A retired Bay area football player recently received a major honor, as Ken Riley of Bartow has been elected to the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
Riley was a star quarterback at the all black Union Academy High School in the 1960s in Bartow. Then he was the star quarterback at Florida A&M University.
Bay News 9 spoke to Riley about his new honor during a visit to is Bartow home. The walls of his den are decorated with pictures and memorabilia.
Riley talked about the many players from Union Academy that made it to the NFL. He also spoke fondly of his days at Florida A&M.
"During that time FAMU was a dynasty," he said. "We probably would have beaten some of the larger schools in the state of Floida because we had all of the talent."
Riley really made his mark in the NFL. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals as a defensive back from 1969 to 1983. He is fifth on the list for the most interceptions in NFL history.
Riley is very excited about being elected to the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
"To be a part of that group, Larry Little, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, James Harris, Doug Williams," he said. "There are 53 in there now. To be among those greats is quite and honor."
Riley was later the head football coach and then athletic director at Florida A&M. He recently retired as dean of students at Winter Haven High School. Students and teahceres there are campaigining for him to make it to the NFL Hall of Fame.