Bengals release statement on Bob Trumpy's passing

The Cincinnati Bengals mourn the passing of former tight end/wide receiver Bob Trumpy, who played for the team from its inaugural season in 1968 through ’77. He passed away peacefully at the age of 80, at his home surrounded by family.

“I’ve known Bob since we started here and he had an extraordinary career as both a player and a broadcaster,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “He was an exceptional and rare tight end who could get downfield and split zone coverages. Speed was his hallmark. He was as fast as any wide receiver and was a deep threat. That was rare for a tight end then and it’s rare now.

“As a broadcaster, he made his mark both locally and nationally, and excelled at sports other than football in a career that was as successful as what he accomplished on the field. He did it all very well and I regret his passing.”

Trumpy, a 12th-round draft pick out of the University of Utah in 1968, became an instrumental piece of the Bengals’ early history. He scored the franchise’s first ever receiving touchdown on a 58-yard catch on Sept. 15, 1968 against the Denver Broncos at Nippert Stadium. 

His 4,600 career receiving yards, 35 career receiving TDs and 15.4 yards per reception each are the most by a tight end in Bengals history. He was selected to four Pro Bowls (1968-70, ’73), also the most by a tight end in team history.

Following his Bengals tenure, Trumpy went on to have a distinguished broadcasting career, most notably serving as an NFL color analyst for NBC Sports. He called four Super Bowls, three Olympic Games and three Ryder Cups. In 2014, he was presented the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.