Dre Kirkpatrick wants to be the Ray Lewis of the Bengals

Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick looks poised to seize a starting job this season, but he wants his role to be so much more.

Kirkpatrick wants to become the team's emotional leader, the player that is identified most when a fan thinks of a specific team in the league. 

"When you think about the Ravens, everybody in their book is going to think about Ray Lewis," Kirkpatrick said via Bengals.com on Monday. "When you think of the Patriots you think about Tom Brady. When you think about the Bengals I want you to think of Dre Kirkpatrick."

Entering his fourth season, Kirkpatrick has made football his No. 1 priority as he looks to set a tone as a leader in the locker room. 

"I feel like I can be a captain of this team. I’m not shying away from it," Kirkpatrick said. "Point blank period. I feel like I’m in that situation. I feel like I’m motivating guys by my play, not by what I’m saying. I’m giving it 110 percent every play. So when you correct somebody, they can’t say, ‘Why? You’re not doing it.’ I cross all my Ts and dot all my Is because if you’re not doing it, how can you say something?"

Fellow corner Darqueze Dennard normally has a quiet demeanor, but he loves the emotion Kirkpatrick brings to the defense, which is bound to increase this season with Kirkpatrick's likely starting role. 

"He’s passionate about the game. He’s very intense," Dennard said. "I think guys can lean towards that. You have the Ray Lewises. On this team Vontaze Burfict. He’s a big rah-rah guy. He can get people going. I see qualities like that in Dre."

h/t: Bengals.com