Former NFL star Ken Riley dies at 72
St. Petersburg, Fla. — Former Cincinnati Bengals standout Ken Riley, who was later a head coach and athletic director at his alma mater Florida A&M, died Sunday, the university announced. He was 72.
Riley played 15 seasons for the Bengals as a defensive back, with 65 career interceptions for 596 yards and five touchdowns — all franchise records. The interceptions rank fifth in NFL history. He also recovered 18 fumbles.
Before his NFL career, Riley was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Rattlers.
"FAMU athletics and the entire Rattler Nation is deeply saddened of the passing of former FAMU football player, head coach, athletics director and NFL great Ken Riley,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Kortne Gosha said in a statement. “We wish his family our deepest condolences.”
Riley, who was African American, was chosen in the sixth round of the 1969 NFL draft by the Bengals, who under coach Paul Brown decided to convert him to cornerback. At the time, black starting quarterbacks in the NFL were all but unheard of. Riley
retired in 1983.
Riley spent two seasons as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers before taking over as coach at Florida A&M, where he went 4839-2 from 1986-93. He won two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and was a two-time MEAC coach of the year.
Despite his accomplishments, Riley never made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although he is in the Florida A&M and Black College Football halls of fame, and was one of 33 players named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team.