The NFL and the Cincinnati Bengals are mourning the passing of Charlie King, a man who delivered a historic defensive touchdown for the franchise.
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According to an announcement by the AFC North team, King passed away on last week in Selma, Alabama. He was 83.
A native of Canton, Ohio, King spent his college years playing for the Purdue Boilermakers. He earned all-Big Ten honors as a safety, but he also played running back. He registered 389 scrimmage yards and one touchdown during the 1962 season.
He then moved to professional football in 1966 after being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 1965 AFL Draft. He spent the 1965 season finishing out his college career at Purdue.
The Baltimore Colts also selected King in the 1965 NFL Draft, but he opted to play for the Bills after the team drafted his younger brother Tony. This provided the brothers with the opportunity to become the first African American siblings to play in the same professional football game.
King spent four seasons in professional football, split between two teams. He played for the Bills in 1966 and 1967 while registering his first career interception.
He then moved to the Bengals for 1968 and 1969, his final two seasons in the league. The 1968 season served as the Bengals' first in the league, and it provided King with a chance to make a historic play for head coach Paul Brown.
The Bills and Bengals faced off during Week 3 of the 1968 season. It was during this game that the cornerback intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards for a score. This marked the team's first-ever defensive touchdown, and it helped propel them to a 34-23.
King ultimately lost his job to future Hall of Famer Ken Riley, and he retired from the league after 1969. He remained firmly entrenched in the Ohio community as he spent three decades volunteering at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
