CANTON, Ohio — A former Cincinnati Bengal will be honored at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton this weekend. Cornerback Ken Riley played a team-record 15 seasons for the Bengals and he set another record for the team that isn’t likely to be broken any time soon: a total of 65 interceptions.

What You Need To Know

  • Bengals Cornerback Ken Riley is only the second Bengals player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Anthony Munoz

  • Riley set several records, including most interceptions — 65

  • Riley passed away in 2020

  • His family will receive the Hall of Fame ring during a Bengals home game this fall

​“That ranks fifth overall in NFL history,” said Rich Desrosiers, chief communications and content officer for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

“Just the way the game has evolved and the passing accuracy today, for a cornerback to get even three or four interceptions in a season now is a big number,” he said.

Riley once had nine interceptions in a single season, another record for the Bengals.

Despite all his records, Riley didn’t score the press coverage of other players, which may have contributed to him not getting inducted into the Hall of Fame until now, Desrosiers said.

“He didn’t talk about himself after a game. He didn’t promote himself to the press and there’s some argument that may have cost him a few years to get to Canton,” Desrosiers said.

After playing for the Bengals, Riley spent two years as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers before spending seven years as the head coach at his college alma mater, Florida A&M.

Now, Riley will take his place among the other greats — and perhaps one of his most famous quotes will inspire a future Hall of Famer:

“The day you relax is the day you start getting burned.”

“You gotta be prepared on every single play because if you’re not, that’s the one they’re flying by you and they’re scoring the 70- or 80-yard touchdown and all of the sudden you’ve had a bad game,” Desrosiers said.

Riley didn’t have many bad games, even when his Bengals lost. Although this honor follows his death (he died in 2020 at 72), Bengals fans will get to pay tribute to Riley this fall at a home game where his family will receive the trademark Hall of Fame ring.

“So that’ll be really special for the Riley family and really for all Bengals fans because he joins Anthony Munoz as only the second Bengals player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Desrosiers said. “So we anticipate quite a reception when the family’s presented the ring this Fall.”

His family will be accepting the Hall of Fame gold blazer and other mementos at the official induction ceremony this weekend in Canton.

Related Stories