Shannon Sharpe Recalls Bill Davis’ Brutal Lesson for QB Hits Over Bengals Practice Brawl: “Why the F Did You Hit Him?”

The Cincinnati Bengals camp turned tense this week when rookie pass rusher Shemar Stewart accidentally bumped into Joe Burrow, sending the star quarterback to the ground. The minor collision caused Burrow to lose his balance, sparking an immediate scuffle.

On the latest episode of “Nightcap” with Chad Ochocino, former player Shannon Sharpe replayed the clip showing how Stewart’s hit caused right guard Lucas Patrick to remind everyone, “Gotta protect No. 9… You can’t let No. 9 get hit.”

Hall of Famer Sharpe remembered the same principle while reacting to an incident from his time at Savannah State. He recalled how, during his college football days in 1986, the late coach, Bill Davis, handled any defender reckless enough to test the rule.

“Coach Davis at Savannah State, somebody hit the quarterback. He [said], ‘Can you play quarterback, son? Can you play quarterback?’ ‘No, sir.’ ‘Well, then why the f did you hit him?’” Sharpe laughed, emphasizing that the blunt lesson was integral for the team (4:20).

The teaching moment never faded for Sharpe, and as rookie Shemar Stewart rammed into Burrow recently, the 57-year-old remembered Davis’ words at Savannah State from four decades ago.

His story highlighted why the Bengals’ flare-up resonated strongly across the league. As the season approaches and the Bengals prepare to face the Commanders on Aug. 19, protecting Burrow is necessary. It is one of the sport’s most sacred codes for football at both the college and NFL levels.

Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco Dissect Bengals Practice Chaos and Its Impact for Rookie Shemar Stewart

Cincinnati Bengals practice had a chaotic twist when rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart accidentally leveled quarterback Joe Burrow, sparking a brief on-field scuffle. Analysts Shannon Sharpe and Ochocinco broke down the incident, dissecting what happened.

“Uh, rookie Stewart hits Joe Burrow at practice, leading to the brawl. Oo, check out the video,” Sharpe said, highlighting how quickly the play escalated (0:15).

Sharpe dissected the sequence, noting that Stewart ran a stunt but overextended himself.
He also sent a clear warning to Shemar, saying:

“You hit the quarterback, oh, they gonna get you (0:44).”

The analysts pointed out that Stewart’s off-balance posture contributed to the collision.

“He couldn’t because he was off balance. You see, because he got too far overextended. If he pulls up… well, coach, I was off balance,” Sharpe added, demonstrating how even a slight misstep can turn a routine drill into a tense moment (0:54).

Shemar Stewart’s learning to play the Bengals’ way carries additional significance as he finalized his rookie contract after a three-month impasse on the contract language. The former Texas A&M standout agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal, including a $10.4 million signing bonus. The agreement resolved a holdout over guaranteed money, ensuring Stewart could join camp without further disputes.

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