CINCINNATI — As the NFL Draft gets started in Cleveland, NFL teams around the country are preparing to make their picks, and Means Cameron, a Cincinnati small-business owner, gets a chance to help the Bengals announce their second-round selection.
What You Need To Know
- The Cincinnati Bengals asked a local business owner to announce their second round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft
- Cameron owns Black Owned Outerwear and Black Coffee Lounge in the heart of Cincinnati
- Cameron and the Bengals collaborated last season on an apparel line for the team and its fans
- Cameron said he feels really blessed to be able to call out one of the Bengals newest players
Walking around downtown Cincinnati, Cameron seems to know just about everyone. That’s because he grew up on the West Side of the Queen City, cheering on the hometown team.
“On Sundays, we were just excited to see the Bengals play,” he said.
That’s why being a business owner in the heart of Cincinnati is a dream come true for him
“Having these businesses on this block is everything because the people that I grew up with get to see what the possibilities are,” Cameron said.
Cameron owns Black Owned Outerwear and Black Coffee Lounge. He started his outerwear business 10 years ago, and last year had the chance to partner with the Bengals.
“First of all, you see the Bengals stuff in the window,” he said, pointing out his storefront. “But then if you look right here you can actually see Paul Brown Stadium from our front door. So we really are neighbors.”
That partnership has now turned into something bigger. He was asked to announce the team’s second round draft pick, something Cameron never imagined he’d get to do.
“I never got to stand on the stage to be selected as an NFL player,” he said. “But I’ll be standing on the stage announcing one.”
While Cameron will be on stage representing his brand, he also knows he’s representing a lot more than that
“I think it’s representation,” he said. “I think the people that know me, know the work that I’ve put in to get to this point, I think this is a celebratory moment not just for me and my family or the Cincinnati Bengals, but literally for the entire Black community here in Cincinnati.”
Now looking at all he’s accomplished, he reminds himself of where he is and how he got here.
“Like when I’m feeling low or I feel like I’m overwhelmed, I will literally pull my car here, park here and just look,” he said. “It’s a reminder, again, of where we come from.”
