Former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy was a cornerstone of the franchise’s early years. Now, he’s being recognized along with James Brooks as a member of the Ring of Honor class of 2026. He is the second player to be inducted posthumously, joining class of 2021 member Ken Riley.
Trumpy is the first player to be inducted into Ring of Honor who was also a founding member of the franchise. He was drafted in the 12th round out of Utah in 1968 and owns one of the Bengals’ first milestones, catching the first receiving touchdown in their first ever win, a 24-10 triumph over the Denver Broncos on Sept. 15, 1968.
In just his second season, Trumpy set a career-high with 159 receiving yards in a 31-31 tie with the Houston Oilers, the first of five ties in franchise history. The Bengals will play the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 1 in this year’s Ring of Honor game (the Oilers relocated to Nashville in 1997 and rebranded as the Titans in 1998). That season, he also set career highs with 835 receiving yards, 59.6 yards per game and an average of 22.6 yards per catch. He was recognized at the end of the 1969 season with his only All-Pro first team selection.
He had four career games with 100 receiving yards, all coming in his first two seasons. Trumpy still holds franchise records by a tight end with 4,600 receiving yards, 35 receiving touchdowns and 15.4 yards per reception. He was a Pro Bowler in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1973.
After retiring from playing, Trumpy became a radio and television broadcaster, letting his voice be heard from 1978 to 2007. His second career could be measured by the number of broadcasts he led or the number of stations he worked for, but the only stat that matters at the end of the day is his 2014 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, when he was given the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.
While he traveled the country and the globe broadcasting the NFL, the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, he hosted a nightly sports talk radio show on 700 WLW in Cincinnati from 1980 to 1989.
Both Trumpy’s playing style and his comforting voice endeared him to Bengals fans in the second half of the 20th century. Now they get to celebrate him as he receives the franchise’s highest honor.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top stats for Bob Trumpy, newest Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor inductee
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
