A third-round pick out of North Dakota in 1972, Jim LeClair spent his first two seasons in relative anonymity as he was playing behind Pro Bowler Bill Bergey, but once Bergey was traded LeClair stepped in and became a mainstay in the middle of the Bengals defense for about the next decade.
He made a Pro Bowl in 1976 and recorded 10 career interceptions and fumble recoveries and was in the middle of everything for the 1981 Super Bowl Bengals.
"When Bergey went, Jim blossomed,” Bengals owner and president Mike Brown said. “And Jim was an excellent linebacker.