Enquirer Sports

Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. was named the 2016 best sportswriter in Ohio, according to the National Sports Media Association.

This is the first time Dehner Jr. won this award. Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans won last year's award along with Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“Receiving this award is an incredible honor, but it belongs to the whole team that comprises our Bengals coverage," Dehner Jr. said. "We take so much pride in the content we churn out and any individual quality wouldn’t be possible without the way we work together. First and foremost from my partner Jim Owczarski to columnist Paul Daugherty along with photographers Sam Greene and Kareem Elgazzar all the way up the line to our entire sports production department, you couldn’t ask for a more professional, talented collection of teammates.”

The work Dehner Jr. does on a daily basis both on and off his beat make him stand out among his peers on the beat, sports editor Jason Hoffman said.

"Paul's personality, professionalism and work ethic are second to none," Hoffman said. "His willingness to help out his co-workers and be a mentor to others in the sports department make him an outstanding asset to Enquirer Media."

Dehner Jr. has covered the Bengals since joining The Enquirer in 2014.

Watch the announcement video below. (Dehner Jr. mentioned at the 8-minute mark.)