By Andrew Skerritt
Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., and the University community welcomed the election of Rattler and Cincinnati Bengals legend Ken Riley to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Riley, who retired from the NFL 40 years ago, was elected as a member of the 2023 Hall of Fame Class unveiled during the NFL Honors broadcast from Phoenix, Arizona, Thursday night.
Riley died in 2020 at the age of 72. He played for the Bengals from 1969 to 1983. During his career, he recorded 65 interceptions in 207 starts for the Bengals, a tally that ranks fifth in NFL history and first for the Bengals.
“Ken Riley went about his life with dignity and humility. His results alone tell the story. He has not played in four decades, but he’s still the fifth all-time leader in interceptions in the NFL,” Robinson said. “This honor is long overdue, but so well deserved. Unfortunately, Ken is no longer here to celebrate with us, but we know his family and the FAMUly are overjoyed with this news. This will be recognized as a “Great Things Moment” for FAMU and Ken’s family. He has now received his due.”
Riley made his mark as a FAMU student-athlete, championship-winning head coach, and long-time athletics director.
As a four-year starting quarterback for FAMU, Riley guided the Rattlers to a 23-7 record and three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. During his eight-year tenure as FAMU head football coach, beginning in 1986, Riley led the team to two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships and earned a pair of MEAC Coach of the Year honors. Riley also served as the Rattlers’ athletics director from 1993-2004. Riley was inducted into the FAMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982, the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Cincinnati Bengals inaugural Ring of Honor in 2021.
“Congratulations to FAMU alumnus Ken Riley and the Riley family on his posthumous selection as a 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee,” said Vice President/Athletics Director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes. “It’s no surprise to members of the Rattlers community that he has earned this honor. Riley has shown that an HBCU can prepare you to excel anywhere, at anything, on any level.”
