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Does Corey Dillon Belong in the Bengals Hall of Fame?

Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon

That's a good question. On one hand, he did some amazing things while he was in a Bengals uniform. He is the Bengals all-time leading rusher. He broke the single game rushing record, previously held by Walter Peyton, while in stripes when he ran for 278 yards against the Broncos in 2000.

On the other hand, though, he left Cincinnati on such a sour note, and most Bengals fans were glad to be rid of him, especially after the emergence of Rudi Johnson.

The voice of the mothership, Geoff Hobson, posed the question on Monday. Dillon, along with many other former Bengals, including Jeff Blake, are on the ballot for you to vote them into the Bengals Hall of Fame.

The criteria for being inducted into the hall of fame is as follows:

Players must be retired from the NFL for five seasons and must have spent at least one season as a Bengal to be eligible for the ballot that includes multiple Pro Bowlers, career record-holders, and at-large candidates. Coaches are eligible at any time, but must no longer be with the club. Quarterback Jeff Blake, who went from the waiver wire to the Pro Bowl with a ball that was as long as the odds of a sixth-rounder, made this year's ballot as an at-large candidate.

Hobson mentions that Bengals founder Paul Brown and greatest player Anthony Muñoz were the first two people to be inducted into the hall of fame. The main question is this: does Dillon's name belong on the same wall as Brown and Muñoz.

Dillon's appearance could take more votes away from the older generation, but his candidacy is intriguing. The numbers say he's a lock with a Bengals-record 8,061 yards carved out on some of the worst teams in franchise history on an angry 4.3 yards per carry that battered defenders.

But his chip-on-the-shoulder intensity bubbled off the field and it's fascinating to see how the fans respond to him in the voting booth. The 278-yard game, in which he ripped off touchdown runs of 65 and 41 yards in the fourth quarter, and his NFL rookie-record 246 yards almost got as much ink as his tirades.

Some of the other names on the list include: Cris Collinsworth, Max Montoya, Carl Pickens, Dan Ross, Bob Trumpy, Sam Wyche and Tremain Mack.

As for me, while I agree that Dillon deserves to be on the list, I'd have a hard time voting for him over names like Collinsworth, Wyche, Ross or Trumpy. I enjoyed watching Dillon when he played, but his attitude, especially in the latter part of his career in Cincinnati left a bad taste in my mouth.

You can vote for who you feel should be inducted into the Bengals hall of fame here.