Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart grabbed his first NFL sack during Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals.
After the game, Stewart told reporters he’s putting the ball in a case at his home to remember the special moment.
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Oh, and more than anything, he’s looking forward to building on the momentum after having a chunk of his rookie year derailed by injuries.
“It was very tough, especially mentally for a player like me, who never got hurt during my college career, never missed a game, never missed a practice,” Stewart said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “But it was really hard on me mentally. With everything that has been going on, my mind has been going in one direction, but I should be fine.”
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The Bengals exited the playoff race a few weeks ago, but Stewart got back and has been seeing a heavy dose of snaps while working toward a strong sophomore outing.
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Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is one of many excited to see Stewart shake off the setbacks and get rolling:
“He hasn’t gotten a chance to just be healthy for a long stretch. It’s always a stop-start this year, no fault of his own with the injuries. So, to see him out there accumulating a bunch of snaps over these last couple weeks, first career sack, can get that off your back a little bit before you’re going to the offseason. He’s got a lot of potential for us.”
Alongside fellow first-round product Myles Murphy, Stewart figures to factor heavily into the Bengals’ offseason plans with Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai scheduled to be free agents.
After missing time over the summer due to contractual issues, then multiple injuries, Stewart has one sack and one more game to keep building developmental reps before stepping into a possible major role next year.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ Shemar Stewart hoping to build upon first NFL sack