A total of 39 players in NFL history has come up with at least 50 interceptions. Of that number, only 11 performers have picked off at least 60 passes. Nine of those players are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The latest member of the "60-pick club" will be receiving his bust soon.
Looks Like He Made It
Cornerback Ken Riley is one of the three players elected to Canton by the Senior Committee. He joins defensive tackle Joe Klecko and linebacker Chuck Howley. Those two stars earned their share of Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades. Riley is quite the exception in that regard. The 15-year veteran was never named to a Pro Bowl and finally earned All-Pro honors in his final season in 1983.
Given his career numbers, the fact that the sixth-round pick in 1969 from Florida A&M didn't earn more personal honors is a bit surprising. Then again, he often took a back seat to his teammate of eight years in Lemar Parrish. He earned Pro Bowl honors during his days in the Queen City. His Hall of Fame candidacy is a story for another time.
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A Nose For The Football
Back to Riley. He's tied for fifth all-time in NFL history with fellow Hall of Famer Charles Woodson with 65 interceptions. The only men ahead of the duo are Paul Krause (81), Emlen Tunnell (79), Rod Woodson (71) and Dick "Night Train" Lane (68). They are obviously also enshrined in Canton. He picked off at least five passes in seven of his 15 seasons, including his final three years in the NFL.
Riley returned five of his 65 thefts for touchdowns (3 in his final 2 seasons) and also totaled 18 fumble recoveries. He also played in seven postseason games for the Bengals, including Super Bowl XVI, and came up with three more interceptions. All told, he appeared in 207 regular-season games and made 202 starts.
The ball-hawking cornerback is just the second primary member of the Cincinnati Bengals to be enshrined in Canton. The other is legendary tackle Anthony Muñoz (Class of 1998) to be enshrined in Canton. It's safe to say that Riley proved to be quite the lucky number 13 for this franchise.
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