Corey Dillon, Tim Krumrie named to Bengals Ring of Honor

July 18 (UPI) -- Corey Dillon , the Cincinnati Bengals ' all-time leading rusher, and nose tackle Tim Krumrie will be placed in the franchise's Ring of Honor, the Bengals announced Thursday.

The Ring of Honor ceremony will be held at halftime when the Bengals host the Washington Commanders on Sept. 23 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The Monday Night Football matchup will air on ESPN.

Bengals season-ticket members selected Dillon and Krumrie from a ballot of 11 candidates, leading to their induction.

"When I first heard the news from [Bengals owner] Mike Brown , it brought more joy to that day instantly," Dillon said in a news release. "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."

"Do whatever it takes to get that yard"

Corey Dillon on the type of player he was. pic.twitter.com/7TeT7Tr8Ri — Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) July 18, 2024

Dillon joined the Bengals as a second-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. The former Washington star spent his first seven seasons with the franchise.

Dillon is the Bengals' franchise leader in rushing attempts (1,865) and rushing yards (8,061). He also ran for 45 touchdowns, trailing only Pete Johnson (64), Joe Mixon (49) and Rudi Johnson (48).

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he eclipsed 1,100 rushing yards in each of his first six seasons. He spent his final three seasons with the New England Patriots.

Dillon, who ran for a career-high 1,635 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 2004 for the Patriots, also won a Super Bowl in his first season with the team.

His 11,241 career rushing yards rank No. 20 on the all-time list.

Thinking about how special of a RB Corey Dillon was pic.twitter.com/z5Dqaopx3c — NFL (@NFL) June 20, 2024

"Corey not only was strong and fast with great balance -- he was durable," Brown said of Dillon. "He could take a lot of snaps. He was the one who carried the ball for us. That's what we could do best then -- run the ball.

"Teams recognized that and would play a heavy front against us. It didn't matter. He would just run through them as though they were in a passing setup."

Krumrie joined the Bengals as a 10th-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. The former Wisconsin defensive lineman spent his entire 12-year career with the Bengals. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and an All-Pro in 1988, when the Bengals lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII.

His 188 appearances are the most ever for a Bengals defensive or offensive lineman.

"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."

Krumrie and Dillon will join past inductees Ken Anderson , Willie Anderson , Paul Brown , Isaac Curtis, Boomer Esiason, Chad Johnson , Anthony Munoz and Ken Riley in the Bengals Ring of Honor.