Former NFL running back Corey Dillon wants some more respect on his name, especially from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dillon voiced his frustration at being excluded from both the Bengals’ Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a new interview. The former running back was particularly critical of the Bengals, where he has never been a serious contender for the recently-introduced Ring of Honor that relies partly on votes from season ticket holders.
“It’s damn-near criminal, what (Bengals Ring of Honor voters) are pulling off, to be honest with you,” Dillon told Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “Did I not play for them? I don’t know, bro. I’m curious about that. Because it looks like they are glossing over me. For what reason? Because I left? That’s not a good enough reason. You are telling me there’s five other guys better than me — at my position? And trust me, this is no knock on whoever is getting in, who goes in, that’s not what it is about. It’s about what is your excuse going to be? I’m pretty sure they will put f—ing Jon Kitna in there before they put me. Matter of fact, Scott Mitchell will end up in that motherf—-er before I do.”
Dillon took aim at the selection process, arguing that many of the current season ticket holders “never seen half of us play.”
“And that’s garbage. That’s garbage,” Dillon said. “This should be solely predicated on the authorities of the Bengals. The owner. The president. Whatever. There should be a special committee. This ain’t a popularity contest. This is football. You are going to put in somebody who is more popular than somebody who got stats?”
Dillon does have stats. His 8,061 career rushing yards are the most in Bengals franchise history. He later won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots and finished with 11,241 career rushing yards in 10 career seasons. At the very least, he should be recognized by the Bengals.
The Bengals introduced the Ring of Honor in 2021 and it includes six members so far. One of them is offensive lineman Willie Anderson, who anchored the offensive lines that Dillon ran behind.
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