DiManche is right now. He is established after one season as a quality special teams player and is hoping to work himself into the regular linebacker position in the future.
He enjoys the city of Cincinnati, where he now lives, and his personal life is going well. He says he has grown spiritually and his faith has grown stronger. He is in a relationship with “a real good girl” and this winter plans on doing some traveling in addition to working out.
“I’m going to be in Europe at some point,” he said. “I already have some time planned in Jamaica and Mexico. I’m trying to get out of this cold a little bit. I’m Haitian, so even though I’m from New Jersey my skin is used to the cold but my blood isn’t. I want to get into some warmer weather.”
But he is also anxious to return to the Queen City and start working toward next year. His career is just starting and so far, it’s all been good.
“What if” has evolved from a question, to an answer.
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