It’s not exactly like the once-awkward, ridiculed teenager who attends his first high school class reunion as a millionaire with a swimsuit model on his arm, but you can bet Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Armon Binns will be sporting a bit of a “how do you like me now?” attitude Sunday in Jacksonville when he faces the team that cut him.

Binns spent the 2011 preseason with the Jaguars after signing as an undrafted college free agent out of the University of Cincinnati, but Jacksonville released him one week before the season opener.

“It’s something I’ll never forget,” Binns said. “It’s something that motivates me. Being looked over, being told you’re not good enough is something that’s very hard for me to let go. Going back, you want to show them that you are good enough, and that they passed up on something good.”

The Bengals, who were aware of Binns from his days with the Bearcats, added him to their practice squad a few weeks after Jacksonville cut him, and in a little more than 12 months he has become a starter.

In the first three games this season, Binns has 12 catches for 157 yards, including his first career touchdown, a 48-yarder from Andy Dalton in Sunday’s 38-31 win at Washington.

Meanwhile, the receiver Jacksonville kept instead of Binns, Jamar Newsome, is on the practice squad in Kansas City and still looking for his first NFL reception.

Binns said he stays in touch with some of his former Jacksonsville teammates, and he still thinks about the day he was released.

“It was just a hard time,” he said. “That was just a crazy offseason for me, not getting drafted and how everything went down. But … you’ve got to keep working and keep pushing. I think it worked out better for me coming here, somewhere where it was more stable.”

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said the team tried to sign Binns before the Jaguars did last year and were glad to get a second chance. And Dalton, who has thrown to Binns 13 times this season, resulting in 12 catches – said it’s been enjoyable to watch his progress.

“Being cut by Jacksonville last year, then being on our practice squad then coming up the last couple games, no one really knew much about him,” Dalton said. “The way he’s come up and played, he’s done everything right. And now he’s playing with confidence. It’s fun to see.”

As excited as Binns is to show the Jaguars how far he’s come, he said he’s not motivated by revenge.

“I don’t go in there with any agenda,” Binns said. “The product on the field will speak for itself. The game is not about me. The game is about our team going to Jacksonville and coming out of there 3-1.”