anthony muñoz puts bengals stamp on pro football hall...

STADIUM , NFL &

MEDIA

RECORDS

2008 REVIEW

COLLEGE FREE AGENTS

2009 DRAFT CHOICESVETERANS

ROSTERS

STAFF

— 209 —

HISTORY

Anthony Muñoz, who defined the art of playing offensive tackle in the National Football League, is the only player who performed primarily for the Bengals to gain entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Muñoz was inducted, along with four other players, on Aug. 1, 1998, at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Muñoz chose his son, Michael, as his presenter for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Muñoz and his wife, DeDe, also have a daughter, Michelle.

1998 was the fi rst year of Hall eligibility for Muñoz, whose fi nal NFL season was 1992 with the Bengals. Including the 2008 class, only 26 percent of Hall inductees have had the honor of fi rst-ballot election (66 of 253).

“Anthony’s induction was very gratifying to our organization and to all of our fans,” said Mike Brown, Bengals president. “It was particularly so because the selectors recognized Anthony as a truly special player and person who deserved election on his fi rst try. During his playing days, no one in the NFL was better. It’s justifi able to consider him as the best offensive lineman ever, and he has conducted his personal and family life in a way that is a great credit to the Bengals and the NFL.”

Muñoz’ off-fi eld efforts earned him the NFL’s prestigious Man of the Year Award in 1991.

Muñoz was a consensus All-American at the University of Southern California, and the Bengals claimed him with the third overall pick in the 1980 draft, despite the fact some teams considered him damaged goods due to past knee surgery. The move turned out as the best draft gamble in franchise history, as Muñoz went on to play 13 Bengals seasons (1980-92), including 11 seasons (1981-91) in

which he was chosen for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl game. At the time of his retirement (1992), that was the most selections of any player in NFL history. He earned All-Pro honors every season from 1981-91.

Muñoz played for the Bengals in each of their Super Bowl appearances, as a second-year player in Super Bowl XVI and as a ninth-year veteran in Super Bowl XXIII.

In 1994, he was one of three offensive tackles named to the NFL’s offi cial 75th Anniversary Team. He joined his fellow tackles from that 75th Anniversary Team — Forrest Gregg and Roosevelt Brown — in the Hall of Fame.

Muñoz’ exceptional agility and athleticism is refl ected by his entry line in the Bengals’ all-time pass receiving statistics. He caught seven passes, playing as a tackle-eligible, and four of those catches were for touchdowns.

In six of his 13 Bengals seasons, Muñoz earned at least one major award as NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year. One award citation, issued by NFL Alumni, reads: “The NFL has three levels of offensive linemen. The bottom rung is for players aspiring to make the Pro Bowl. The next step is for those who have earned all-star

status. Then there’s Anthony Muñoz. He’s alone at the top, a sure Hall of Famer.”

Though there are Hall of Fame members with some Hispanic ancestry, Muñoz is generally considered the fi rst player of primarily Hispanic background to gain entry to the Hall. Muñoz was born in Ontario, Calif. His parents also are native Californians, and his grandparents were born in Chihuahua, Mexico.

One other Hall of Fame player, wide receiver Charlie Joiner, has a Bengals connection. But Joiner played the majority of his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers. Paul Brown, founder of the Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, also is in the Hall of Fame, but was inducted before the Bengals’ first season.

The other 1998 Hall of Fame inductees were defensive back Paul Krause, wide receiver Tommy McDonald, center Dwight Stephenson and linebacker Mike Singletary.

Peter

Bro

uille

t/NFL

Pho

tos

Anthony Muñoz puts Bengals stampon Pro Football Hall of Fame

WHAT THEY’VE SAID ABOUT ANTHONY MUÑOZ• Ritter Collett, Dayton Daily News columnist: “Anthony Muñoz is one of those rare athletes you wish could go on playing forever. Not just because he may be as fi ne a tackle as ever played in the NFL. Tackles come and go. Quality human beings who put more back into society than they take out are something else.”• Former Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg, recalling a pre-draft workout in 1980: “I was pass-rushing him. I put a couple of moves on him and thought I had him set up. But he just jammed me with that big right paw, and I landed right on my rear. I didn’t need any more. Right then, I knew we would take him in the draft if he was available. He apologized for knocking me down, but I said, ‘Son, don’t worry. It was a great move.’ ”• Jim McNally, Bengals offensive line coach, 1980-94: “The key word is ‘athlete.’ In the offensive line, you see a lot of guys who are big and strong and fi ne players, but they’re not great athletes. Anthony is a great athlete.”• Joe Walter, Bengals OT, 1985-97: “Anthony played great every Sunday for 13 years. Every Monday, I was in the fi lm room, watching him. It was awesome.”

Bengals 2009 Media Guide.indb 209Bengals 2009 Media Guide.indb 209 7/6/2009 11:18:03 PM7/6/2009 11:18:03 PM

STA

DIUM

, NF

L &

MED

IA R

ECOR

DS20

08 R

EVIE

WCO

LLEG

E FR

EE A

GENT

S20

09 D

RAFT

CHO

ICES

VET

ERAN

SRO

STER

SST

AFF

— 210 —

HIST

ORY

San Francisco 26, Bengals 21Jan. 24, 1982, at Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, Mich.)

BENGALS IN SUPER BOWL XVIBENGALS IN SUPER BOWL XVI

OFFENSEWR Dwight Clark LT Dan AudickLG John AyersC Fred QuillanRG Randy CrossRT Keith FahnhorstTE Charle YoungWR Freddie SolomonQB Joe MontanaRB Ricky PattonFB Earl Cooper

DEFENSELE Jim Stuckey NT Archie ReeseRE Dwaine BoardLOLB Willie HarperLILB Jack ReynoldsRILB Bobby LeopoldROLB Keena TurnerLCB Ronnie LottRCB Eric WrightSS Carlton WilliamsonFS Dwight Hicks

LINEUPSSan Francisco 49ers

SUBSTITUTESDan Bunz, John Choma, Johnny Davis, Fred Dean, Walt Downing, Rick Gervais, John Harty, Allan Kennedy, Amos Lawrence, Milt McColl, Jim Miller, Lawrence Pillers, Craig Puki, Eason Ramson, Bill Ring, Mike Shumann, Lynn Thomas, Ray Wersching, Mike Wilson.

DID NOT PLAYGuy Benjamin, Walt Easley, Lenvil Elliott, Saladin Martin.

Cincinnati BengalsOFFENSEWR Cris CollinsworthLT Anthony MuñozLG Dave LaphamC Blair BushRG Max MontoyaRT Mike WilsonTE Dan RossWR Isaac CurtisQB Ken AndersonHB Charles AlexanderFB Pete Johnson

DEFENSELE Eddie Edwards NT Wilson WhitleyRE Ross BrownerLOLB Bo HarrisLILB Jim LeClairRILB Glenn CameronROLB Reggie WilliamsLCB Louis BreedenRCB Ken RileySS Bobby KempFS Bryan Hicks

SUBSTITUTESDon Bass, Jim Breech, Gary Burley, Oliver Davis, Tom Dinkel, Guy Frazier, Mike Fuller, Archie Griffi n, Ray Griffi n, Jim Hargrove, M.L. Harris, Rod Horn, Steve Kreider, Pat McInally, Blake Moore, Mike Obrovac, Rick Razzano, Mike St. Clair, John Simmons, David Verser.

DID NOT PLAYGlenn Bujnoch, Turk Schonert, Jack Thompson.

Cincinnati outgained San Francisco by 81 yards (356-275), marking the fi rst time in Super Bowl history the losing team led in scrimmage yardage. Bengals QB Ken Anderson set Super Bowl records (since surpassed) for completions (25) and completion percentage (73.5), and his 300 passing yards nearly doubled the 157 by 49ers QB Joe Montana, the game’s MVP. But Cincinnati suffered four turnovers to San Francisco’s one, and three of those giveaways led to 17 fi rst-half points for the 49ers, who led 20-0 at intermission. Leading 20-7, San Francisco staged a memorable goal-line stand late in the third quarter, stopping Cincinnati for no gain on three straight plays from the one-yard line. The Bengals still closed the gap to 20-14 with a four-yard TD pass from Anderson to TE Dan Ross with 10:06 left, but the 49ers added FGs of 40 and 23 yards by K Ray Wersching to pull away. Cincinnati crept to within 26-21 with 16 seconds left on a second Anderson-to-Ross TD pass, but San Francisco recovered the Bengals’ ensuing onside kick to seal the victory. Wersching’s four FGs tied a Super Bowl record (still tied) and Ross’ 11 receptions set a Super Bowl record (since tied).

San Francisco ....................... 7 13 0 6 — 26Cincinnati .............................. 0 0 7 14 — 21

TEAM SCORING PLAY QTR-LEFTS.F. — J.Montana 1 run (R.Wersching kick) ....................... 1-5:52S.F. — E.Cooper 11 pass from J.Montana (R.Wersching kick) 2-6:53S.F. — R.Wersching 22 fi eld goal ....................................... 2-0:15S.F. — R.Wersching 26 fi eld goal ....................................... 2-0:02CIN — K.Anderson 5 run (J.Breech kick) .......................... 3-11:25CIN — D.Ross 4 pass from K.Anderson (J.Breech kick).... 4-10:06S.F. — R.Wersching 40 fi eld goal ....................................... 4-5:25S.F. — R.Wersching 23 fi eld goal ....................................... 4-1:57CIN — D.Ross 3 pass from K.Anderson (J.Breech kick)...... 4-0:16

Missed FG: None. Attendance: 81,270. Time: 3:21.

SAN FRANCISCO CINCINNATIFirst downs ..................................................... 20 .............................24Total net yards ............................................... 275 ...........................356Net yards rushing .......................................... 127 .............................72Net yards passing.......................................... 148 ...........................284Sacks against-yards lost ................................1-9 ......................... 5-16Passes-completions-interceptions ......... 22-14-0 ....................34-25-2Punts-avg. yards .......................................4-46.3 ...................... 3-43.7Penalties-yards ............................................8-65 ......................... 8-57Fumbles-lost ..................................................2-1 ........................... 2-2Time of possession .................................... 30:34 ........................29:26

RUSHING49ERS Att Yds Lg TD BENGALS Att Yds Lg TDR.Patton 17 55 10 0 P.Johnson 14 36 5 0E.Cooper 9 34 14 0 C.Alexander 5 17 13 0J.Montana 6 18 8 1 K.Anderson 4 15 6 1B.Ring 5 17 7 0 A.Griffi n 1 4 4 0J.Davis 2 5 4 0D.Clark 1 -2 -2 0

PASSING49ERS Att Cmp Yds TD-I BENGALS Att Cmp Yds TD-IJ.Montana 22 14 157 1-0 K.Anderson 34 25 300 2-2

RECEIVING49ERS No Yds Lg TD BENGALS No Yds Lg TDF. Solomon 4 52 20 0 D.Ross 11 104 16 2D.Clark 4 45 17 0 C.Collinsworth 5 107 49 0E.Cooper 2 15 11-t 1 I.Curtis 3 42 21 0M.Wilson 1 22 22 0 S.Kreider 2 36 19 0C.Young 1 14 14 0 P.Johnson 2 8 5 0R.Patton 1 6 6 0 C.Alexander 2 3 3 0B.Ring 1 3 3 0

INTERCEPTIONS49ERS No Yds Lg TD BENGALS No Yds Lg TDD.Hicks 1 27 27 0 noneE.Wright 1 25 25 0

SACKS: S.F. — F.Dean 1, B.Leopold 1, J.Reynolds 1, J.Stuckey 1, K.Turner 1. CIN. — R.Browner 1.


STADIUM , NFL &

MEDIA

RECORDS

2008 REVIEW

COLLEGE FREE AGENTS


ROSTERS

STAFF

— 211 —

HISTORY

San Francisco 20, Bengals 16Jan. 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium (Miami, Fla.)

OFFENSEWR Tim McGee LT Anthony MuñozLG Bruce ReimersC Bruce KozerskiRG Max MontoyaRT Brian BladosTE Rodney HolmanWR Eddie BrownQB Boomer EsiasonHB James BrooksFB Ickey Woods

DEFENSELE Jim Skow NT Tim KrumrieRE Jason BuckLOLB Leon WhiteLILB Carl ZanderRILB Joe KellyROLB Reggie WilliamsLCB Lewis BillupsRCB Eric ThomasSS David FulcherFS Solomon Wilcots

LINEUPSCincinnati Bengals

SUBSTITUTESLeo Barker, Ed Brady, Jim Breech, Barney Bussey, Cris Collinsworth, Rickey Dixon, David Douglas, Eddie Edwards, David Grant, Ira Hillary, Ray Horton, Stanford Jennings, Lee Johnson, Emanuel King, Marc Logan, Skip McClendon, Carl Parker, Jim Riggs, Jim Rourke, Turk Schonert, Daryl Smith, Dave Smith.

DID NOT PLAYMike Norseth.

San Francisco 49ers

OFFENSEWR John TaylorLT Steve WallaceLG Jesse SapoluC Randy CrossRG Guy McIntyreRT Harris BartonTE John FrankWR Jerry RiceQB Joe MontanaRB Roger CraigRB Tom Rathman

DEFENSELE Larry Roberts NT Michael CarterRE Kevin FaganLOLB Charles HaleyLILB Jim FahnhorstRILB Mike WalterROLB Keena TurnerLCB Tim McKyerRCB Don Griffi nSS Jeff FullerFS Ronnie Lott

SUBSTITUTESMike Cofer, Bruce Collie, Greg Cox, Riki Ellison, Terrence Flagler, Terry Greer, Ron Heller, Barry Helton, Tom Holmoe, Pierce Holt, Brent Jones, Sam Kennedy, Pete Kugler, Bubba Paris, Darryl Pollard, Bill Romanowski, Jeff Stover, Daniel Stubbs, Harry Sydney, Chuck Thomas, Mike Wilson, Eric Wright.

DID NOT PLAYSteve Young.

NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle termed it the most exciting of the fi rst 23 games in Super Bowl history, and the result regained some respect for the AFC, which had lost the last four contests by an average of more than 27 points. But the dominant emotion of the day still was heartbreak for head coach Sam Wyche’s underdog Bengals, who took a 16-13 lead with 3:20 to play on Jim Breech’s 40-yard FG before succumbing to a 92-yard, 11-play TD drive led by San Francisco QB Joe Montana. WR John Taylor’s game-winning 10-yard TD catch from Montana came with just 34 seconds remaining. Never before had a Super Bowl been won on a TD so late in the game. Cincinnati played without FB Stanley Wilson, who was suspended for a substance abuse violation that occurred the night before the game. In addition, the Bengals played almost the entire contest without All-Pro NT Tim Krumrie, who suffered a severe broken leg early in the fi rst quarter. The teams were tied 3-3 at halftime, tied again at 6-6 late in the third quarter, and then swapped TDs in quick succession. A 93-yard kickoff return by Cincinnati’s Stanford Jennings was countered by a four-play San Francisco TD drive. The third of Breech’s three FGs gave Cincinnati its third lead of the day before Montana’s fi nal heroics saved the day for the 49ers. San Francisco WR Jerry Rice tied a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions (still tied; originally set by Bengals TE Dan Ross in Super Bowl XVI) for 215 yards and one TD, earning the game’s MVP award. Montana completed 23 of 36 passes for 357 yards, two TDs and no INTs. The victory made San Francisco the fi rst NFC team to win three Super Bowls.

Cincinnati .............................. 0 3 10 3 — 16San Francisco ....................... 3 0 3 14 — 20

TEAM SCORING PLAY QTR-LEFTS.F. — M.Cofer 41 fi eld goal ............................................... 1-3:14CIN — J.Breech 34 fi eld goal .............................................. 2-1:15CIN — J.Breech 43 fi eld goal .............................................. 3-5:39S.F. — M.Cofer 32 fi eld goal ............................................... 3-0:50CIN — S.Jennings 93 kickoff return (J.Breech kick)............ 3-0:34S.F. — J.Rice 14 pass from J.Montana (M.Cofer kick) ...... 4-14:03CIN — J.Breech 40 fi eld goal .............................................. 4-3:20S.F. — J.Taylor 10 pass from J.Montana (M.Cofer kick) ..... 4-0:34

Missed FG: M.Cofer, S.F. (19L, 49R). Attendance: 75,129. Time: 3:24.

CINCINNATI SAN FRANCISCOFirst downs ..................................................... 13 .............................23Total net yards ............................................... 229 ...........................453Net yards rushing .......................................... 106 ...........................112Net yards passing.......................................... 123 ...........................341Sacks against-yards lost ..............................5-21 ......................... 4-16Passes-completions-interceptions ......... 25-11-1 ....................36-23-0Punts-avg. yards .......................................5-44.2 ...................... 4-37.0Penalties-yards ............................................7-65 ......................... 4-32Fumbles-lost ..................................................1-0 ........................... 4-1Time of possession .................................... 32:36 ........................27:24

RUSHINGBENGALS Att Yds Lg TD 49ERS Att Yds Lg TDI.Woods 20 79 10 0 R.Craig 17 71 13 0J.Brooks 6 24 11 0 T.Rathman 5 23 11 0S.Jennings 1 3 3 0 J.Montana 4 13 11 0B.Esiason 1 0 0 0 J.Rice 1 5 5 0

PASSINGBENGALS Att Cmp Yds TD-I 49ERS Att Cmp Yds TD-IB.Esiason 25 11 144 0-1 J.Montana 36 23 357 2-0

RECEIVINGBENGALS No Yds Lg TD 49ERS No Yds Lg TDE.Brown 3 32 17 0 J.Rice 11 215 44 1C.Collinsworth 3 40 23 0 R.Craig 8 101 40 0J.Brooks 2 32 20 0 J.Frank 2 15 8 0T.McGee 2 23 18 0 T.Rathman 1 16 16 0I.Hillary 1 17 17 0 J.Taylor 1 10 10-t 1

INTERCEPTIONSBENGALS No Yds Lg TD 49ERS No Yds Lg TDnone B.Romanowski 1 0 0 0

SACKS: S.F. — C.Haley 2, M.Carter 1, K.Fagan 1, D.Stubbs 1.CIN. — J.Buck 1, D.Fulcher 1, D.Grant 1, R.Williams 1.

BENGALS IN SUPER BOWL XXIIIBENGALS IN SUPER BOWL XXIII


STA

DIUM

, NF

L &

MED

IA R

ECOR

DS20

08 R

EVIE

WCO

LLEG

E FR

EE A

GENT

S20

09 D

RAFT

CHO

ICES

VET

ERAN

SRO

STER

SST

AFF

— 212 —

HIST

ORY

Cincinnati was home to two other football teams in the National Football League prior to the present-day Bengals.

One of the teams, known as the Cincinnati Celts, was a member of the NFL — then known as the American Professional Football Association — in the league’s second season in 1921. That team fi nished with a 1-3-0 record in its only season.

In 1933, the NFL granted the city another franchise, this time called the Cincinnati Reds. They competed in the league for two seasons before folding. The Reds fi nished with a 3-6-1 record and fourth place in the league’s Western Division in 1933. In 1934, they lost their fi rst eight games before suspending operations. The St. Louis Gunners, an independent team, joined the NFL by buying the Cincinnati franchise and went 1-2 the last three weeks of the season.

It was a third team, however — one which was not a member of the NFL — that eventually proved to be the closest link to today’s modern-era team.

In 1937, a team called the Cincinnati Bengals was formed as a member of the rival American Football League. It was that team’s nickname which was later adopted by today’s NFL franchise.

The 1937 Bengals fi nished with a 2-4-2 record in their fi rst year, but the AFL folded after the season. The

Bengals continued as an independent team in 1938, playing three NFL teams that year. They beat the Chicago Bears, 17-13, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, 38-0, and tied the Chicago Cardinals, 7-7.

In 1939, the Bengals joined a new AFL, fi nishing in second place with a 6-2 record. But again, the league folded after the season.

Once again in 1940, another new AFL emerged, and again the Bengals joined. They recorded 1-7-0 and 1-5-2 marks in 1940 and ’41, respectively. That AFL suffered the fate of the two AFLs before it, folding after the 1941 season as the United States entered World War II. Only this time, the Bengals folded along with it.

Pro football returned to Cincinnati 26 years later, in 1967, when Paul Brown headed an ownership group which landed an expansion franchise in the modern-era American Football League. Brown, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who founded and coached the Cleveland Browns from 1946-62, picked the name Bengals for the new team “to give it a link with past professional football in Cincinnati.”

Hundreds of names were suggested by fans in an effort to name the new Cincinnati team, the most popular being Buckeyes. It was rejected to avoid confusion with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Bengals began play in the AFL in 1968. The AFL merged with the NFL in 1970.

1938 Cincinnati BengalsFront row (left to right): 65-Tarz Carlson, 84-Bud Payne, 60-Cole Wilging, 85-Sig Sigillo, 55-Freddy Wunderlich, 69-Joe Kruse, 14-Blond Blizzard Owen, 80-Norm Cable, 41-Irish Pavkov, 54-Horse Chesney, 64-Pat Howlett, 51-Tiger Martinovich.

Back row: 70-Homer Reynolds, 72-Jug Brown, 75-King Bernard, 73-Socko Wiethe, 88-Bumper McPhail, 61-Earl Warwick, 83-Connie Mack Berry, 81-Phil Bucklew, 82-Bill Muellner, 52-Russ Sweeney, 87-Wild Bill Gerdes, 86-Turk Russ, Coach Dana M. King.

DOUBLING UP Twice in Bengals history, a Cincinnati player has managed 100-plus yards both rushing and receiving on the same day. HB Essex Johnson was the fi rst, rushing for 121 yards on 21 carries and getting 116 yards on two receptions on Sept. 30, 1973 at San Diego. He stood alone in the category until Dec. 7, 1986, when HB James Brooks burned the Patriots at New England for 163 yards on 18 rushes and 101 yards on six receptions. Cincinnati won both games. Bengals opponents have managed double 100-yard performances twice, and Cincinnati lost both of those games. On Nov. 23, 1975, Cleveland HB Greg Pruitt had 121 yards on 17 rushes and 106 yards on seven receptions vs. Cincinnati at Cleveland Stadium. On Sept. 22, 1985, San Diego RB Lionel James became the only NFL player to record dual 100s at Riverfront Stadium (later renamed Cinergy Field). James had 127 yards on 12 rushes and 118 yards on fi ve receptions.

CINCINNATI PRO FOOTBALL HISTORYCINCINNATI PRO FOOTBALL HISTORY


STADIUM , NFL &

MEDIA

RECORDS

2008 REVIEW

COLLEGE FREE AGENTS


ROSTERS

STAFF

— 213 —

HISTORY

FIRST HEAD COACH: Paul Brown, who coached the team from 1968 through ’75.

FIRST PLAYER: QB John Stofa, who was acquired in December, 1967, from the Miami Dolphins in a trade for two draft choices. Stofa played for the Bengals in 1968 and ’69.

FIRST DRAFT CHOICE: Center Bob Johnson, from the University of Tennessee, was the Bengals’ No. 1 draft choice in their inaugural season of 1968.

FIRST GAME: Aug. 3, 1968 — a preseason home game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Nippert Stadium. The Chiefs won, 38-14, in front of 21,682 fans.

FIRST REGULAR-SEASON GAME: On Friday night, Sept. 6, 1968, in San Diego, the Bengals began play in the American Football League. They lost to the Chargers, 29-13.

FIRST BENGALS REGULAR-SEASON SCORING PLAY: On the Bengals’ fi rst possession of their fi rst regular-season game — Sept. 6, 1968 at San Diego — RB Paul Robinson scored a touchdown on a 2-yard run. Dale Livingston kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Cincinnati lead. The Chargers came back to win, 29-13.

FIRST REGULAR-SEASON VICTORY: On Sunday, Sept. 15, 1968, the Bengals won their home opener, defeating the Denver Broncos, 24-10. A crowd of 25,049 watched at Nippert Stadium.

FIRST PLAYOFF GAME: On Saturday, Dec. 26, 1970, the Bengals lost to the Baltimore Colts, 17-0, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game. The Bengals reached the playoffs in just the franchise’s third season by winning the AFC Central Division title with an 8-6 regular-season record.

FIRST PLAYOFF GAME VICTORY: On Jan. 3, 1982, the Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills, 28-21, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game. A week later, the Bengals beat San Diego in the AFC Championship Game to earn a trip to Super Bowl XVI.

BENGALS FRANCHISE FIRSTSBENGALS FRANCHISE FIRSTS

BENGALS SELECTIONS IN 1968 AFL EXPANSION DRAFT FROM BOSTON PATRIOTS Joe Bellino, RB, Navy Jim Boudreaux, DT, La. Tech J.D. Garrett, RB, Grambling *White Graves, DB, Louisiana St. Ron Hall, DB, Missouri Valley

FROM BUFFALO BILLS Gary Bugenhagen, T, Syracuse Bobby Burnett, RB, Arkansas *Charlie King, DB, Purdue Bob Schmidt, T, Minnesota Rich Zecher, DT, Utah St.

FROM DENVER BRONCOS Cookie Gilchrist, RB, none Mike Kellogg, RB, Santa Clara *Pat Matson, G, Oregon Henry Sorrell, LB, Tenn.-Chatt. Lonnie Wright, DB, Colorado St.

FROM HOUSTON OILERS *Dan Brabham, LB, Arkansas Joe Bob Isbell, G, Houston *Willie Lee Jones, DE, Kansas St. Bob Poole, TE, Clemson *Andy Rice, DT, Texas Southern

FROM KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Chris Burford, SE, Stanford *Sherrill Headrick, LB, Tex. Christian *Bobby Hunt, DB, Auburn Al Reynolds, G, Tarkio *Fletcher Smith, DB, Tennessee St.

FROM NEW YORK JETS Solomon Brannan, DB, Morris Brown Bill Brown, T, Texas-El Paso *John Matlock, C, Miami (Fla.) *Pete Perreault, G, Boston U. Jim Waskiewicz, C/LB, Wichita St.

FROM OAKLAND RAIDERS *Dan Archer, T, Oregon *Estes Banks, RB, Colorado Nate Johns, RB, San Diego St. *Rod Sherman, FL, Southern Cal. Richard Sligh, DT, N. Car. Central

FROM SAN DIEGO CHARGERS *Frank Buncom, LB, Southern Cal. *Jim Griffi n, DE, Grambling Frank Marsh, RB, Oregon St. Dick Van Raaphorst, PK, Ohio St. *Ernie Wright, T, Ohio State

*Made Bengals All-Time Roster

The Bengals selected Univ. of Tennessee center Bob Johnson with their fi rst choice in the 1968 NFL-AFL draft. Johnson played 12 seasons for the Bengals, from 1968-79.


STA

DIUM

, NF

L &

MED

IA R

ECOR

DS20

08 R

EVIE

WCO

LLEG

E FR

EE A

GENT

S20

09 D

RAFT

CHO

ICES

VET

ERAN

SRO

STER

SST

AFF

— 214 —

HIST

ORY

1968-79 — THE ORIGINALThe original Bengals uniform pictured here debuted when the team began play in the modern-era American Football

League in 1968, and it defi ned the team’s appearance well beyond the AFL’s merger with the National Football League in 1970. Except for its socks and shoes, this uniform remained unchanged for 12 seasons through 1979.

The helmet was orange with a gray facemask. Simple in design, it had “Bengals” arched across both sides in block letters. The letters were black with a thin white outline.

This original uniform had both a black jersey and a white jersey. The black jersey had one orange stripe surrounded by two white stripes on each sleeve. Its uniform numbers were white block numerals, appearing on both the front and back. Likewise, its nameplate had white block letters. The white jersey had an orange stripe surrounded by black stripes on each sleeve, its uniform numbers were black block numerals on the front and back, and it had black block letters on the nameplate.

The team wore the same white pants with both the black and white jerseys of this uniform. The pants had one orange stripe surrounded by two black stripes on the side of each leg. The stripes ran the full length of the legs.

For its fi rst seven seasons, the team wore two sock designs, based on whether it was wearing a black or a white jersey. With black jerseys, the team wore black-topped socks — white socks with a black top from the rim to the bottom of the calf. In the middle of the black top appeared one orange stripe surrounded by two white stripes, matching the striping pattern on the black jersey’s sleeves. With white jerseys, the team wore white socks with mid-calf striping that matched the pants and the white jersey’s sleeves — one orange stripe surrounded by two black stripes.

The team wore the socks pictured here through 1974. In 1975, the team began wearing only one sock design, regardless of whether it was wearing a black or a white jersey. That sock, pictured with the 1980 uniform illustration on the following page, was white, and at its mid-calf had one black stripe surrounded by two orange stripes.

The team primarily wore black shoes through 1973, and white shoes in 1974 and thereafter.Interesting facts from this uniform era:• Black shoes were in — then out of — style, and now they’re back again: During this time period,

neither the AFL nor the NFL had rules requiring players on the same teams to wear shoes of the same color. In the franchise’s fi rst six seasons through 1973, most Bengals players chose to wear black shoes. In 1974, the team’s dominant shoe color shifted to white. Not until 1990 did the NFL begin to regulate shoe colors. To help standardize uniforms, the league required each team to select a primary shoe color. The Bengals chose white, since that was still the players’ color of choice at the time. The white shoes continued to remain in place through 2003. At the players’ request, the team switched back to black shoes with its 2004 uniform redesign.

• Incorrect stripes were placed on cold-weather jersey: For the entire run of this uniform, the stripes on the sleeves of the offi cial Bengals jersey were slightly separated, while the stripes on the sides of the legs and around the calves of the socks were joined together. However, in wintry conditions throughout this time period, the team often wore special cold-weather versions of its jersey that had long sleeves extending to mid-forearm. Due to an oversight in the designing process at the manufacturer, the stripes on the cold-weather jersey were joined, just like the striping on

BENGALS UNIFORMS — THEN & NOWBENGALS UNIFORMS — THEN & NOW

1968-79

NOTE: The socks pictured here were worn from 1968-74 only.


STADIUM , NFL &

MEDIA

RECORDS

2008 REVIEW

COLLEGE FREE AGENTS


ROSTERS

STAFF

— 215 —

HISTORY

the pants and the socks. The discrepancy was never corrected. The cold-weather jersey was worn as needed through the late-1970s. When the uniform was changed in 1980 — and again in ’81 — the team chose not to create another cold-weather jersey. In wintry conditions from that point on, players instead wore jerseys with normal-length sleeves on top of long-sleeve undershirts.

1980 — THE CHANGE BEFORE THE STRIPESWhile the overall original appearance remained intact, the Bengals’ uniform underwent four alterations in 1980 to

constitute a subtle — yet noticeable — uniform change.On the helmet, the team made two alterations — it switched facemask colors from gray to black, and added black

uniform numbers on the back. On the jersey, the team added uniform numbers to the sides of the sleeves, just above the existing stripes. And on the pants, the orange stripe was widened to about twice its original thickness, though the width of the surrounding black stripes remained the same.

The socks pictured here — white, with one black stripe surrounded by two orange stripes at its mid-calf — had actually been the team’s lone sock design since 1975.

Interesting facts from this uniform era:

•Television changed football, including the uniforms: The popularity of professional football grew immensely from the 1960s through the ’80s, and much of the NFL’s progress throughout that era was attributed to signifi cant television exposure. Television changed the game in many ways, both substantially and minutely. When the Bengals added uniform numbers to the sides of their jersey sleeves in 1980, they were following a slow, evolving uniform design trend that started in the mid-1960s as a result of the league’s desire to become more viewer-friendly on television. In fact, uniform numbers that were added to sleeves or shoulders were referred to as “TV numbers,” since their placement was intended to aid broadcast announcers and viewers in quickly identifying players from various camera angles. The league did not have a rule requiring teams to place TV numbers on uniforms until 1991, though by that time nearly all uniforms already had them. Also in 1980, the Bengals added uniform numbers to the team’s helmet. Those numbers, however, were affi xed

for the purpose of quickly identifying which player a helmet belonged to if it was taken off and set down during a game. There still is no league rule requiring teams to place uniform numbers on helmets.

• The new pants were offi cial in 1980, but debuted in ’79: While the Bengals did not offi cially add the pants with the widened orange stripe to their uniform until 1980, that design actually appeared on a limited trial basis in 1979. The 1979 trials were not team-wide, with only a few players wearing the new design during select games that season.

1980

NOTE: The socks pictured here were worn from 1975-80.

(continued)


STA

DIUM

, NF

L &

MED

IA R

ECOR

DS20

08 R

EVIE

WCO

LLEG

E FR

EE A

GENT

S20

09 D

RAFT

CHO

ICES

VET

ERAN

SRO

STER

SST

AFF

— 216 —

HIST

ORY

1981-96 — THE STRIPESIn 1981, the Bengals introduced a bold new uniform which was dramatically different than the relatively conservative

designs the team had used since 1968.Perhaps the most eye-catching distinction of the complete makeover was the team’s new helmet. The helmet

remained orange and retained its black facemask, but replacing the block-letter “Bengals” logotype were the team’s new signature tiger stripes. Six black tiger stripes were placed on the helmet, extending from one side to the other.

Paul Brown, the team’s founder who then held the title of Vice President and General Manager, said the team wanted a helmet that would be instantly identifiable with the Cincinnati franchise, something akin to the Baltimore Colts’ horseshoe helmet and the San Diego Chargers’ lightning bolt helmet.

“You couldn’t read ‘Bengals’ on our helmet from a distance,” Brown said at the time. “When you were far away, it looked like Cleveland’s helmet.”

The black jersey, the white jersey and the white pants of the new uniform featured a black tiger-stripe pattern on top of a wide orange stripe. On the jerseys, the pattern appeared on the shoulders. On the pants, it extended straight down the full length of each leg.

In addi t ion, the uni form numbers on the front and back, as well as those on sides of the sleeves, were given orange outlines. The letters on the players’ nameplates, however, remained solid color — white on the black jersey, and black on the white jersey — and were not given outlines.

The new uniform was assigned orange-topped socks — white socks with an orange top from the rim to the bottom of the calf. The team’s primary shoe color remained white.

Interesting facts from this uniform era:• Sleeves became shorter over time: From when the Bengals began play in 1968 through the mid-’80s, the sleeve

length of the jersey was somewhat long by today’s standards, reaching to just above the elbow. In the mid-’80s, sleeves began shortening over time to the current-day length, reaching only to the lower shoulder or upper biceps. By 1991, all of the team’s jerseys were made with the shorter sleeves, and the original elbow-length sleeves were never produced again.

• NFL marks were added in 1991: Not pictured here, small NFL shield logos were added to the Bengals’ helmets, jerseys and pants in 1991. All NFL teams added the logos as part of a minor league-wide alteration. On the helmets, the shields appeared in the rear left area. On the jerseys, it appeared on the front center of the collar. And on the pants, it was placed on the front left area just below the waist. In 2002, the NFL Equipment logo replaced the shield logos on the jerseys and the pants, though the shield remained on the helmet. Though they are not included on these 1981-96 uniform illustrations, the shield and equipment logos are incorporated into the 1997-2003 and ’04-present illustrations on the following two pages, respectively.

• The stripes did not remain entirely the same: The black tiger-stripe patterns on the shoulders of the jersey and the legs of the pants during this era did not always perfectly match those on the illustrations pictured here. Though hardly noticeable, the patterns differed slightly from one uniform manufacturer to the next. In most cases, the stripes were less wide and more numerous. At the time, minor variations of this nature were considered acceptable as long as they were negligible and did not change the overall appearance of the uniform design.

1981-96


STADIUM , NFL &

MEDIA

RECORDS

2008 REVIEW

COLLEGE FREE AGENTS


ROSTERS

STAFF

— 217 —

HISTORY

Textile Color

Process Color

1997-2003

1997-2003 — THE UPDATED STRIPESIn 1997, the Bengals introduced alterations to their uniform which were termed “evolutionary, not revolutionary.”

While the helmet remained unchanged and the general look of the uniform remained intact, several modifi cations were made on the jerseys, pants and socks.

Perhaps the most notable of the changes was the addition of the team’s new leaping tiger logo on the sleeves of the jersey. Because the new logo was placed where uniform numbers previously had been, the numbers on the sleeves were moved to the tops of the shoulders.

Also on the jersey, the black t iger-s t r ipe pat terns on the shoulders were simplified with wider stripes. The white jersey was altered further to include black trim on the sleeves and collar. And the letters on the nameplates of both the black jersey and white jersey were given orange outlines to match the jersey numbers, which had been given orange outlines in the uniform’s 1981 redesign.

On the pants, the black tiger-stripe patterns on the sides of the legs were simplified with wider stripes to match the new jersey stripes. And, the orange-topped socks the team had been wearing since 1981 were replaced by black-topped socks.

Interesting facts from this uniform era:

• Another not so notice-able change was made in 1997: There was another alteration made with this Bengals uniform change — not in design, but in makeup. All of the jersey numbers and the letters of the nameplates were converted from printed images to stitched fabric. The stitched fabric process — called “tackle twill” — produced more vivid colors, and the result was much more durable. With the nameplate letters and the jersey numerals altered to tackle twill, the black tiger-stripe pattern on the shoulders and pants were the only remaining printed items. The tiger stripes were not changed because the additional stitching required for tackle twill would have signifi cantly reduced the elasticity of the ends of the shoulders and the sides of the pants. And, since those were considered high-stretch areas, the print process remained the better choice for the tiger stripes.

• Incorrect stripes were placed on 1999 pants: Two years after the Bengals made the 1997 alterations, a new manufacturer of the uniforms mistakenly produced pants with the previous tiger-stripe pattern that was used from 1981-96. The discrepancy was considered minor, since most of the 1997 alterations had occurred on the jersey. In fact, the mistake wasn’t even noticed until after the 1999 season had started. Thus, the team wore the incorrectly-striped pants for the rest of the season, and the error was corrected for the following year.

NOTE: These black pants were worn in two games in 2003 on l y ( s ee 2004-present interesting fact on the following page).

(continued)


STA

DIUM

, NF

L &

MED

IA R

ECOR

DS20

08 R

EVIE

WCO

LLEG

E FR

EE A

GENT

S20

09 D

RAFT

CHO

ICES

VET

ERAN

SRO

STER

SST

AFF

— 218 —

HIST

ORY

2004-PRESENT — THE NEW STRIPESFor the fi rst time in 23 years and just the second time in team history, the Bengals’ uniform underwent a complete

redesign in 2004.The team’s signature tiger-striped helmet, widely considered among the most distinctive in football since its introduction

in 1981, was not altered. The changes to the rest of the new uniform, however, were numerous.The most noticeable differences from the previous design were the additions of a third jersey, a second pant and a

second sock. To supple-ment its regular black and white jerseys, the team added a special-occasion orange jersey which could be worn in up to two games per year. Black pants were added to the lineup, marking the fi rst time in team history that pants of a color other than white were offi cially part of the team’s uniform. And, the orange-topped sock — worn in the 1981-96 uniform era — returned to the lineup as a mix-and-match option, joining the black-topped sock introduced in ’97.

All three jerseys displayed a new tiger-stripe pattern on the shoulders. The black jersey featured orange sleeves, and orange trim on the sleeves and collar. The white and orange jerseys had black sleeves, with black sleeve and collar trim. The sleeves of all three jerseys were given white undersides. On the black and orange jerseys, the white undersides on the sleeves continued as wide stripes down the sides.

Modern, more rounded numerals replaced the block-letter uniform numbers that had adorned Bengals jerseys of the past, and the orange outline on the new numbers was given a shadow effect. In addition, the leaping tiger logo was removed from the sleeve, while the team’s new striped “B” logo was placed in the center of the chest area, just below the neckline.

Both pants featured a new tiger-stripe pattern on the sides of the legs. However, unlike the old stripes, the new stripes did not extend straight down the full length of the legs. Instead, the new stripes curved slightly forward to a point just above the knees.

Lastly, the team chose to revert its shoe color from white to black, which had been the primary shoe color from 1968-73.

Interesting fact from this uniform era:• 2004 black pants were the fi rst to be offi cial, but not the fi rst to be worn: The Bengals’ uniform offi cially

included black pants for the fi rst time in team history in 2004. However, 2004 did not mark the fi rst time the team had worn black pants in a game. A year before, in 2003, the team was granted by the NFL the option to use black pants in two games as part of the redesign process that resulted in the new 2004 uniform. The team exercised that option, wearing black pants on a temporary trial basis for both their 2003 regular-season opener and fi nale. Those 2003 black pants, however, possessed the team’s older tiger-stripe pattern of that era (see 1997-2003 illustrations on previous page), and were never worn again. The black pants that were permanently added to the lineup in 2004 were updated with the new tiger-stripe pattern.

2004-PRESENT


STADIUM , NFL &

MEDIA

RECORDS

2008 REVIEW

COLLEGE FREE AGENTS


ROSTERS

STAFF

— 219 —

HISTORY

1981-96 — STRIPED HELMETPrior to the Bengals’ 1981 season — the season of their fi rst Super Bowl appearance — the

team introduced a bold new uniform that featured a distinctive, eye-catching new helmet that was orange with six black tiger stripes extending from one side to the other. With the

uniform redesign, the team’s logo changed from a representation of the block-lettered helmet to a representation of the new striped helmet.

When it was fi rst introduced, the striped helmet logo was a two-dimensional side view with a two-barred face mask. By the end of the 1980s, the logo evolved into the image pictured here — a three-dimensional angled view with a multi-

barred face mask. As a result of the angled view, only fi ve of the six stripes are visible in this striped helmet logo.

BENGALS LOGOS — THEN & NOWBENGALS LOGOS — THEN & NOW

1970-80 — BLOCK-LETTERED HELMETWhen the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970 — the same year the Bengals began play

in the new Riverfront Stadium (later renamed Cinergy Field) — the team’s logo shifted from the running tiger to a representation of the helmet the players had been wearing since the team began play in 1968.

The helmet representation, which like the real helmet was orange with “Bengals” arched across both sides in block letters, remained the team’s logo through the 1980 season. The helmet logo, however, used much larger letters for “Bengals” than what actually appeared on the real helmets.

1997-2003 — LEAPING TIGERIn 1997, the Bengals made subtle alterations to their uniforms. With the

alterations, the team unveiled a new logo of a leaping tiger which adorned the sleeves of the uniform’s new jersey. That new leaping tiger replaced the striped helmet as the team’s primary logo.

The leaping tiger logo, pictured here with the team’s logotype of that era, was an illustration of an aggressive-looking orange tiger with black stripes that matched those on the team’s helmet and white facial accents. The leaping tiger’s head by itself was the team’s secondary logo. In addition, the striped helmet logo also was still commonly used.

2004-PRESENT — STRIPED “B”The Bengals’ uniform underwent a complete redesign in 2004. As part

of the change, the team introduced a new striped “B” logo and created a new team font. Simple in design, the logo was the new font’s letter B, colored orange with three black tiger stripes.

The striped B was placed in the center of the team’s new jersey, just below the neckline, while the Bengals font was used to create the team’s new logotype. The striped B replaced the leaping tiger as the team’s primary mark, though the leaping tiger and the leaping tiger’s head were kept as secondary marks and are still used frequently.

1967-69 — RUNNING TIGERThe Cincinnati Bengals franchise was founded in 1967, a year

before it began play in the modern-era American Football League. For its fi rst logo, the team chose a caricature of a tiger, running with a football under its right arm. Flying off the tiger’s head was a white helmet with another tiger’s head painted on its side.

The team used this logo while they were members of the AFL through the 1969 season, though the logo never appeared on the team’s uniform.


anthony muñoz puts bengals stamp on pro football hall...

Documents