This is a team of legendary Bengals not yet inducted into Canton Defensive Tackle : Mike Reid Reid was the Bengals first round pick in 1970, the same season Cincinnati won their division and made the playoffs in just their third year of existence. Reid had quickly established himself as a top defensive force in the NFL by racking up 12 sacks in his second season. In 1972, he became the first Bengals defensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl and be named First Team All-Pro after collecting another 12 sacks. He topped that mark with 13 the next year, making the Pro Bowl again. After a 1974 season that saw him battle through hand and knee injuries, yet missing no games, Reid unexpectedly retired. He had a passion for composing and playing music, and has since written 12 songs that reached number one, won a Grammy, and has been inducted unto the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The NFL Alumni Association honored him with a Career Achievement Award in 1996. Though Mike Reid played just five seasons for Cincinnati, he collected 49 sacks and became the first Bengals defensive player to go to the Pro Bowl and be named First Team All-Pro. His two Pro Bowls is tied with Coy Bacon and Tim Krumrie as the most by a Bengals defensive lineman in team history. Though his 49 sacks were not an official statistic in his era, the team recorded them and it is still the most in team history by a defensive tackle. He is most likely the best defensive player the team ever had. Defensive Tackle : Tim Krumrie Krumrie was drafted in the tenth round of the 1983 draft by Cincinnati. He started the year on the bench, but was starting before the end of the year. He would go on to start every game up until 1994 at the demanding nose tackle position, and he never missed a game his entire career. He had a career best five sacks his second season, but his specialty was stuffing the run. After piling up a whopping 113 tackles in 1986, he had an amazing 88 tackles in just 12 games during the strike shortened 1987 season. Not to be outdone, the 1988 season saw him get an astonishing 152 tackles and career best three fumble recoveries. He was named to the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro. That effort helped propel the Bengals into Super Bowl XXIII, where Krumrie broke both his tibia and fibula during the game. He had to have a steel rod inserted into his leg, but he missed no time and still had 73 tackles and three sacks the following year. He continued to be a force in the middle, never having a season with less than 68 tackles. In 1994, the Bengals switched to a 4-3 defense to accommodate Dan Wilkinson. Wilkinson had just been drafted first overall in the draft, so Cincinnati thought the 4-3 would best suit his skills. Krumrie was relegated to a reserve role at 34-years old and entering his 12th season, yet he did start four games. He retired at the end of the year. The 1,017 tackles Krumrie had are far and away the most in team history. His 188 games played are the third most in team history, and the most by a defensive lineman. His two Pro Bowls and one First Team All-Pro are tied as the most ever by a Bengals defensive lineman, and he is the only nose tackle in team history to have accomplished either feat. Tim Krumrie is an underrated nose tackle who is definitely one of the best to have ever played the position. He averaged almost six tackles a game for his career, a stellar statistic for any nose tackle. Comparing him to four time Pro Bowler Ted Washington Jr., a 15-year veteran, Krumrie had 261 more tackles than a man considered one of the best ever at the position in 48 less games. He is easily the best nose tackle in Bengals history. Steve Chomyszak, Wilson Whitley, Ron Carpenter, Dan Wilkinson, and Kimo von Oelhoffen deserves mention. Defensive End : Coy Bacon Bacon was an undrafted rookie signed by the Los Angeles Rams right before the 1968 season. Bacon had just come from playing in the Continental Football League. He had signed with the Charleston Rockets in 1966, after leaving Jackson State University upon completion of his sophomore year. While playing with the Rockets, Bacon was named an All-Star as a defensive end in 1966. Other NFL luminaries like Bill Walsh, Ken Stabler, and Garo Yepremian also were in the Continental Football League. The 1968 Rams team that had one of the best defensive lines in football, featuring Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. They were called "The Fearsome Foursome", and Bacon played just seven games as a reserve in his rookie year. He cracked the starting lineup the next year, and started 13 games at defensive tackle. He was moved to defensive end in 1970, recording 20 sacks,and took a fumble 14 yards for a touchdown. Bacon then had 21 sacks and intercepted a pass the next year. He made his first Pro Bowl in 1972, and then was traded to the San Diego Chargers after that season as part of a blockbuster deal. He picked off a pass that year, and took it 80 yards for a touchdown. Bacon also led the Chargers in sacks in two of his three seasons with them. Right after the 1975 season, the Chargers traded Bacon to the Bengals for Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner. He responded with a team record 21.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries returned for 48 yards and a safety. He was named to the Pro Bowl. He made his last Pro Bowl the next year for the Bengals, despite missing two games. The Bengals then traded Bacon to the Washington Redskins right before 1978. Being the pass rusher the Redskins desperately needed, he recorded double digits in sacks in each of his first three seasons with them. The Redskins released him after a injury filled 1981 that saw him play three games, but Bacon was not done playing. He joined the Washington Federals of the USFL in 1983, and had seven sacks at 41-years old before retiring permanently. Bacon played in an era where sacks were not a recorded statistic. Some researchers have credited him with over 130 sacks in his career. If you discount the three games he played in 1981, you can easily see he averaged 10 sacks every year of his career. That includes his first two seasons as a defensive tackle. Bacon was one of the best pass rushers to ever play the game. He was noted as a character who would not like to practice during the week of a game, reserving his energies for Sunday. He wasn't always stout against the run in the latter part of his career, but he made several spectacular plays when his team needed it most. Coy Bacon is worthy of induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. Though he played just two years for the Bengals, he made two of his three career Pro Bowl appearances with them. He is also the only defensive end the Bengals ever had go to the Pro Bowl, and his two games ties Mike Reid and Tim Krumrie as the most ever by a Cincinnati defensive lineman. Bacon could be the best defensive end the team ever employed. Defensive End : Eddie Edwards Edwards was the Bengals first round draft pick, third overall, in 1977. He started right away, and would remain entrenched at the starting left defensive end position until his last season in 1988. Besides intercepting a pass his second year, Edwards scored his only touchdown in 1986 off a fumble recovery. Edwards was a versatile player who started at every position on the defensive line in his career. He was one of the most underrated players of his era, yet he was well known by opposing quarterbacks. Though the NFL credits him with 47.5 sacks, a statistic they did not recognize until 1982, Edwards actually had 83.5 in his 12 seasons. He is the all-time leader in Bengals history for career sacks both officially and unofficially. His 17 fumble recoveries are the most ever by any Bengals defensive lineman. Though Cincinnati has had quite a few good defensive ends in their history thus far, none are better than Eddie Edwards. John Copeland, Royce Berry, Sherman White, Gary Burley, Justin Smith, Harry Gunner, and Ross Browner deserves mention. Outside Linebacker : Reggie Williams Williams was drafted in the third round of the 1976 draft by the Bengals after an outstanding career at Dartmouth University that saw him inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, where he frequently tackled future teammate Pat McInally while McInally starred at Harvard University. Starting right away at right outside linebacker, he would hold that job his 14 seasons and missed just seven games total despite playing on an injured knee virtually his entire career that required 14 surgeries so far after his retirement. His rookie season saw him named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. He scored the first touchdown of his career in his second season off of a 54-yard interception return, but he was also excellent off the blitz, He recorded safeties in 1980 and 1982, and led the NFL with four fumble recoveries in 1982. He matched that total the next year, taking one for a score. The last five years of his career saw Cincinnati ask him to cover less on the pass and focus on rushing the passer more. When he retired after 1989, his 41 sacks were the most ever by a Bengals linebacker and are the third most in team history by any player. Since the NFL did not start recording sacks as an official statistic until 1982, Williams has six seasons with countless sacks not counted by the league. His 16 interceptions are the most ever by a Bengals linebacker, and it is the eighth most by any Bengal. His two safeties is the most by a Bengals linebacker, and it is tied with Alfred Williams as the most in team history. His 23 fumbles recovered are the most by any Bengals defensive player, and second best in franchise history. Reggie Williams is certainly the best outside linebacker in Bengals history, but his greatness extends beyond the gridiron. Well noted for his charitable work with kids, Williams has won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the NFLPA Bryon "Whizzer" White Award for Humanitarian Services, Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, and the Walter Camp Man of the Year Award. He is truly a Cincinnati legend. Middle Linebacker : Jim LeClair LeClair was a third round draft pick in 1972 by the Bengals. He spent his first two years on special teams because Bill Bergey was the starter. When Bergey signed a contract with the World Football League after 1973, Cincinnati traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles for two first round drafts picks and a second round draft choice. It also paved the way for LeClair to start. His first year as starter was met by injury, and he suited up for just eight games. He would not miss another game again until the 1981 season, as he would become a reliable run stuffer on the Bengals defense. Though he was good in pass coverage, LeClair was most noted for his aggressive run stopping and ability to blitz well. He made his lone Pro Bowl in 1976, but continued to impress opponents with his strength at the point of attack. He was so strong, that he once wrestled a bear to a draw as a promotional stunt for the Army Reserve that he was a member of. When he left the team after the 1983 season to join the USFL New Jersey Generals for two seasons before retiring, his ten interceptions were the most ever by a Bengals middle linebacker. That record still stands. He is also tied with Bergey as the only linebackers in team history to have appeared in a Pro Bowl once. Though it has been nearly 30 years since Jim LeClair has retired, he is still probably the best middle linebacker the team has ever had. He was very underrated in his era, playing in the shadow of conference rivals Jack Lambert and Willie Lanier, a pair of Hall of Famers. Still, Bengals fans who saw him play know truly how good he was. Bill Bergey, Carl Zander, Genn Cameron, Brian Simmons, and Steve Tovar deserves mention. Outside Linebacker : James Francis Francis was the Bengals first round draft pick in 1990, and they had him start at right outside linebacker immediately. He responded by getting a career high eight sacks, a safety, and returned his lone interception 17 yards for a touchdown. Cincinnati then moved him to the left side in 1991 because their first round pick that year, Alfred Williams, was put in the starting lineup on the right side. He was solid on the left side, having perhaps one of his best seasons there in 1992. He had six sacks, while setting career best marks of three interceptions for 108 yards. He took one pick back 66 yards for a score. In 1995, he had a career best 104 tackles along with 4.5 sacks, then scored for the last time off of one of his three interceptions in 1996. Cincinnati released him after the 1998 season, so Francis signed with the Washington Redskins and appeared in 10 games as a reserve before retiring. Though he wasn't always asked to rush the passer, the 33 sacks James Francis had with the Bengals ranks fifth best in team history and is the second most ever by a linebacker. His 11 interceptions is tied with Brian Simmons as the third most by a Bengals linebacker, and his 508 tackles are just two less than Simmons and are the third most in team history. He was tall, athletic, and versatile. At 6'5" 253, Francis was a load to handle for opponents. He surely is one of the best outside linebackers in team history. Al Beauchamp, Leon White, Alfred Williams, Takeo Spikes, Bo Harris, and Ricardo McDonald deserves mention Strong Safety : David Fulcher Fulcher was third round draft pick by the Bengals in 1986. He started right away, grabbing four interceptions and getting two sacks. He had a career best three sacks in just 11 games the next year, while gaining a reputation as a hard hitting player. The 1988 season was his first as a Pro Bowler, scoring once off of five interceptions. Cincinnati made it to Super Bowl XXIII that year before losing, though Fulcher had a sack and forced a fumble in the game. His best season may have been in 1989, when he made the Pro Bowl and was named First Team All-Pro after grabbing a career best eight interceptions and four fumble recoveries. He tied a team record by collecting three interceptions in a single game that year, and would duplicate the feat later on that season. The 1990 season would be his last as a Pro Bowler, as he became the first Bengals defensive back ever to record a safety. After missing four games in 1992 because of injury, he joined the Los Angeles Raiders as a free agent in 1993 but played just three games from injuries that forced him to retire at seasons end. The 31 interceptions David Fulcher had with the Bengals are the third most in team history, and the most ever by a Cincinnati safety. At 6'3" 236, he was a big safety who was a tremendous force in the gridiron. His combination of size and speed often led to huge hits levied by him, as his 10 forced fumbles show. He three Pro Bowls is the most by a Bengals strong safety, and his one First Team All-Pro nod is tied with Tommy Casanova. He is may be the best strong safety in team history. Bobby Kemp deserves mention. Free Safety : Tommy Casanova The Bengals selected Casanova in the second round of the 1972 draft. He was asked to return punts as well as start at free safety right away. He picked off five passes for 108 yards, while returning a career high 30 punts for 289 yards while scoring once. He made his first Pro Bowl in 1974, then was moved to strong safety and had the best year of his career in 1976. Besides matching his career high of five picks, returned for a career best 109 yards, he scored twice off of interceptions and once more on a fumble recovery return. He was named First Team All-Pro, as well as to the Pro Bowl. He went back to the Pro Bowl again the next year, then suddenly retired to complete his studies in attaining a medical degree. Tommy Casanova is still the only free safety in Bengals history to go to the Pro Bowl, and he was first strong safety to do it and be named First Team All-Pro. His 17 career interceptions still ranks seventh best in team history, and it is the second best by a Bengals safety. Though his career ended early, Casanova was a fast player who hit hard and had the propensity for making the big play. He is probably the best safety in team history. Darryl Williams, Bernard Jackson, and Marvin Cobb deserve mention. Cornerback : Lemar Parrish Parrish was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 1970 NFL Draft. He was the 163rd player picked overall that year. In his 1970 rookie season, Parrish had five interceptions, and scored a touchdown on both a punt return and kickoff return. He averaged 30.1 yards per kick return and recovered a fumble. He also scored on a blocked field goal return. He followed that up next season with seven interceptions. He took one interception 65 yards for a touchdown, and one fumble for a touchdown. In 1972, Parrish picked off five passes and took two for touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown. In 1973, he has two interceptions and returned a fumble for a touchdown. In 1974, he recovered a fumble and took it 47 yards for a touchdown. In 1977, Parrish had three interceptions and took one in for the last touchdown of his career. After the 1977 season, Parrish was traded to the Redskins after a contract dispute. Parrish was traded with defensive end Coy Bacon by the Bengals to Washington for the Redskins’ first-round pick in the 1979 draft. That first-round pick ended up being the 12th overall selection, which Cincinnati used to pick running back Charles Alexander out of Louisiana State. Though he was not asked to return kicks on the Redskins, Parrish made a immediate impact on the Redskins defense his first year with four interceptions. He had nine interceptions the next year and was named First Team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He followed that up with seven interceptions in 1980, making his eighth and final Pro Bowl. Parrish left the Redskins after 1981, and joined the Buffalo Bills in 1982. He retired after that year. Parrish is the Bengals all-time leader in touchdowns scored by "return or recovery" with 13. This is still tied third all-time in NFL history with two others. Parrish’s two interceptions returned for scores is still tied for the most in a single game, with many others in NFL history. He was also the only player in franchise history ever to score two "return or recovery" touchdowns in a single game, which he did separate three times. When he retired, his three fumble returns for touchdowns tied an NFL record. He still fourth all-time in Bengals history for interceptions in a career with 25 of his career total of 47. He is second in touchdowns scored by interception. His four punt returns for touchdowns ranks first in Bengals history, and he is also first in Bengals history with interceptions made in one game, touchdowns returned via interceptions in a season and a single game. He ranks third in franchise history in interception return yardage in a career. He did not win the 1970 Rookie of the Year Award probably because the Bengals had two players win the award the two previous seasons, even though he had a superior season to the winner, 49ers CB Bruce Taylor. Parrish is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals 40th Anniversary Team. His six Pro Bowls with Cincinnati are the most by any defensive back in team history, and it is tied as the second most overall by any Bengals player. Lemar Parrish epitomized the definition of "play maker" in his career. He was a shut down cornerback who teams tried to avoid whether he was playing defense or special teams. He teamed with Ken Riley to form, perhaps, the best cornerback duo in the NFL throughout much of the 1970's. Parrish was noted for his ability to stop the run, which is something he had to supply often due to the Bengals porous front seven. The Bengals often challenged the great Steelers teams of the 1970's, but would come up short. The pass defense was never the reason. While with the Redskins, he also made fellow cornerback Joe Lavender a better player. Lavender made the Pro Bowl twice in his career, the same years that Parrish did. Lemar Parrish was a complete player. He could do it all. His penchant for taking the ball to the end zone was prodigious. He made his teams better, his teammates better, and now is teaching kids to be better. I find it amazing to see he yet to be inducted into Canton. Recent inductees Emmitt Thomas and Roger Wehrli went in with finally, so hopefully the voters are going to right some long standing wrongs. It would be fitting to see Parrish and Riley inducted together. Cornerback : Ken Riley Riley was a sixth round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969. He was the 135th player picked overall. Cincinnati head coach Paul Brown converted Riley, a quarterback in college, to the cornerback in training camp. He responded with four interceptions his rookie year, and returned 14 kickoffs at an average of 23.9 yards per return. Riley also caught the only two passes of his career that year. Riley recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in Pro Football history at the time of his retirement. The first three are all in Canton. At present time, he is fifth all-time. Riley languished on some mediocre teams in his era and was never given his due, despite his solid and spectacular efforts. In his 15 seasons, Riley recorded three or more interceptions in all but three years. In 1976, he snared nine picks, a team record that stood for 30 years, for 141 yards and a touchdown. He also set a team record by intercepting three passes in one game that season. Riley matched that feat again in 1982. In 1983, Riley recorded eight interceptions for two touchdowns. He retired after that season. His 65 interceptions for 596 yards and five touchdowns are all still Bengals records. He also recovered 18 fumbles in his career, the third most in team history and the most by a Bengals defensive back. He was also as the Bengals’ defensive captain for eight seasons from 1976-83. Not only was he a team leader and shut down defender who rarely missed a game, but Ken Riley is the best cornerback in team history. He should also be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is long, long overdue. Deltha O'Neal, Louis Breeden, Ashley Ambrose, Torey James, Eric Thomas, Artrell Hawkins, and Lewis Billups deserve mention. Punter : Pat McInally McInally was drafted in the fifth round of the 1975 draft by the Bengals. His draft status was effected because he broke his leg in the College All-Star Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was one of the reasons the event was cancelled for good after 1976. McInally also became the only person ever to record a perfect score on the Wonderlic Test, an intelligence test given to rookies just before the draft. He had to sit out the entire 1975 season because of the broken leg, but he made the team the next year. The 1978 season was one of his best, where he led the NFL with a 43.1 yards per punt average on a career high 91 attempts. What made his achievement even more special was due to the fact Cincinnati liked to use him as an extra wide receiver on obvious passing plays, and he often lined up as a tight end as well. In the five seasons he was used this way, McInally grabbed 57 passes for 808 yards and five scores. That, coupled by the fact he was an outstanding punter, made him the last of a special breed of player who could excel at such contrasting positions. His best season was his only Pro Bowl season in 1981, and he was named First Team All-Pro as well. Though only asked to catch six balls that year, he led the NFL with a career best 45.4 average that year. He was never asked to catch another pass after that year, but he continued to excel as a punter until he retired after the strike shortened 1982 season. Later he created the "Starting Lineup" action figures, that are now noted collectible items. The 700 punts in his Bengals career are still the second most in team history, as is his 29,307 yards. Though his nine blocked punts also rank as the most ever in team history, McInally's career average of 41.9 yards per punt still ranks fifth best and is even more impressive if you factor in his wide receiver duties. Pat McInally may be the best punter in Bengals history. Dave Lewis, Lee Johnson, Dave Green, Kyle Larson, and Dale Livingston deserve mention. Punt Returner : Lemar Parrish Lemar Parrish was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 1970 NFL Draft. He was the 163rd player picked overall that year. In his rookie season, Parrish was incredible. He averaged 30.1 yards per kick return and scored once off of 23 punt returns. He was named to the Pro Bowl that season and the next. He scored again off another punt return in 1972. In 1974, Parrish set a still standing Bengals record with an NFL-leading 18.8 yards per punt return average. He also scored two touchdowns on punt returns while making his third Pro Bowl. One went for 90 yards and is presently the second longest in Bengals history. He would go to the Pro Bowl three more times with the Bengals, but had his return duties greatly reduced. After the 1977 season, Parrish was traded, after a contract dispute, with defensive end Coy Bacon to Washington for the Redskins’ first-round pick in the 1979 draft. Parrish made a immediate impact on the Redskins defense his first year with four interceptions. The next year, he had 9 interceptions. He followed that up with seven swipes in 1980. Parrish left the Redskins after 1981, and joined the Buffalo Bills in 1982. He retired after that year. The four touchdowns Parrish had with the Bengals is still a team record, and the 1,201 yards he gained still ranks as the second most. He also averaged a franchise best 24.7 yards off of 61 kickoff returns, including a score, for any Bengal with more than 50 returns. He ranks second in team history with 130 punt returns. Lemar Parrish is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals 40th Anniversary Team and epitomized the definition of "play maker" in his career. He was the type who would make the opponents cringe when he was asked to return kicks. Peter Warrick, Mike Martin, Corey Sawyer, Craig Yeast, Keiwan Ratliff, Carl Pickens, Tommy Casanova, and Mitchell Price deserve mention.
Lemar Parrish Lemar Parrish was many things. A great cover corner, outstanding on the deep stuff. A very good zone player. A fantastic punt returner. He even occassionally gave someone a nice hit. But a run supporter? Not. Ken Riley was better at playing the run than Lemar. Stopping the run was Lemar's weakness. I also wouldn't call their front seven porous, especially in an article where you are praising Mike Reid, Coy Bacon and Jim LeClair. OK, Coy Bacon was notorious for going after the passer and ignoring the run, but he could play the run if he wanted to. If you evaluate the Bergey Bengals from 1970-73, they finished 9th, 13th, 12th in run defense during his tenure as Bengals MLB. If we look at the next 5 seasons without Bergey, they finished 8th (still had Mike Reid), 22nd, 18th, 11th, 23rd. The porous nature of the Cincy run defense was caused by the outside backers, defensive secondary and the defensive ends. Jim LeClair was good, but he was no Bill Bergey. With Bergey gone by 1974 and Reid gone by 1975, it was an uphill battle for guys like Carpenter and LeClair. The secondary was one of the best cover secondaries in the NFL, but not known for their prowess at run defense. Even the great Tommy Casanova who could play a killer zone defense and good man coverage when called to do so, was also a solid hitter/tackler but he was only average at taking on run blockers.
