Ken Riley is a legendary former cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals who is No. 5 all-time in NFL interceptions.
- Died: Sunday, June 7, 2020 (Who else died on June 7?)
- Details of Death: Died at the age of 72.
- We invite you to share condolences for Ken Riley in our Guest Book.
NFL Star
Riley played quarterback at Florida A&M University and was a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship. He was drafted by the Bengals in the 1969 draft as a cornerback since they had already drafted quarterback Greg Cook. Riley took to the position well and played cornerback for the Bengals for all 15 of his NFL seasons. His 6 career interceptions are No. 5 all-time but inexplicably he was only elected to the Pro Bowl once and is not in the Hall of Fame. He played in Super Bowl XVI when the Bengals lost to Joe Montana and the 49ers. After the NFL, he was the head coach at Florida A&M for eight seasons.
Riley on being elected to only one Pro Bowl
“I never really spoke about it or made any big fuss about not being in a Pro Bowl. First of all, I didn’t want to get hurt. I’ve seen some guys get hurt in the Pro Bowl, so it wasn’t any big thing for me. If I had known that was going to be such a big deal; I don’t know if that would have helped. That and not winning the Super Bowl.” —Cincinnati Enquirer
What they said about him
Full Obituary: Cincinnati Enquirer
