Former Lakewood gridder now a Bengal

The Herald

LAKEWOOD – Dustin Stanton of Lakewood was disappointed he wasn’t selected in the NFL draft last weekend.

But he didn’t have time to sulk.

Only two minutes after the draft was complete, he signed a free-agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stanton said he was contacted by about 20 NFL teams in the lead-up to the draft. He had individual workouts with the Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints. Stanton watched the draft at his parents’ home. Teams began contacting Stanton at the beginning of the seventh and final round about signing as an undrafted free agent, receiving offers from the Bengals, Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. He was scheduled to leave Thursday for Cincinnati, where he will take part in the Bengals’ rookie minicamp this weekend.

The news of Stanton’s signing created quite a buzz in the Lakewood community.

“Oh, man, it’s like a proud-papa moment,” said Dan Teeter, who coached Stanton in high school. “I know everyone in the Lakewood community is so happy for him. He’s the first guy from the school to make it to that level, so the whole community has its chests puffed out.”

In high school, his nickname was “Noodle” because he stood 6-foot-6 but weighed just 212 pounds. He was a tight end on offense and an outside linebacker on defense. After graduating from Lakewood in 2012, he headed to Oregon State to be a college tight end.

However, he was asked to bulk up and switch position. He moved into the starting lineup at right tackle midway through the 2014 season, then started every game there in 2015. In 2016, he was named a team captain and again started every game, three at right tackle and nine at right guard. He also was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team for the third time.

The Bengals have Stanton penciled in to play left guard at rookie minicamp, but he is prepared to play anywhere along the offensive line. He even spent two months prior to the draft learning to play center, a position he’s never played in a game.

Stanton said the Bengals showed the most interest and were the most straightforward.

“Their offer was also the best,” he added.