Jim Owczarski

jowczarski@enquirer.com

To commemorate its 50th season of professional football, Cincinnati Bengals are going to break from a long-standing stance and honor former players in Paul Brown Stadium throughout the year.

No formal team Hall of Fame or ring of honor will be created, but the players will be recognized during halftime of each regular-season home games.

A dozen former players and former assistant coach Jim Anderson were in attendance at the stadium during a press event on Thursday to formally announce the plans for 2017.

"I think it's nice to see the old guys come back and get together and to see the football franchise recognize the guys that put them where they are today, the 50 years," said former safety and current Cincinnati Christian University head coach David Fulcher. "I think it's wonderful and I think the guys will really appreciate it."

Bengals owner and president Mike Brown spoke for 10 minutes, picking out a few players in the crowd and sharing stories and drawing laughs. The franchise's first draft pick, Bob Johnson, and former tight end Bob Trumpy then shared stories for over 10 minutes.

"It's nice. It's nice to be called and invited back," said former guard Max Montoya. "It's a family. It's a great thing."

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Like it did for its 40th anniversary, the club will hold a vote through its website for fans to select the organization's top 50 players. This season, however, selected media will also vote on the players to make the top 50. The vote will run from April 20 through June 15. The final list will be revealed before the start of the season.

The players selected will be the top 50 vote-getters, rather than by position.

"What's really nice is the fans get to vote," Fulcher said. "It's just nice to be recognized for what we did over the years that we played."

Season-ticket holders will also be recognized by forming the "tunnel" through which players will run out onto the field.

The club also have a new logo will be on display in the stadium, on the playing field and with a patch worn by the players

There are no plans for the club to wear "throwback" uniforms during the season.

Brown was not available for comment regarding the decision to not create a ring of honor or a formal club Hall of Fame, but it is something that remains a hope for its alumni.

"I would hope so," Fulcher said. "The guys that played and made this franchise what it is should be recognized with something up in the stadium besides the pictures that are inside the stadium. I think it would be great to show the appreciation for the players that played here and the fans get a chance to see something different instead of just seeing something plain every week."

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During his speech, Brown joked about Johnson's rookie contract, thanked Super Bowl coaches Forrest Gregg and Sam Wyche, but closed with a message for fans: "Thanks to our fans. They are the life's blood of what we do. We go out on game days to entertain them, to excite them. Really what we give them is something more than that. It's a common experience that they can share with friends and with family. And that is something that brings them together with their close friends and family but also it tends to bring the city together. When I think what justifies an NFL team, probably that's what justifies it most."