What Bengals DE Khalid Kareem said about Notre Dame DC Al Golden
Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Khalid Kareem and new Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden go back way further than their time together with the Cincinnati Bengals. Golden recruited Kareem out of high school when he was the head coach at Miami.
Of course, Kareem, a Detroit native, chose to stay in the Midwest. It worked out. He was an Irish team captain in 2019. A two-year starter, Kareem racked up 108 total stops, 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks during his college career. He paved his own path to the NFL with help from players and coaches at Notre Dame.
And when he got to the next level, none other than Golden was waiting for him as the linebackers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals — the team that selected Kareem in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. Kareem quickly learned then what he would have much sooner had he gone to Miami and Golden stayed there a little longer.
“The dude is phenomenal,” Kareem said on the Inside The Garage podcast. “He knows football like the back of his hand.”
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Golden was not Kareem’s position coach. Golden worked with the linebackers and Kareem is a defensive end. But Golden’s reach stretched far beyond the backers. Kareem said the Bengals recent run to the Super Bowl would not have transpired without the overall help of Golden across the entire defense — one that ranked No. 5 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.
Golden’s halftime adjustments really hit home for Kareem.
“He’d have everything scripted out, all of our mistakes,” Kareem said. “He wouldn’t come at anyone or disrespect anyone. He’d be like, ‘Hey, you need to get this done and this done, and we’ll shut the team done in the second half.’”
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Case in point: holding Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to three points in the second half and overtime of the AFC Championship Game. At Arrowhead Stadium, no less. Golden’s fingerprints were all over the second-half game plan that sent the Bengals to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
Off the field, Kareem said he was drawn to Golden’s genuine nature. That’s what Kareem believes will lead to his success at Notre Dame. College coaching is all about relationships, from recruiting to the day a player leaves campus. They way Kareem saw it, Golden is a relationships guy through and through.
“He’s the same guy every day,” Kareem said. “Full of energy. Excited to see guys, excited to come to work. I think what’s good about college is he’ll have time to build those relationships with players. I feel that in the league, you’re dealing with a lot of guys who are already developed in the ways and how they’re going to work. In college, you can make a player how you want him. You can truly mold a player.”
