Stat of the Jay: Bengals ROH Finalist David Fulcher Shares 2 NFL Interception Records

CINCINNATI – For many Cincinnati Bengals fans, 1989 is remembered with disappointment as the season the team failed to make the postseason one year after coming within 34 seconds of winning Super Bowl XXIII.

But for former Bengals safety David Fulcher, 1989 should be remembered as the year he made NFL history.

A third-round pick in 1986, Fulcher is third on the team’s career interception list with 31, trailing Ken Riley (65) and Louis Breeden (33).

But in 1989, Fulcher did not something neither Riley nor Breeden ever did – record three interceptions in a game twice in the same season.

This continues our Stat of the Jay articles for the Bengals' nine Ring of Honor finalists.

Only one other player since the 1970 merger had accomplished it before Fulcher did it with it three picks against Ron Jaworski and the Kansas City Chiefs in a 21-17 victory in Week 4, and three against the Houston Oilers in a 61-7 triumph in Week 15.

The only other player to do it before Fulcher was the Chiefs’ Johnny Robinson in 1970 in games against the Colts and Broncos.

The only player to do it since was Browns rookie Anthony Henry in 2001 against the Lions and Ravens.

Previous Ring of Honor Stat of the Jays

Jim Breech's lengthy streak
James Brooks' double dose of dominance
Cris Collinsworth's rare rookie season

In fact, there are only seven other players who own multiple three-interception games at any point in their career, with Riley being one of them.

Riley did it against the Jets in the 1976 season finale and against the Raiders in 1982 at the age of 35.

A few years later, Fulcher was making more history.

With three interceptions in 1992, his final year with the Bengals, Fulcher became just the fourth player since the 1970 merger to record 3+ interceptions in each of the first seven seasons of his career.

Only Jake Scott had more by doing it in his first nine seasons.

Everson Walls and Gary Barbaro also had streaks of seven 3+ interception seasons to begin their careers.

Only Eric Allen has done it since, with his seventh season coming in 1994, two years after Fulcher hit the mark in 1992.

Fulcher also owns the distinction of being the only player in Bengals history to begin his career with seven consecutive seasons of at least three interceptions.