During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. For this article, the Cincinnati Bengals are the focus.
Cincinnati Bengals Mount Rushmore
Ken Anderson
The Bengals have not had the best of histories as far as NFL programs go. They have a total of five playoff wins in franchise history, though two of those led to Super Bowl appearances (they lost to the 49ers in both). Anderson led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1981 and earned one of the two NFL MVPs in Bengals’ history that year. He also set the NFL record for completion percentage in 1982, which stood until Drew Brees broke it in 2011. Anderson spent his entire 16-year career as a Bengal and remained a local sports icon until he took a job coaching hated division rival Pittsburgh in 2007. So while he might no longer be among the most-beloved Bengals in franchise history, his achievements during his playing career keep him on this list.
Boomer Esiason
If there was one quarterback that could top Anderson in Bengals lore, it’s his successor “Boomer.” Born Norman Julius Esiason, “Boomer” took the Bengals to their second Super Bowl in 1988. Esiason led the Bengals to within a minute of a Super Bowl victory before Joe Montana took the game with a historic drive. Esiason was the only other NFL MVP in franchise history with his performance during that season. Esiason set few records in his record-book worthy career, but he remains towards the top of most major statistical categories among NFL quarterbacks.
Anthony Munoz
I thought about putting Bob Johnson in this space because he is the only Bengal to have his number retired, but Munoz is just too good to leave off. He played in both Super Bowls and he was selected for 11 Pro Bowls, which is tied for the most by any player in franchise history. His status as one of the best linemen of all-time was cemented four years ago by the Anthony Munoz Award, which is now considered the top award for high school linemen in the country. He is also one of the two Bengals players (as well as founder and owner Paul Brown) to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Corey Dillon
In a team short on history, Dillon injected a spark into a struggling franchise in the late 90s and early 2000s. He ran for over 1000 yards in six consecutive seasons, earning three Pro Bowl appearances in that span. He set the single-game rushing record in 2000 with 278 yards, a record that stood for three years until Jamal Lewis broke it. Dillon might be remembered by football fans for his work in winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2004, but to Cincinnati fans he will always be the one who got them through some of the darkest years in franchise history.
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