Former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley died Sunday morning in Bartow, Fla. He was 72.
The Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat reported his death but did not reveal a cause.
Riley spent his entire 15-year NFL career (1969-83) with the Bengals, earning first-team All-Pro honors in his final season. He recorded a franchise-best 65 interceptions to go along with 18 fumble recoveries in 207 career games (201 starts) after being selected by Cincinnati in the sixth round of the 1969 NFL Draft.
He is tied with Charles Woodson for the fifth-most interceptions in NFL history.
“Everybody here loved Kenny. He had everyone’s respect. He was a success with us, and after his playing career as a coach and athletic director at Florida A&M,” Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement.
“When he came here, Kenny and Lemar Parrish had never played cornerback, and they’re the two best we’ve ever had. And we’ve had a lot of good ones. We put him over there for a decade and a half and we didn’t have to worry about it. Kenny was quick to the point of the ball as a great interceptor and he was an excellent tackler, even though he wasn’t a very big man.
“I’m going to miss him. He was a good guy and a solid man. We send our condolences to his family.”
The Bengals also remembered him Sunday in a statement posted to Twitter.
“We mourn the passing of one of the greatest Bengals ever, Ken Riley. … Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time,” the team wrote.
Riley, who played quarterback at Florida A&M prior to joining the Bengals, became the coach of the Rattlers from 1986-93 at his alma mater. He later served as the school’s athletic director from 1994-2002.
“He was a good man. He was one of our greatest athletes and person,” Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame chairman Alvin Hollins told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Ken showed tremendous leadership as a student and a quarterback. The only regret is that he didn’t get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame before he passed. Several of the players he coached made it to the NFL. We had great success with him as a coach and athletics director.”
As head coach of the Rattlers, Riley compiled a 48-39-2 record and won two MEAC championships.