Well with the Bengals in the Super Bowl it seems like a good time to update this list. So we did. I tried to keep any personal biases out of picking by focusing on certain things to list players. These included answering these questions: were they Hall of Famers? Did they win nationally recognized league awards(such as MVP or Rookie of the Year) while playing for the Bengals? Were they named to the All-Pro team? Were they elected or named to the Pro Bowl squad? One other note: I followed a rule that many club Halls of Fames (including the Reds) use. Which is that they had to play for the team for 3 seasons at a minimum. That will result in the glaring omission of Coy Bacon from the Bengals defense. It also means a number of players on this Super Bowl squad won’t be here either…namely the kid from Athens(needs 1 more year to qualify), the rookie from LSU(he’s a rookie) and some of the defensive stars. So here we go. We’ll start with the starting lineup.

OFFENSE

QB-Ken Anderson 1971-1986

Where do I start with Kenny? 1981 NFL MVP…3 time member of the All-Pro Team…led the NFL in passing yards twice…led the NFL in passer rating 4 times…threw for over 32,000 yards and 197 TD passes, numbers that at the time of his retirement were top 20 all-time…led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance…Bengals went to the playoffs 4 times with Anderson at QB.

RB-Corey Dillon 1997-2003

       James Brooks 1984-1991

James Brooks was the vital cog in the Sam Wyche’s “Attack” offense. The Bengals acquired him in the undeniably best trade in club history in 1984 from San Diego in exchange for Pete Johnson. He ran for 6,447 yards which was the Bengals all-time record when he retired. He also remains in the top 15 on the Bengals receiving list with 297 catches for 3,012 yards. He is one of only seven players to score 30 touchdowns rushing and 30 touchdowns as a receiver. He made the Pro Bowl 4 times.

The guy that broke Brooks’ career rushing mark is Corey Dillon. He ran for 8,016 yards as a Bengal. As a rookie in 1997 Dillon ran for an NFL rookie record 246 yards against the Tennessee Titans. In 2000 he broke the NFL single game rushing record when he ran for 278 yards against the Denver Broncos. He made the Pro Bowl 3 times as a Bengal. The way he left the club left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. But you can’t question how he performed on the field.

WR-Charlie Joiner 1972-1975

        Eddie Brown 1985-1991

Simply put Charlie Joiner is in the Hall of Fame. There is only one other Bengal player who can say that. Yes he only caught 82 passes for 1,463 yards as a Bengal. But paired with Isaac Curtis, they made for a dangerous pair on two Bengal playoff teams.

Eddie Brown retired with 363 catches for 6,134 yards and 41 touchdowns…all of which are top 10 in Bengal history. He made the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro Team in 1988 and was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1985.

TE-Bob Trumpy 1968-1977

Trump is also in the Hall of Fame…but in the broadcasting wing. Yet it’s hard to argue about what he did as a player. 298 catches for 4600 yards and 35 touchdowns. He was first team All-Pro in 1969. He made the All-Pro team again in 1970 as well as making it to the Pro Bowl 4 times.

LT-Anthony Munoz 1980-1992

LG-Dave Lapham 1974-1983

C-Bob Johnson 1968-1979

RG-Max Montoya 1979-1989

RT-Willie Anderson 1996-2007

Anthony Munoz is in Canton. Greatest Bengal ever. One of the greatest OT’s in NFL history.

Dave Lapham is known more now for his more than 30 years in the Bengal radio booth. As a player his nickname was “The Tool” because he could play multiple line positions. Lap was a starter on three Bengal playoff teams. He left for the USFL in 1984 where he got a very nice contract from some guy named Donald Trump to play for the New Jersey Generals.

Bob Johnson is the original Bengal. The team’s very first pick in the 1968 draft out of Tennessee. The Pro Football Writers voted him to the All-Pro team in 1975. He made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. He was also voted to the All-Pro team in 1973.

Max Montoya made Pro Football Reference’s 1st team All-1980’s. He made the All-Pro team in 1988 and made three Pro Bowls as a Bengal. His departure as a free agent in 1990 was the first step in the Bengals slide into the oblivion that was the 1990’s.

Big Willie was the lynchpin to an offensive line that brought the Bengals back from the darkness in the 2000’s. In fact he was named to Pro Football Reference’s All-2000’s team. He was a 3 time first team All-Pro and made it to 4 Pro Bowl squads. Willie also made the NFL All-Rookie team in 1996. And hopefully this Saturday he will be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

DEFENSE

DE-Carlos Dunlap 2010-2020

DT-Tim Krumrie 1983-1994

DT-Geno Atkins 2010-2020

DE-Eddie Edwards 1977-1988

Carlos Dunlap is a 2-time Pro Bowler and was on the NFL All-Rookie team in 2010. His career total of 82.5 sacks is 2nd all-time in Bengals history.

You have to wonder if maybe the Bengals win Super Bowl 23 if he doesn’t get hurt early in the game. Krumrie was first team All-Pro in 1988. He also made the All-Pro squad in 1987 and was a ptwo-time Pro Bowler. And he is the far and away leader in tackles with 1008.

Geno Atkins is making a case to be the best defensive player in Bengal history. He is a 2-time first team All-Pro and has been named to an All-Pro squad 5 times. He’s a 6-time Pro Bowler which is tied for most for a defensive player in Bengals history.

Eddie Edwards was the Bengals official all-time sacks leader with 47.5 until Carlos Dunlap passed him in 2015. But Edwards’ numbers are skewed because he began playing before the NFL recognized the sack as an official stat. That didn’t happen until 1982. Adding in his pre-1982 sack totals and Eddie has 83.5 which would still be the Bengals’ team record. One of only 6 Bengals who were on both Super Bowl teams.

LB-Jim LeClair 1972-1983

LB-Bill Bergey 1969-1973

LB-Vontaze Burfict 2012-2018

I realize I picked 3 guys that could all be considered middle linebackers. If I had to choose one to play the middle it would be Bergey. He was named to Pro Football Reference’s All-1970’s team. He went to the Pro Bowl as a Bengal in 1969. He was traded to Philadelphia following the 1973 season because Paul Brown got hacked off that Bergey had signed a futures contract with the World Football League.

Jim LeClair took over at MLB after the Bergey trade. He made the Pro Bowl in 1976 and he was captain of a Bengal defense that was ranked number one in the NFL in 1983. Ironically, like Bergey before him, LeClair signed with a rival league, ending his Bengal career.

Ok. I’ll admit Vontaze Burfict has issues with crossing the line on the field. His multiple league suspensions make that painfully obvious. But what’s also been made obvious by those suspensions is how important Burfict actually was to this defense.  But this guy was named to the All-Pro team in 2013. He also made the Pro Bowl that year…becoming the first Bengal LB since Jim LeClair to do that.

CB-Ken Riley 1969-1983

CB-Lemar Parrish 1970-1977

Well he finally did it! After too many years of waiting the voters have finally confirmed what we Bengal fans knew all along. Number 13 KEN RILEY IS A HALL OF FAMER. 65 career interceptions. That is 5th ALL TIME IN NFL HISTORY. There are corners with a lot less picks that are enshrined in Canton. He is a member of Pro Football Reference’s All-1970’s team. He made first team All-Pro in 1983…the year he retired. And now he’s finally getting a plaque in Canton.

Then there’s Leapin’ Lemar. He too is on Pro Football Reference’s All-70’s team. He made the Pro Bowl six times as a Bengal. As mentioned earlier, that’s a record for a Bengals defensive player.

FS-Tommy Casanova 1972-1977

SS-David Fulcher 1986-1992

Casanova played both free and strong safety for the Bengals. But for the purpose of this team we place him at free safety. Casanova was first team All-Pro in 1976. He was a three-time Pro Bowler. He’s 8th on the Bengals all time interceptions list with 17. He retired after earning his medical degree from UC in 1977. He is still a practicing ophthalmologist in his home state of Louisiana.

Fulcher really helped change the strong safety position. At his size he could have been an outside linebacker. He was delivering crushing hits long before Kam Chancellor and the Legion of Boom came around. He was a 3 time All-Pro and also made 3 Pro Bowls. Fulcher was also a member of the 1986 NFL All-Rookie team. He is 3rd on the Bengals all time interceptions list with 31.

K-Jim Breech 1980-1992

P-Pat McInally 1976-1985

Breech remains the Bengals all-time points leader with 1,151. He scored in what was at the time a record 186 consecutive games. But what you might not realize is how clutch he was as a kicker. Breech was 9 for 9 in overtime field goals…that’s an NFL record. He scored 10 of the Bengals 16 points in Super Bowl 23 as he bailed out a Bengal offense that suddenly couldn’t score.

McInally was first team All-Pro in 1981. He also went to the Pro Bowl that year. He led the league in yards per punt in 1977 and in punting average in 1978 and 1981. He was also a Bengal wide receiver. His most memorable receiving game was the final game of the 1980 season against the Cleveland Browns. McInally was carted off in the first quarter after a vicious hit by the Browns’ Thom Darden. Despite the fact McInally probably suffered one of his six career concussions on the play, he was allowed to return to the game and made a big touchdown catch in the 4th quarter. McInally is also noted as being the only player to ever achieve a perfect score on the Wonderlic test that used to be given to players at the NFL Combine. Younger people might know McInally as the creator of the “Starting Lineup” figurines that Kenner sold for many years.

RESERVES

QB-Boomer Esiason 1984-1992, 1997

       Andy Dalton 2011-2019

Boomer was the 1988 NFL MVP and was first team All-Pro that season. He went to 3 Pro Bowls as a Bengal. His return in 1997 added to his lore as a Bengal. After returning to the starting lineup at mid-season, he nearly guided the Bengals to a playoff spot. Then he walked away to work on “Monday Night Football”.

Here’s a simple fact about Andy Dalton. He’s guided the Bengals to more playoff appearances than any other QB in team history. He’s also a 3 time Pro Bowler.

RB-Pete Johnson 1977-1983

      Joe Mixon 2017-

Pete Johnson rushed for 5,421 yards and 70 touchdowns as a Bengal. Both were club records at the time. His ability to pound through defenses helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl 16 and he made the Pro Bowl that season. His time with the Bengals was marred by his admission of drug use in court during the 1983 Pittsburgh drug trial. That admission got him suspended for the first 4 games of the 1983 season. When he returned he was a shell of his former self. That led to the Bengals trading him to San Diego for the guy that would ultimately break his club records…James Brooks.

Joe Mixon came to the Bengals with baggage from an off-field incident at the University of Oklahoma. As a Bengal and a Cincinnati resident he’s been an outstanding citizen on and off the field. In 4 seasons he’s rushed for more than 4500 yards including 3 seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 as well as being named a first team All-Pro by the Sporting News. Without his offensive presence in his previous three years, the Bengals had no offense. In 2021 he’s a big part of the reason the Bengals will play in the Super Bowl.

WR-AJ Green 2011-2020

        Chad Johnson 2001-2010

        Carl Pickens 1992-1999

        Cris Collinsworth 1981-1988

You could make a strong argument Green already deserves to be a starter on this roster. A 3-time All-Pro team member. He’s been chosen to go to the Pro Bowl seven times. Also a member of the 2011 NFL All-Rookie team.

Chad Johnson was the first Bengal to ever lead the league in receiving yardage. He still holds the team records for most career receptions (751) and receiving yards (10,783). He made 4 All-Pro teams and 6 Pro Bowls.

Carl Pickens scored a then-record 63 touchdowns for the Bengals. He made two All-Pro teams. He went to 2 Pro Bowls. He was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1992. But he will always be remembered for the “Carl Pickens Clause”. It was the clause inserted into his contract that said he would lose any bonus money he was eligible for IF he badmouthed the team in public.

Most people think of Collinsworth today and they point to his TV work as the analyst on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. But as a Bengal Collinsworth had a huge impact. In his rookie season of 1981 he was as much of a folk hero in Cincinnati as a certain number 9 for the team in stripes today. He was a three-time member of the All Pro team and was voted to 3 Pro Bowls.

TE-Rodney Holman 1982-1992

Dan Ross 1979-1983,1985

Rodney Holman caught more passes than any Bengal tight end ever. He was named to the All-Pro 3 times as well as making it to 3 Pro Bowls.

Dan Ross was the guy who could be counted on to catch a pass over the middle and take a beating yet hang onto the ball for a clutch gain on those early 80’s Bengals teams. He scored 2 of the Bengals Touchdowns in Super Bowl 16. Which means he is the Bengals leader in Super Bowl Touchdowns. He was 2nd team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 1982. He left the Bengals to go play for his hometown Boston Breakers in the USFL. Unfortunately they had moved to New Orleans by the time his futures contract kicked in. He rejoined the Bengals in 1985. But by then the beatings he had taken earlier in his career had left him a shell of his former self. And the TE just above him had taken over as well.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Howard Fest 1968-1975

Bruce Kozerski 1984-1995

Joe Walter 1985-1997

Andrew Whitworth 2006-2016

Bobby Williams 2004-2011

Clark Harris 2009-present

Fest started at tackle and then moved to guard. He was a key player on all three Bengal playoff teams of the 1970’s.

Kozerski also played multiple positions. He began as a guard. But he became the Bengals starting center in 1988 as the Bengals rolled to a spot in Super Bowl 23. He was a 3-time Pro Bowl alternate.

Walter, like Kozerski, was a late round pick that Bengals Offensive Line Coach Jim McNally was able to turn into a solid NFL lineman. Walter took over as right tackle in 1986 and solidified that side of the line for the Bengals for many years.

Whitworth was a two-time All Pro as a Bengal. He also represented the Bengals at 3 Pro Bowls. Like Fest and Kozerski, Whitworth has played multiple positions. You might forget he actually began as a guard with the Bengals before being moved to left tackle in 2009.

Williams was part of a Bengal OL that set a team record in 2005 for allowing the fewest sacks in team history. Now if they could have just kept Kimo Von Oelhoffen away from Carson in that playoff game…

Every team needs a long snapper and for the Bengals that is Clark Harris. Not every team can say their long snapper got voted to the Pro Bowl. But Harris did in 2017.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Michael Johnson 2009-2013, 2015-2018

Domata Peko 2006-2016

Mike Reid 1970-1974

Justin Smith 2001-2007

Michael Johnson has been one of the best pass rushers in Bengals history during his two stints with the team.

Domata Peko was a tackling machine during his decade in stripes. A steady force in the middle of the D-Line.

 

You just wonder how great a career Mike Reid could have had. In his five years with the Bengals, he was first team All-Pro twice. He went to two Pro Bowls. He finished his career with 49 sacks. That’s an average of nearly 10 sacks a year. But then he retired to go into music. He’s written 11 songs that have reached number one on the country charts. And he’s now in the Country Songwriters Hall of Fame. So I guess that career change worked out well for him.

By the time Justin Smith’s time with the Bengals was over, he was in the top 5 in team history with 43.5 sacks. He was a member of the 2001 NFL All-Rookie team as a Bengal.

LINEBACKERS

Reggie Williams 1976-1989

Al Beauchamp 1968-1975

Rey Maualuga 2009-2016

Reggie Williams is on the list of 6 Bengals to play for both Super Bowl squads. He was the 1986 NFL Man of the Year. He was on the 1976 NFL All-Rookie Team. In 1987 “Sports Illustrated” named him as it’s co-Sportsman of the Year. He recovered 23 fumbles, the most of any Bengals defender ever. As with Eddie Edwards, his sack numbers are skewed by playing in the era before the NFL listed sacks as an official stat. Officially he’s 5th on the Bengals all-time list with 41. Add in his pre-1982 numbers and he has 62.5. That’s second all-time on the Bengals list. He’s 9th on the Bengals all time interceptions list with 16.

Al Beauchamp was a mainstay on the Bengals defenses that helped propel the Bengals to three playoff appearances in their first eight years of existence. Using Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value stat, Beauchamp ranks number 3 all-time among all Bengals linebackers.

Rey Maualuga roamed the middle of the field for all the Bengals playoff teams of the early 2010’s. He is 11th all time in Bengals history in tackles.

CORNERBACKS

Ashley Ambrose 1996-1998

Louis Breeden 1977-1987

Eric Thomas 1987-1992

Ashley Ambrose was named to the Pro Bowl and the NFL All-Pro team in 1996 as a Bengal. He was also named AFC Defensive Back of the Year that season as he picked off 8 passes.

Louis Breeden first team All-Pro in 1982. He’s also second on the Bengals all-time interceptions list with 33. But none was more memorable than what has to be the greatest interception in Bengals history. It occurred on November 8, 1981. The Bengals were playing at San Diego. Breeden would intercept a Dan Fouts pass in the end zone and run it back 102 yards for a touchdown in a game the Bengals won 40-17. It was part of the November to Remember as the Bengals went 5-0 that month and transformed from a team that was 5-3 at the midpoint of the season to a team that would finish 12-4 and reach the Super Bowl for the first time in club history.

Eric Thomas was part of the Bengals defensive backfield group that called themselves “The SWAT Team”. In the Super Bowl season of 1988 he picked off 7 passes and was named to the Pro Bowl. He’s tied for 11th all time on the Bengals with 11 interceptions. Tied with a guy we mentioned earlier…Al Beauchamp.

SAFETIES

Bobby Kemp 1981-1986

Reggie Nelson 2010-2015

Bobby Kemp rattled defenders cages for the Bengals 1981 Super Bowl team. As I wrote about his successor David Fulcher, this was a guy who made bone crushing hits long before the Legion of Boom ever came around.

Reggie Nelson was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2015. He was also named to the All-Pro squad that year as he tied for the league lead in interceptions with 8. Nelson is 6th on the Bengals all-time interceptions list with 23.

COACHING STAFF

HEAD COACH

Paul Brown 1968-1975 (55-56-1)

Yes he’s in the Hall of Fame for his work in Cleveland. But what he did with the expansion Bengals deserves to be lauded as well. His 1970 Bengals made the playoffs in their third year of existence and in the first year of the merged NFL. That was the NFL standard until Jacksonville made the playoffs in their second year in 1996. But that doesn’t negate the performance of Brown’s Bengals. Central division titles in 1970 and 73. A wildcard berth in 1975 with an 11-3 squad. PB wrote in his autobiography that he decided to retire after the 75 team’s playoff loss at Oakland because if he couldn’t win a championship with that squad, it was time to step away.

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Bill Walsh (QB Coach 1968-1975)

The offense that Walsh used to become a Hall of Fame Head Coach in San Francisco was created here. The “West Coast Offense” could really be called the “Ohio Valley Offense” or the “Maisonette Offense”. Walsh came up with some elements of his offense while having dinner with his wife at the Maisonette. He scribbled the ideas down on napkins. Walsh left the Bengals after that 1975 season after he was passed over for the Head Coaching job when Paul Brown retired.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH

Dick LeBeau (Def. Backs Coach 1980-1983 Def. Coord. 1984-1991, 1997-2000 Head Coach 2000-2002)

LeBeau’s stint as Head Coach was horrible. But he’s in the Hall of Fame as an assistant. And he was pretty good here in that role. During his time as DB Coach Louis Breeden and Ken Riley had All-Pro seasons. In 1983 the Bengal defense finished number 1 in the league. His first run as DC includes a Super Bowl team that held the vaunted 49er offense out of the end zone for 3 quarters…and if Lewis Billups doesn’t drop a pass Joe Montana delivered right into his arms during that famous final drive, that defense would have been the story of Super Bowl 23.

OTHER ASSISTANTS

Forrest Gregg OL (Head Coach 1980-1983)

Sam Wyche QB (QB 1968-1970, Head Coach 1984-1991)

Marvin Lewis LB (Head Coach 2003-2018)

Bill “Tiger” Johnson Special Teams (OL Coach 1968-1975 Head Coach 1976-1978 TE Coach 1985-1990)

Bruce Coslet  WR/TE (TE 1969-1976, WR Coach 1981-1982, 1984 Off. Coord. 1983, 1985-1989, 1994-1996 Head Coach 1996-2000)

Jim Anderson RB (RB Coach 1984-2012)

Dick Modzelewski DL (1979-1983)

Forrest Gregg led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl. He also personally scouted Anthony Munoz before the 1980 Draft. He even did blocking drills with Anthony. When the Hall of Fame offensive lineman got knocked on his keyster by the future Hall of Fame offensive lineman, the Packer legend was convinced that Munoz was the Bengals guy.

Sam was the QB for the Bengals first division champion team in 1970. Sam’s offense propelled the Bengals to their second Super Bowl appearance in 1988. Look at offenses in both the NFL and college today and you’ll see a lot of things the Bengals did in the Wyche era.

Marvin is the winningest and longest tenured head coach in Bengals history. He began his coaching career as an LB coach. Now if they could just win a playoff game…

Tiger Johnson was the Bengals first OL coach. Three of his lineman are on this team. He coached another guy on this list, Rodney Holman, in his second stint as a Bengal assistant. His tenure as Bengals head coach is marred by the fact the squad blew the 1977 Division title in a last game loss at Houston. Also by the fact most fans thought Bill Walsh should have succeeded PB as head coach. What never became public until years later was that Tiger had only agreed to join the Bengals’ staff if he was made the heir apparent.

Bruce Coslet’s playing career with the Bengals began when after making a catch and going out of bounds he broke his leg after running into the wall at Nippert Stadium. He was responsible for keeping the Bengals offense running in the late 80’s. His stint as Head Coach might have gone better if Boomer hadn’t retired following the 1997 season.

Jim Anderson spent 29 years coaching Bengals running backs. From James Brooks to Ickey Woods to Corey Dillon to Rudi Johnson to Cedric Benson, Jim Anderson coached them all. The lone beacon of stability through some turbulent Bengal years.

Dick Modzelewski’s defensive linemen were a big reason the Bengals made Super Bowl 16. Also a big reason the Bengals had the league’s best defense in 1983.

So that’s the team as I see it. I certainly know there are some picks people will question. That’s alright. That’s part of the fun of making such a list. Now let’s hope the Bengals win Sunday and bring the Lombardi Trophy home to Cincinnati.