The Cincinnati Bengals have a stellar left tackle on an otherwise oft-criticized offensive line, and apparently Who Dey Nation has Adam Sandler to thank for it.
Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. always seemed destined for greatness on the gridiron. His late father was an excellent player at the position in the AFC North for the Browns and Ravens. Years later, his son would be drafted by Baltimore, pivot to Kansas City for a Super Bowl win, and land in Cincinnati as a four-time Pro Bowler.
While Brown has been pivotal in protecting Joe Burrow's blind side and in the rushing attack's sudden resurgence, it wasn't always easy for him to tap into football-related violence. Brown revealed that he found a spark from Sandler's movie The Waterboy.
Adam Sandler's Bobby Boucher unlocked Orlando Brown Jr's physicality on the field
Brown explained how through his first three games, his father would leave his son's games early, because he was too "soft."
Channeling some Big Dad Energy, the senior Brown threw on The Waterboy one day. Sandler's Bobby Boucher character is a mild-mannered young man turned heat-seeking missile on the football field once he imagines some nasty bullies making fun of his penchant for, well, water. He goes from handing out high-quality H20 to truck-sticking anyone in his path.
From there, the younger Brown started driving the other kids to the Gatorade coolers on the sidelines, and the rest, as they say, is history. The first game after watching The Waterboy, Brown was off to the races:
"First play of the game, I take a kid, I drive him 10 yards, it felt like 30 yards. He was also the second-biggest kid in our conference. I put him on his back. My dad came running down from the stands, man. Chest bump on the field."
"(My dad) puts on The Waterboy. Bobby Boucher snaps. He's like, that's how I need you to think."
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) October 31, 2025
An incredible story from Orlando Brown Jr. on how he went from "soft" to a real football player. #Bengals @FOX19 #BengalsNow @ZEUS__57
(H/T @TyDunne) pic.twitter.com/1Z5YWHr9Vz
Orlando "Bobby Boucher" Brown Jr? Has a decent ring to it. I can mess with it. Nice alliteration there, too.
In all seriousness, Brown is built different. He played the latter part of last season through not one, but two fractures in his leg. You already have to be tough to play in the NFL trenches. That's a whole other level, and you have to think Brown was fantasizing about punishing bullies just like Boucher during that bout of brutal pain.
Who knew it all started with The Waterboy? I would've thought Brown's dad would take a more "tough love" approach than turning to a goofy Adam Sandler comedy. Just goes to show you never know what will resonate, and yes, it speaks to the power of movies as well!
Good for Orlando Brown Jr. I wonder what he thought of Happy Gilmore 2. More than anything else, it'd be great to see him pull up in a Boucher uniform for Sunday's game against the Bears in the spirit of Halloween.