Few Clouds
We Mourn the Passing of a Legend, Ken Riley
PUBLISHED
Tue, Jun 9, 2020 5:35 AM
Ken Riley has passed at 72. May he Rest in Power, for the man, the player, the coach, the Athletic Director... the LEGEND they called "The Rattler" made a name for him, his Bartow hometown, his Black College roots, and our state of Florida.
Riley attended Union Academy in Bartow, FL. Union Academy was a school founded in 1897 by the Freedmens Bureau in Gainesville. During a time of segregated South, blacks and white attended their own high schools. Most black high schools were part of the Florida Interscholastic Association (FIAA), which was from 1932 to when many high schools in Florida integrated in 1968.
The Polk County native shined on the gridiron at Union Academy. Union Academy was loaded with talent... Riley was one of 9 players from the high school, which closed in 1968, to make it to the NFL. In a time predating the FHSAA's unified State Championships history, which dates back to 1963, the Union Academy Tigers had undefeated football seasons in 1954, 1958, 1960, and 1963 seasons.
He played both sides of the ball, and landed at Florida A&M, which was a powerhouse in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), having won 21 of the last 24 SIAC conference titles.
ONE OF 33 ON FLORIDA'S ALL CENTURY TEAM BY THE FHSAA
Ken Riley, Union Academy (Bartow), 1965. One of 9 Union Academy graduates who made it to NFL before school closed in 1968. Played offense and defense in high school and QB at FAMU, where he was a 3-time All-American. Moved back to the secondary in the NFL, where he played 14 seasons with 65 INTs. Was later head football coach (1986-93) and athletic director (1994-2003) at FAMU.
Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)
At the time of entering Florida A&M, FAMU was in the one of powerhouse of black college football, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The SIAC included notable HBCU football programs at Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State, Tuskegee .... Several of these SIAC teams produced NFL Hall-of-Famers: Alabama A&M (John Stallworth), Bethune-Cookman (Larry Little (Miami Booker T. Washington HS)), South Carolina State(4 - Harry Carson, Deacon Jones (Eatonville HS), Marion Motley, Donnie Shell). FAMU ultimately left the SIAC in 1979 to enter the new Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) alongside their in-state rival, the Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats.
NFL CAREER
Although Riley starred as FAMU's QB, he was converted to a CB when he got to the NFL. In a time, when it was very rare for Black quarterbacks in the NFL, Riley wasn't given the reigns to guide the team offensively; he was placed on defense, and he excelled through a stellar NFL career that is Hall-of-Fame worthy (... we will get to that later).
HALL OF FAME PUSH
BIG FACTS: Riley SHOULD BE ENSHRINED IN CANTON in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ken Riley should join NFL Hall of Famer Bob Hayes as the second inductee from FAMU. It's not only a travesty that "The Rattler" not only played 15 years, yes 15 YEARS... with one team... amassing a whopping 65 INTERCEPTIONS in his career, be only selected to one Pro Bowl. That would be his last year in ____ where he had 9 INTS and 2 PICK SIXES to the house. Those 65 Picks just mentioned... is 4th All-Time.
Riley attended Union Academy in Bartow, FL. Union Academy was a school founded in 1897 by the Freedmens Bureau in Gainesville. During a time of segregated South, blacks and white attended their own high schools. Most black high schools were part of the Florida Interscholastic Association (FIAA), which was from 1932 to when many high schools in Florida integrated in 1968.
The Polk County native shined on the gridiron at Union Academy. Union Academy was loaded with talent... Riley was one of 9 players from the high school, which closed in 1968, to make it to the NFL. In a time predating the FHSAA's unified State Championships history, which dates back to 1963, the Union Academy Tigers had undefeated football seasons in 1954, 1958, 1960, and 1963 seasons.
He played both sides of the ball, and landed at Florida A&M, which was a powerhouse in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), having won 21 of the last 24 SIAC conference titles.
ONE OF 33 ON FLORIDA'S ALL CENTURY TEAM BY THE FHSAA
Ken Riley, Union Academy (Bartow), 1965. One of 9 Union Academy graduates who made it to NFL before school closed in 1968. Played offense and defense in high school and QB at FAMU, where he was a 3-time All-American. Moved back to the secondary in the NFL, where he played 14 seasons with 65 INTs. Was later head football coach (1986-93) and athletic director (1994-2003) at FAMU.
Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)
At the time of entering Florida A&M, FAMU was in the one of powerhouse of black college football, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The SIAC included notable HBCU football programs at Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State, Tuskegee .... Several of these SIAC teams produced NFL Hall-of-Famers: Alabama A&M (John Stallworth), Bethune-Cookman (Larry Little (Miami Booker T. Washington HS)), South Carolina State(4 - Harry Carson, Deacon Jones (Eatonville HS), Marion Motley, Donnie Shell). FAMU ultimately left the SIAC in 1979 to enter the new Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) alongside their in-state rival, the Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats.
NFL CAREER
Although Riley starred as FAMU's QB, he was converted to a CB when he got to the NFL. In a time, when it was very rare for Black quarterbacks in the NFL, Riley wasn't given the reigns to guide the team offensively; he was placed on defense, and he excelled through a stellar NFL career that is Hall-of-Fame worthy (... we will get to that later).
HALL OF FAME PUSH
BIG FACTS: Riley SHOULD BE ENSHRINED IN CANTON in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ken Riley should join NFL Hall of Famer Bob Hayes as the second inductee from FAMU. It's not only a travesty that "The Rattler" not only played 15 years, yes 15 YEARS... with one team... amassing a whopping 65 INTERCEPTIONS in his career, be only selected to one Pro Bowl. That would be his last year in ____ where he had 9 INTS and 2 PICK SIXES to the house. Those 65 Picks just mentioned... is 4th All-Time.
