Corey Dillon and Tim Krumrie will be honored by the Cincinnati Bengals this fall as the newest members of the team's Ring of Honor, which was established back in 2021. Both former players will be formally inducted at halftime of the Bengals' Monday night matchup against the Commanders on Sept. 23.
A four-time Pro Bowl running back, Dillon spent his first seven NFL seasons (1997-03) in Cincinnati. A physical yet elusive back, Dillon started his career with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and was a Pro Bowler each year from 1999-01. In Week 8 of the 2000 season, Dillon broke Walter Payton's 23-year-old single-game rushing record by rumbling for 278 yards in a win over the Broncos.
Dillon, who finished his career with the New England Patriots (winning a ring with New England in 2004), remains the Bengals' career rushing leader with 8,061 yards.
"When I first heard the news from [Bengals owner] Mike Brown, it brought more joy to that day instantly," Dillon said, via the Bengals' team website. "We had a great conversation. It means a lot. It's my legacy. I'm happy and fortunate that this is happening at this time. I'm ecstatic about it. I have to thank the fans for the love and support. It's been an awesome year getting to know everybody. I can't thank them enough."
A nose tackle, Krumrie spent his entire 12-year career in Cincinnati, retiring after the 1994 season. Krumrie earned consecutive Pro Bowl nods in the late '80s and performed at an All-Pro level during the 1988 season while helping the Bengals reach the Super Bowl. A broken leg suffered in the Super Bowl, however, sidelined Krumrie for the majority of Cincinnati's 20-16 loss to San Francisco.
Despite the injury, Krumrie returned and did not miss a single game during his final six seasons. He is sixth in Bengals franchise history in games played (188) and first in career solo tackles (1,008).
Krumrie joins Boomer Esiason and Anthony Munoz as members of the Bengals' 1988 team in the Ring of Honor.
"I'd like to thank the Cincinnati Bengals fans for their votes and for recognizing my play on the field and the effort I put into every game," Krumrie said. "I'm proud to have my name alongside my 1988 teammates who helped make my dream of playing in a Super Bowl come true, as well as the other deserving Ring of Honor members. I'd especially like to thank Mike Brown for giving this farm boy from Wisconsin a chance to succeed in the NFL. This is an honor beyond anything I could imagine."
