Sam Hubbard, a defensive finish for the Cincinnati Bengals, mentioned throughout a podcast Wednesday that he needs his staff to win the Tremendous Bowl in tribute to Harambe, a gorilla who was killed on the Cincinnati Zoo in 2016.

The Bengals will first should beat the Los Angeles Rams in Tremendous Bowl LVI on February 13. The 2 groups will face off after the Bengals upset the heavily-favored Kansas Metropolis Chiefs final Sunday within the AFC Championship recreation, and the Rams equally defeated the higher-ranked San Francisco 49ers within the NFC Championship recreation.

Hubbard expressed his want to honor Harambe on the podcast Pardon My Take, referring to the late gorilla because the staff's "hero." The 17-year-old ape was shot and killed by a zoo employee after a 3-year-old boy climbed into the gorilla's enclosure. Harambe started dragging the younger baby, inflicting a park worker to take motion. Footage of the 2016 incident rapidly went viral, and it has been continuously utilized in memes since.

Sam Hubbard
Sam Hubbard of the Cincinnati Bengals mentioned throughout a podcast interview that he needs his staff to win the Tremendous Bowl in honor of a gorilla killed in 2016. On this picture, Hubbard celebrates after the win in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders in the course of the AFC Wild Card Playoff recreation at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Getty

Earlier than he grew to become a rallying image, Harambe was as soon as used as a supply of trolling in opposition to the Bengals. In 2017, a billboard in Buffalo, New York, referenced the gorilla's loss of life forward of a recreation between the Bengals and the Buffalo Payments.

"You'll be able to change Dalton, you'll be able to't change Harambe," the signal from Northtown Automotive dealership learn. The "Dalton" referred to then-Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. (The staff's present quarterback is Joe Burrow.)

The Bengals staff has since adopted Harambe as an inspiration, Hubbard instructed the Pardon My Take hosts.

One host, who makes use of the monicker PFT Commentator, requested Hubbard: "Has there been any dialogue across the locker room about successful this one for Harambe, bringing one house for the lowland gorilla?"

"Candy Prince, I imply, that is our man. That is our hero," Hubbard answered. "I believe that is recognized, sort of goes with out saying. You understand, we're doing this for him."

The podcast's different host, Huge Cat, requested: "So, it is protected to say that you just had been on the facet of the Harambe grievers and, like, the child should not have been there?"

"It is powerful to say, however, I imply, yeah," Hubbard mentioned.

Huge Cat then talked about that he hopes a reporter will convey up the gorilla in the course of the Tremendous Bowl's Media Day.

In the meantime, Hubbard mentioned he is keen on a meme that depicts Harambe wanting over a soccer stadium. He mentioned the image "[m]akes my day each time."

On Twitter, Pardon My Take's official account made a brand new meme in a publish of Hubbard's interview that features each Harambe and the defensive finish.

Hubbard additionally famous in the course of the podcast look that he was in school at Ohio State College when Harambe was killed. The Benglas defensive finish and the hosts then joked how Hubbard may have saved the boy and overtaken Harambe within the 2016 incident with out resorting to deadly power in opposition to the gorilla.

Tremendous Bowl LVI will happen on February 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.