ESPN.com · Aug 27, 2025
Despite a grim diagnosis, a deep connection to Cincinnati kept Dontay Corleone going
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CINCINNATI -- The burger is called "The Godfather," named after Dontay Corleone, the West Cincinnati kid who blossomed into a star as one of the nation's top defensive tackles for his hometown Cincinnati Bearcats in 2023. The way Tom Scott, owner of Bucketheads sports bar, saw it, partnering with a local star with a catchy nickname who, at 335 pounds, looked like someone who knew a good burger made for good business.
The deal was simple enough: Corleone would get $2 for each burger sold -- a few dozen a week and a couple hundred during the bar's famed "burger week" promotion. In exchange, he would make an occasional in-store appearance.
