Ken Riley facts for kids
Riley as the coach of Florida A&M
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
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| Born: | August 6, 1947 Bartow, Florida, U.S. |
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| Died: | June 7, 2020 (aged 72) Bartow, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 181 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
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| High school: | Union Academy (Bartow, Florida) |
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| College: | Florida A&M | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1969 / Round: 6 / Pick: 135 | ||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Kenneth Jerome Riley (born August 6, 1947 – died June 7, 2020) was an American professional football player. He was a talented cornerback who played his entire career for the Cincinnati Bengals. He started in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969, then moved to the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 to 1983.
Riley made 65 interceptions during his career. This was the fourth-highest number in NFL history when he retired. Despite his amazing skills, he was not always a well-known player. He was never chosen for the AFL All-Star Game or the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. However, in 2023, after many years, he was finally voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Ken Riley grew up in Bartow, Florida. He played high school football at Union Academy. His high school coach was Claude Woodruff.
College Football Days
Before becoming a professional player, Riley was a quarterback for Florida A&M University. He played under coach Jake Gaither. Riley helped his team, the Rattlers, achieve a great record of 23 wins and 7 losses. They also won three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.
Riley was not just a great athlete; he was also an excellent student. He won his team's academic award and was even considered for a Rhodes Scholarship. In 1982, Florida A&M honored him by putting him in their Athletic Hall of Fame. After college, Riley earned a Master's degree from the University of South Florida. Sometimes, during his NFL off-seasons, he worked as a substitute high school teacher.
Playing in the NFL
Starting with the Bengals
After college, the Cincinnati Bengals chose Riley in the 6th round of the 1969 Common Draft. When he joined the team, Bengals head coach Paul Brown decided to change his position from quarterback to cornerback. Riley began his NFL career in Cincinnati's second and final year in the American Football League.
Riley played as a defensive back and also returned kicks. He made his first interception in his fifth game against the Denver Broncos. In his first nine games, he had four interceptions. He also returned 14 kicks for 334 yards.
Early Seasons and First Touchdown
In 1970, Riley had four interceptions in the last three games of the season. This included two interceptions in one game against the Boston Patriots. The Bengals made the playoffs that year, but they lost their game.
In 1971, Riley had five interceptions, including two in games against Houston and San Diego. In 1972, he had three interceptions. By the end of his first five seasons, he had a total of 18 interceptions.
Riley continued to improve. In 1974, he had five interceptions. In 1975, he had six interceptions. In a game against Atlanta, he returned an interception for a touchdown, which was his first ever! The Bengals made the playoffs that year, but they lost to the Oakland Raiders. Even though he wasn't picked for the Pro Bowl, he was recognized as a First-team All-Conference player by some sports news groups.
Career Highs and Hall of Fame Wait
In 1976, Riley had his best year for interceptions, catching nine passes! He also returned one for a touchdown. His most impressive game was against the New York Jets, where he made three interceptions. This was a career high that no one has broken since. Despite this amazing season, Riley was still not chosen for the Pro Bowl.
In the following years, his interception numbers varied. In 1981, he had a great comeback season with five interceptions, helping Cincinnati make a playoff run. In 1982, even though the season was shorter due to a strike, Riley still had five interceptions. He had a memorable game against the Los Angeles Raiders, where he caught three passes from Jim Plunkett. He even returned one for a touchdown, helping the Bengals win 31-17. This was the only regular season game the Raiders lost that year.
Final Season and Retirement
In his last season in 1983, at 36 years old, Riley finally received major recognition. He was named a First-team All-Pro. He had eight interceptions in 14 games and led the league by returning two of them for touchdowns. In his final game against the Minnesota Vikings, he made two interceptions.
When he retired, Ken Riley had 65 interceptions, which was the fourth-highest in NFL history. He also had 596 return yards, 5 touchdowns, and 18 fumble recoveries. His interception numbers, return yards, and touchdowns are all records for the Bengals team. He played in seven playoff games for Cincinnati. Riley is one of only 26 cornerbacks to have played 200 games in the NFL. Since his retirement, only one other NFL player, Rod Woodson, has recorded more interceptions than Riley.
Life After Football
After his playing career, Ken Riley worked as an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers for two years. In 1986, he became the head coach of his old college team, Florida A&M. He coached them from 1986 to 1993, leading them to a 48-39-2 record. Under his coaching, they won two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles, and he was named MEAC Coach of the Year twice.
From 1994 to 2003, Riley served as Florida A&M's athletic director. He helped the school's sports programs become very successful and profitable. After that, he retired and lived the rest of his life in his hometown of Bartow, Florida.
His Amazing Legacy
For many years, Ken Riley was not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though his numbers were impressive. He once said, "I've always thought your work would speak for you. It's like it's working against me now because the older you get and the longer you stay out of it, people forget who you are."
In 2007, he was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team. This team recognized the top 33 players in 100 years of high school football in Florida. In 2010, he was named to the "Hall of Very Good" by the Pro Football Researchers Association.
Riley was also honored by the Bengals when he was put into their Ring of Honor as part of its first group of inductees. On August 17, 2022, it was announced that Riley was a finalist for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. At the 2023 NFL Honors event, he was officially announced as a member of the Hall of Fame! He became only the second player to spend his entire career with the Bengals and be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Death
Ken Riley passed away from a heart attack on June 7, 2020. He was 72 years old.
See also
- List of American Football League players
