Bengals like how SoCal’s Trenton Irwin acts as a receiver

Trenton Irwin sat on the finish of the eating room desk — however not for lengthy.

The teenager watched for almost 30 seconds as others tasted their meals, after which have been catapulted in succession by a window, right into a China cupboard and French doorways. When Irwin lastly took a chunk, he was launched backward into the wall of a fake fire with extra velocity than a Joe Burrow go.

“Man, that’s good,” the younger actor mentioned on the finish of an action-packed 2010 Kraft Velveeta tv business, which featured the tagline, “So good, it’s going to blow ‘em away.”

Irwin was 13 when he appeared in that spot. It was one of more than a dozen the Cincinnati Bengals receiver was cast for before giving up show business to fully commit to football.

On Sunday, the former Newhall Hart High and Stanford receiver goes prime time when he will play in the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Irwin, 27, is a rotational player for a Bengals team that features Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd — maybe the NFL’s finest receiver group.

However he has made probably the most of his alternatives.

Of his 15 catches this season, 4 resulted in touchdowns.

“I’ve been in the league for four years, but this is my first real opportunity in that type of situation,” Irwin mentioned in a phone interview. “So, I’m just having fun with it, just with my guys, my brothers, and learning from the best.”

Irwin’s growth right into a future NFL receiver coincided along with his fledgling appearing profession, an offshoot of what basically was the household enterprise.

Craig Irwin, his father, is a longtime character actor who has appeared in quite a few commercials and tv exhibits. Throughout Trenton’s youth, the whole household — Craig, spouse Ericka, Trenton, and youthful siblings Alyssa, Shawn and Ava — went on casting calls collectively.

The household additionally appeared in a 2005 Bravo actuality collection “Sports Kids, Moms & Dads.”

“I was not a kid wanting to see all that attention and all that,” Trenton mentioned. “I was a quiet little kid just catching lizards and fishing and playing football.

“For me that was to help the family and to be with the family because we all went [to] auditions together sometimes. That was just trying to help the squad.”

Soccer, not appearing, was his ardour.

At age 3, Irwin started carrying a soccer in every single place. Round the home. On the grocery retailer. On journeys to the airport.

“They called it his responsibility,” his mom mentioned, laughing. “ ’Don’t lose your responsibility!’ ”

Craig was impressed by the ten,000 hours of purposeful follow idea that gained recognition after the publication of Malcolm Gladwell’s best-selling e-book “Outliers.” The objective was for Trenton to catch 200 balls a day.

“It was kind of obsessive,” Craig mentioned, “but fun.”

On days when Craig was not obtainable to throw passes, Ericka stuffed in.

“Every kid says, ‘I’m going to grow up and be in the NFL or I’m going to be an astronaut,’ ” Ericka mentioned. “And mom says ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s build you a rocket ship.‘ And this kid was like, ‘Let’s go to the park and throw me the ball.’

“I try to take credit. Because I was such horrible quarterback, that if he could catch mine, he could catch anyone’s.”

As Irwin sharpened his soccer craft — he performed on the identical youth soccer group as Philadelphia Eagles security Marcus Epps — he additionally blossomed as an actor.

His profession started innocently. A casting director requested Craig to carry his then-7-year-old son alongside on Craig’s audition for a Nissan SUV business.

“He gets the job,” Craig mentioned, laughing. “Not me.”

Stated Trenton: “They snagged me up for it and I was like, ‘This is easy.’ It was not that easy afterwards. We did not get that many.”

However Irwin landed the Velveeta spot.

“I wasn’t doing a great job early on,” he mentioned. “I had to lock in. I almost got fired. My stunt double was this blond-haired dude and he almost [replaced Irwin]. I ended getting it right. … It turned out wonderful.”

A number of years later, nonetheless, Irwin referred to as it a profession.

Getting ready to changing into the primary freshman to start out for Hart, he booked a Microsoft business. The shoot was scheduled for the day earlier than a Friday night time recreation.

“I think we threatened, ‘You’re going to be here at practice,’ ” mentioned former Hart coach Mike Herrington, now the varsity’s offensive coordinator. “Because that was our rule: If you miss practice, you couldn’t start in the game.”

The job paid greater than $15,000, so Irwin felt obliged to work.

“My family needed it,” he mentioned. “I was like, ‘I’m doing that rather than going to this last practice. I got to do that.’ ”

Irwin didn’t play within the first quarter. It felt like an eternity.

“That was the turning point,” he mentioned. “I don’t think I went on an audition again.”

Irwin did go on to turn into the primary four-year starter for Hart. He established state data with 285 profession receptions for five,268 yards and 57 touchdowns receiving.

“One of the best, if not the best receiver, we’ve ever had,” mentioned Herrington, who now runs an offense that options school prospect Shawn Irwin at receiver.

Irwin earned a scholarship to Stanford, graduated with a level in Science, Know-how, and Society and in 2019 signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins. He was reduce, however the Bengals signed Irwin and he started his journey from follow squad participant to contributor.

Irwin performed in a single recreation in 2019 and one recreation in 2020 however didn’t catch a go. In 2021, he had two catches in seven video games, however he was not lively for the playoffs — together with Tremendous Bowl LVI towards the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

“It was that twisted, mixed-feelings type of thing,” he mentioned. “Like, ‘All right, glad we won [playoff games] but I also want a dang chance to do something for the squad.’ … That’s the happy medium, being able to feel good with being blessed with what you’ve got, but also still want more.”

Irwin acquired elevated alternatives this season as a result of a number of receivers suffered accidents.

Irwin’s first landing catch got here on a one-yard go from Burrow that gave the Bengals the lead in a victory towards the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I knew, a guy like Trenton Irwin, I knew exactly what I was going to get when he gets on the field,” Burrow instructed Cincinnati reporters within the days after the sport. “In practice, he does exactly what he’s supposed to do. Runs the route exactly the way you expect. He’s going to be right where he’s supposed to be at the time he’s supposed to be there, and that’s what you need out of a guy like that.

“He’s going to play hard, and he’s going to catch balls when his opportunity comes.”

A number of weeks later, Irwin scored on a 45-yard landing on a flea-flicker play in a victory over the Cleveland Browns. He added two landing catches in a win over the New England Patriots.

Within the Bengals’ AFC wild-card victory over Baltimore, Irwin didn’t have a catch. Final Sunday, he was focused twice and had one catch for 13 yards in a divisional-round victory over the Payments.

Because the Bengals ready this week for the Chiefs, Irwin and his father continued their every day telephone chats about life and soccer. On Saturday, it’s going to embody their standard day-before-the-game emphasis.

Craig reads aloud each play-call for all three receiver positions.

“I try to do it in a Joe Burrow-type accent,” Craig mentioned, chuckling, “even though Joe doesn’t have an accent.”

Irwin understands.

“He’s an actor,” he mentioned, “so he always loved the accents.”