One of the greatest players in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals passed away today, as it was announced that Ken Riley died at the age of 72.  

Playing collegiately at Florida A&M, the Bengals selected the then Quarterback in the Sixth Round of the 1969 Draft.  The Bengals management converted him to Cornerback, where he would become the most prolific Defensive Back in franchise history.

Riley played his entire pro career with the Bengals, accumulating 65 Interceptions with five Touchdowns over 207 Games.  

Despite his high amount of Interceptions, Riley was never voted on to a Pro Bowl team. He would make a First Team All-Pro in his final season (1983), but a deeper look at his career shows a player deserving of more.  

Following his playing career, Riley returned to his alma mater, where he became Florida A&M’s Head Coach.  He took the Rattlers to two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Titles and he was also a two-time MEAC Coach of the Year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and Family of Ken Riley.

The sad days keep on coming.

In a statement from his family, it was announced that Wes Unseld passed away at the age of 74.  According to his family, he had battling health issues for some time, namely pneumonia.  

A two-time All-American at Louisville, Unseld was drafted by the then Baltimore Bullets with the second overall pick in 1968.  He played his entire career with the team, as they moved from Baltimore to Washington, and the Center was the unquestioned leader of the team during his tenure.

A five-time All-Star, Undeld was the Rookie of the Year, and was the MVP the season after.  His crowning achievement in the NBA, was leading Washington to the NBA Championship in 1978, where he was the MVP of the Finals.  Following his playing career, he would work for the Bullets as a Coach, General Manager and an Executive.

Unseld was inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.  The Bullets retired his number 41, and Louisville retired his number 31.  He was also named to the NBA 50^thAnniversary Team.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and family of Wes Unseld.

The Mid-American Conference has announced the six new members of their Athletic Hall of Fame.

The new members are:

Bryan Bullington – Ball State, Baseball (2000-02):  Bullington holds the career record in Strikeouts in the MAC (357), and has the most Wins in Cardinals history (29).  The Pitcher was an All-American in 2002, and he was a two-time MAC Player of the Year. Bullington was the first player from the MAC to be drafted number one, and he would go on to play in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals.

Ellen Herman-Kimball – Ohio, Women’s Volleyball (2006-09):  Herman-Kimball was the MAC Freshman of the Year, and she would be the MAC Player of the Year as both a Junior and a Senior.  She is the all-time Conference leader in Kills (1,984).

Margo Jonker – Central Michigan, Softball Coach (1980-2020):  Jonker retired as the most successful Softball Coach in the history of the MAC, and she retired with a record of 1,246-780-6.  Jonker took the Chippewas to ten MAC Championships and she was also a ten-time MAC Coach of the Year.  Internationally, she was the Assistant Coach on Team U.S.A.’s 2000 Gold Medal winning team at the Sydney Olympics.

Stevi Large Gruber – Akron, Women’s Track & Field (2006-09):  Large Gruber was a three-time Female Athlete of the Year at Akron and she won nine MAC Championships.  Her best event was the Hammer Throw, where she won the National Championship in 2009. Large Gruber also competed in the Shotput, Discus and Weight Throw.

Briana Shook – Toledo, Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country (2000-04):  Over her career with the Rockets, Shook won 11 MAC Titles, and she led her school to back-to-back Cross Country Championships in 2001 and 2002.  

Wally Szczerbiak – Miami, Men’s Basketball (1996-99):  Szczerbiak is the RedHawks second leading scorer in school history and in 1999, he was the MAC Player of the Year.  Also, a Naismith Finalist, Szczerbiak took Miami to the Sweet Sixteen.  

The MAC Hall of Fame inducted their first class in 1987, but after 1994 (there was no induction ceremony in 1993), they ceased to add new members until it was resurrected in 2012.  This induction brings the total amount of members to 102.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com congratulate the newest members of the MAC Hall of Fame.

Joe Burrow was the No.1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft when he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals but can the former LSU quarterback follow his top pick in the draft with a 'Hall of Fame' career amongst the pros...?

The Iowa native enjoyed a stellar college career and is an enormous talent, having won the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award during his final year with LSU.

The signal caller has all the attributes to succeed in the NFL but history doesn't dictate that he'll transition from being first pick amongst the class of 2020 to becoming a hall of famer in the future.

Having grabbed its first College Football Championship since 2007, the LSU that Burrow leaves behind is +650 in the American football odds for NCAAF glory in 2021.

Burrow meanwhile starts out into the rest of his career with the weight of being No.1 draftee on his back. 

Of the 14 previous No.1 picks to make it into the Hall of Fame, here's a reminder of the three most recent inductees.

Orlando Pace – No.1 pick in 1997

The St Louis Rams took Pace as the top pick in the '97 Draft following his promising time at Ohio State. On his induction to the HOF, it was recorded that Pace had become "one finest offensive linemen of his era" during his NFL career.

His Rams team shattered NFL scoring records with their outstanding offensive play and their thrilling 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV marked the end of almost a half-century waitfor ultimate success for the St Louis franchise on the biggest stage. 

Pace would also line out in the Super Bowl against New England at the end of the 2001 season but his side lost out in a knife-edge contest. 

He was selected in seven consecutive Pro Bowls and made 169 NFL appearances, making the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2000s.

Troy Aikman – No.1 pick in 198

After switching to UCLA from Oklahoma, Aikman finished his college career as the third highest rated passer in NCAA history at that time. 

He was drafted by a struggling Dallas Cowboys outfit coming off their worst record since going 0-11-1 in its 1960 inaugural season.

In his dozen NFL season he made six Pro Bowls and led Dallas to three Super Bowl wins ('92, '93 and '95) as well as recording more NFL wins during the 1990s than any other quarterback.

In his career, Aikman threw a stunning tally of 32,942 yards and 165 touchdowns, giving him a passer rating of 81.6 on his retirement.

Bruce Smith – No.1 pick in 1989

Blessed with raw speed and acceleration, Smith impressed anyone who watched him at Virginia Tech and he attracted top pick from the Buffalo Bills in 1989.

He enjoyed an NFL career that spanned close to two decades and was selected on 11 Pro Bowls during his run. 

At the end of 1990 season, his Bills side lost 20-19 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXI in Florida. That was as close as Smith got to a ring, with the Bills well beaten in future appearances against the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys (twice). Smith started in all four of those Super Bowls.

With 200 career sacks, he's recognized as an all-time leader in defensive play and holds the NFL record for most sacks.