George Clooney talks Bengals fandom, trying out for Reds and short time at UC on 'New Heights' podcast

CINCINNATI — He may be in Hollywood now, but George Clooney will always be a Cincinnati guy.

While promoting his newest film, "Jay Kelly," the two-time Academy Award winner spoke to UC alums Jason and Travis Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast and immediately kicked things off with some commentary on Travis' Chiefs.

"Travis, you broke me, man," Clooney said. "I'm a Bengals fan, dude. I grew up in Cincinnati. You've broken me so many times. ... You know how many times I've thrown like a hoagie at my TV at your face?"

When Travis responded that he actually wanted to be drafted by the Bengals due to his time at UC, the 64-year-old confirmed he also attended for "a minute."

"I lived on Straight Street on that hill where, if it snowed and you parked, all of the cars would end up at the bottom of the hill," Clooney said.

Though he attended UC, the Kentucky native said he grew up a University of Kentucky fan.

"I was a UK kid, too. I loved UK," Clooney said. "I would side with UK for basketball, because you kind of wanted to have a winner (to cheer for) and I'd been a Bengals fan for a long time and, you know, we’d lost an awful lot of games when I was (young)."

Those aren't his only connections to local teams. Clooney also recalled trying out with the Reds while in high school.

"I was back in Cincy a couple of weeks ago ... and I had a couple of tryouts for the Reds when I was younger and (owner Bob Castellini) came up and read my scouting report and it was the most humiliating you've ever heard in your life," Clooney said. "It was like, 'He's got no arm, he's got no speed, he can't hit."

Despite that, Clooney said he remembers that he "looked good" in the uniform.