When fan favorites Dohnte Meyers and Landon Robinson got the call Sunday that they had made the Bengals' initial 53-man roster, their next call went to their parents. Then they both wept.

"If it means something to you, it's worth it to cry," said Robinson, the monstrous rookie defensive tackle from Navy after the Bengals' brief workout Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Zac Taylor welcomed them for culture reasons, as much as for their massive preseason production.

"They just came in here and were consistent, put in the work, and when their number was called, they showed up," Taylor said.  "And they did it the way we wanted it done, and they also made a lot of plays on top of that. That's a good way to crack a really deep roster."

Landslide Landon

There was no doubt Robinson had this club made for maybe weeks even though he was their last draft pick, a seventh-rounder. Not after he dominated in such a fashion that Gridiron Grades had him leading the NFL in sacks during the preseason with four and put him first among defensive linemen with 10 pressures.

But that doesn't get in the way of the great story.

He's the Bengals' first service academy draft pick, Navy's first All-American in 50 years and his dad Lance grew up a Bengals' fan 35 minutes from Paycor Stadium.

The NFL scouting combine didn't draft him, but he ended up training under former Bengals strength coach Clif Marshall, another Cincy omen. With no NFL coaches in attendance at his pro day, Marshall coaxed him to his 4.8ish 40-yard dash and the 30 bench presses. And, yet, the Bengals were Robinson's only top 30 visit.

Now, on the Sunday of the NFL 53, fair to say they stole one.

Before the Bengals went on the field Sunday, Robinson went in the corner of the rookie locker room and phoned the biggest Bengal fan he knows. Both he and Lance cried.

He also got a text from his Navy teammate, running back Eli Heidenreich, who also completed an improbable story Sunday and made the Steelers as an undrafted player. He was thrilled when Navy football posted the news of his roster spot with the Bengals.

Robinson had already heard from Lieutenant General Michael J. Borgschulte, the superintendent of the Naval Academy, after his sack salute went viral against the Bears.

As he recounted the call from Borgschulte, Robinson said last week that he makes sure the salute is always done the right way since it's meant to be sign of respect. Even though he's in cleats, he'll start the salute with a click of the heels.

"Keep your heels together like this, 45 degrees, straighten your back and shoulders," Robinson said of the by-the-book-salute. "Roll your fingers like you're holding a row of quarters and just pull your thumbs over the top, and keep them right here at your pockets. Your arm has to be parallel with the ground, 45 degrees, and you use a knife hand."

It's simple.

"It's just something that I wanted to incorporate into my football life to show that respect for all the military people out there and everyone that's been with me along the journey, and just showing them that's still part of me," Robinson said. "I think sometimes when you get to this level people think you've changed or are doing something else. I'm going to continue to do it."

That's exactly what Borgschulte would like him to do.

"He loved it," Robinson said.

On Sunday, the Bengals came through with his orders.

Dohnte's Inferno, Part II

Talk about a full-circle moment Sunday for Meyers.

It was in December when Meyers, off his 1,000-yard season for the Grey Cup champion Rough Riders in Canada, worked out in Paycor Stadium with two other CFL players.

"It took about ten minutes," recalled wide receivers coach Troy Walters Sunday, after Meyers completed a longer-than-that post-practice throwing session with quarterback Joe Burrow on that same Paycor turf.

"Ten minutes. He ran a couple of routes and you knew he had the speed and the suddenness to have a chance. We knew he could return and he kind of fit what we were looking for. To add some competition to the room and the return game."

Meyers studied for the workout. He knew Walters had played in the league and that he had won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the country at Stanford.

"I felt it was one of my best workouts. The vibe I got here was a similar feel when I got to the Rough Riders," Meyers said. "It just makes sense. Troy was somebody I wanted to work with being a smaller receiver, him having success with the Biletnikoff, coaching those guys who are in the room.

"I want to continue to grow from him …  I'm a student of the game. Any tricks I can learn from his experience I can add to my game, I feel like that's a match made in heaven."

That was in December. Then in April, Walters recalled how Meyers was in a lonely Paycor and there he was sitting in the office of assistant wide receivers coach Davis Koetter learning the playbook. Now, on Sunday, we're almost in September, and it looks as if Meyers has returned to the scene of the workout as one of Burrow's favorite post-practice throwing partners.

Meyers recited a scripture about steps.

"I'm just grateful because each step is something new," Meyers said. "I'm just busting to experience it."

Burrow has loved the kid's attitude since a few weeks before camp, when Meyers drove from Atlanta at a moment's notice to throw and catch at Paycor.

Burrow is really going to love this. Meyers didn't know what to do to celebrate Sunday night. Here's an NFL player who drove DoorDash and Uber Eats to make money a few years ago.

"I'm still thinking about practice, honestly," Meyers said. "I don't know what I'll do. I'm ready to work. I probably won't shut the brain off until after the season. I'm happy to make the 53, but that means we have to beat Tampa week one."

It didn't sound like DoorDash.

Jack Hammer

Bengals rookie tight end Jack Endries survived arguably the toughest room on the club Sunday when he was one of five tight ends to make it. He called his folks. His brother. When four minutes became a lifetime.

"A lot to learn. I'm hoping they stay at five all season, not only so I can get on the field, but so I can learn from these guys," Endries said.

Endries had a sense there might be some good news as the fourth quarter rolled on Friday night in Philly. The Bengals had a two-score lead and were going downhill with the run game.

"There was something deep down in that game," Endries said. "I was just taking a bunch of fullback reps pretty much by the end of it, and I love four-minute, we're running the clock down, and I took so many of those four-minute, and they hit pretty well.  That's what I think convinced them."