Bengals 2025 Ring of Honor class shows Cincinnati fans got the voting process right with both inductees
Well done Cincinnati Bengals fans. Well done.The 2025 Bengals Ring of Honor class inductees, as voted by season ticket and club suite holders, are Dave Lapham and Lemar Parrish.Two players that deserve this honor in its entirety. For starters, Lapham is Mr. Bengal himself. Most fans only know him for calling the last four decades of […]
Well done Cincinnati Bengals fans. Well done.
The 2025 Bengals Ring of Honor class inductees, as voted by season ticket and club suite holders, are Dave Lapham and Lemar Parrish.
Two players that deserve this honor in its entirety.
For starters, Lapham is Mr. Bengal himself. Most fans only know him for calling the last four decades of Bengals football from the broadcast booth, but only 29 players in franchise history have played more games than him and that number was significantly smaller when he hung the cleats up in 1983.
Lapham's 10-year playing career didn't include very many accolades or stats beyond games played, there's no one who's been associated with the franchise longer outside of the front office. He joined the booth as a broadcaster three years after his playing days concluded in 1986 and he's still there to this day. He might actually be in the booth as of this posting in the middle of July. That's how dedicated he is to the team.
Other franchise greats such as Boomer Esiaison and Corey Dillon were rightfully inducted prior to Lapham, but the timing was right for Lapham to be enshrined with potential changes coming to the process starting next year. The ultimate team player will get his moment before it potentially becomes tougher to be inducted.
That point specifically also applies to the 77-year old Parrish, whose Bengals career began a few years earlier than Lapham's and is four years older as well. Prioritizing players who paved the way in the early 1970s shows immense respect, and Parrish will get to bear witness to this honor personally.
And does he deserve the honor on merit alone? Absolutely. "Leapin' Lemar" put together one of the best careers a seventh-round pick ever had with eight of his 13 years in the league happening in Cincinnati.
Six Pro Bowls (eight in total) with the Bengals was the most for a defensive player before future Ring of Honor member Geno Atkins stepped on the scene decades later. Intercepting 25 passes and returning them for a total of 354 yards and four touchdowns will earn you that recognition.
Simply put, Parrish is one of the very best defensive players in Bengals history. He probably shouldn't have had to wait this long to be enshrined, but late is always better than never.
Lapham has a legacy of longevity and Parrish contributed so much in such relatively short time. Both now get to bask in their shared glory. These were the correct names to vote in this year, and the fans did not disappoint.
Lapham and Parrish will officially be enshrined on Oct. 26 during the Bengals' Week 8 home game against the New York Jets.
