Sometimes, this is how it works in the profession.

Bengals cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, the Texan who began his coaching career living above a concession stand at Division II East Central, had plenty of food for thought last month as his team changed defensive coordinators.

At 37 and in his seventh NFL season, the Bengals view Burks as a rising star, and so do others.

Lou Anarumo, the man who added Burks to the Bengals secondary in the afterglow of the Super Bowl in 2022, is now the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis and probably had interest. Burks had other contacts, too, from his days in Miami under then Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, now the defensive coordinator in Minnesota. Flores’ secondary coach with the Vikings, Daronte Jones, has been bandied about in DC talks.

But the Bengals guard their emerging young coaches. Much like Dan Pitcher, the offensive assistant under Marvin Lewis who they developed through stints as an assistant quarterbacks and quarterbacks coach under Zac Taylor before Taylor named him offensive coordinator last year. Or Jordan Kovacs, who began his career with the linebackers before becoming the safeties coach last year. Try Justin Hill at running backs, who went from Tulsa to helping Chase Brown become one of the Bengals’ most productive backs in recent memory last year.

After a two-hour conversation with new Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden, Burks went for a hot dog and a coke and stayed at Paycor Stadium for a fourth season. He opted for the staples of coaching in Division II or the NFL: Relationships. Respect. Roster. And an MVP-type quarterback as mustard on top doesn’t hurt, either.

With the Bengals emphasizing defense this offseason, they got off to a good start when they retained the coach at what looks to be their deepest position.

“I’ve really grown to love and respect everybody in the building and that was a big part of my decision,” says Burks, who cited his talks with all segments of ownership, his experiences working under Taylor, and a cornerbacks’ room he’s nurtured and become the bright spot of a defense in transition.

“And then you meet with Al for about an hour and a half, two hours,” Burks says, “and you just have a conversation that organically grows and you talk about ball, talk about philosophy, talk about a lot of different things, It was a conversation that just made me comfortable and made me realize that this decision was the best decision for me moving forward in my career in the NFL.”

Sometimes, this is how it works in the profession. The kid who once lived in what they called “The Popcorn Shack,” sits down with the guy from the Golden Dome.

Golden and Burks, from different eras, coasts and scheme trees, found themselves interviewing each other. They didn’t know each other until then, but their common ties and approaches soon spilled. They also bonded over the promise on the Bengals’ corners, where they both can’t wait to tap their versatility in a spring of experimentation.

“All those guys, I’ve watched every step they’ve ever taken here three times,” Burks says.

Golden, it turns out, had successfully recruited Flores, a Burks mentor, out of Brooklyn when he was the linebackers coach at Boston College. When Taylor hired Golden, Burks received a call from another mentor during his Dolphins’ days, Jim Caldwell, the former Lions head coach who had hired Golden to coach tight ends and then linebackers. Caldwell, now a senior assistant for Carolina, enthusiastically endorsed Golden to Burks.

Those names were just some of the bridges in a conversation Burks calls “immediately comfortable.”

“The things he says mean a lot to me and I respect the hell out of Coach Caldwell,” Burks says. “There’s a lot of different channels that I knew about Al before we had the conversation, so going in I had already had an immense amount of respect for him.

“I don’t necessarily need to be around somebody that I consider a friend or a buddy, by any means. But somebody that can create clarity, somebody that gives direction, and somebody that’s highly demanding, both of those things, that’s what kind of environment I want to be in. That’s what Al provides.”

Golden, 55, his rich resume refreshed off coordinating Notre Dame’s national runner-up defense, found it gracious of Burks to come into his office during his first day in the building a few weeks ago. When Burks arrived in Cincinnati three years ago, Golden was leaving for South Bend. Neither had any friends, or even nodding acquaintances where they were going.

“The most important thing is to hire talented guys not afraid to offer their thoughts and ideas to make us better,” Golden says. “And then ultimately guys who are good technicians who can challenge the room and make everyone one better around them.

“Just talking through things, I was very impressed with him and, obviously, he came highly recommended, and I love the group that he’s put together. So the confluence of those things led me to continue to make sure he was here.”

This is Burks’ corner. He helped scout and then develop Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner into starters and Josh Newton and D.J. Ivey into key contributors. When safety Dax Hill moved positions last year, he became their best corner before suffering a season-ending injury early in the year.

“I haven’t been through a cycle with him yet,” Golden says, “but I can tell he takes a lot of pride in the development of each player and recognizing what they do well and how to get that talent in the game.”

Not only has Burks watched every step they’ve taken since they’ve been here, but he’s plotting a busy spring of several more. It starts will Hill, the 2022 first-rounder.

Burks says his torn ACL, along with defensive lineman Cam Sample’s torn Achilles’ on Aug. 1, were the biggest injuries on a defense that missed their versatility. Burks had Hill in the nickel spot just before he got hurt, giving them a player who can play everywhere. He’s not talking about specific position switches, but he’s not putting anybody in a box, either.

“The goal is, how do you create depth with the pieces that you already have at different positions,” Burks says. “When I look at Cam, Cam is playing corner, but Cam has the skill set to do different things. He can blitz, he can run, he can cover. When I look at Josh, Josh projects at the nickel position. But Josh not only played and started at corner, but he played well, and played well enough for us to win. You can’t turn a blind eye to that.

“You saw Dax, you saw his versatility. DJ Turner can match up against different body types that you need a guy like that to match up against … There are a lot of different ways we can go in the secondary and I think the spring gives you time to experiment. And that’s what we plan to do.”

Golden, who had the nation’s best pass defense, likes what he sees so far.

“In general, their competitiveness. How they finish late on the ball, the way they challenge receivers,” Golden says. “I’m excited about that group. He’s done a really good job on the evaluation part.”

The last month has been a good time for Burks to evaluate his own career.

After starting in “The Popcorn Shack,” and then graduating to sleeping on mattresses while paying dues at West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Commerce, it has rocketed into the pros, where points of interest abound.

But he’s staying in his Cincinnati townhome.

“I was coaching in Division II for years and now that I’m in my seventh year in the NFL, I put myself in position where I’m going to continue,” Burks says. “I really think you start with relationships.”

Sometimes, this is how it works in the profession.