Former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley retired 40 years ago with 65 interceptions, making him one of the best defensive players of his generation. But he didn’t get much recognition in his era.
Riley only made one All-Pro team in his entire NFL career. He stayed under the national radar after he retired with his Hall of Fame candidacy going hardly noticed for decades.
On Thursday, in a moment that Bengals owner Mike Brown said was “long deserved,” Riley was finally named a Hall of Famer. At the NFL Honors awards show in Arizona, Riley was officially named a part of the 2023 Hall of Fame class.