Congratulations to them both!
On Wednesday morning, the Cincinnati Bengals announced the next two players who will be enshrined on their Ring of Honor will be former cornerback and return specialist Lemar Parrish and former offensive lineman and radio commentator Dave Lapham.
Parrish was a seventh-round pick in 1970 and made an immediate impact for the new franchise. He played for the Bengals for eight seasons before being traded to the Washington Commanders before the 1978 season. He stayed there through 1981 and played the 1982 season for the Bills before retiring.
He finished his career as a three-time First-Team All Pro, a two-time Second-Team All Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler, with 47 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries and 13 total touchdowns. He was named to the Bengals’ 40th and 50th Anniversary Teams and should probably be in the Hall of Fame.
“To be selected to join the Ring of Honor means the world to me,” Parrish said in a statement, per Jay Morrison. “As a little boy, I had a dream of becoming the greatest football player in the world. I thank the Bengals and Paul Brown for drafting me and giving me the opportunity to play in the NFL. I appreciate everyone who voted for me. I am pleased and extremely grateful to be selected. This is the most prestigious award that I have ever received, and it means a lot to me.”
The Bengals selected Lapham in the third round of the 1974 draft. He was the starting right guard in 1975 and the starting left guard, next to Anthony Muñoz, when the Bengals went to their first Super Bowl in 1981. He was also named to the Bengals’ 40th and 50th Anniversary Teams, and is likely most familiar to scores of young Bengals fans as the color commentator next to Dan Hoard in the booth for Bengals games on the radio.
“This is without a doubt the highest honor bestowed upon me—the honor of a lifetime,” Lapham said, per Morrison. “I think everyone knows what the Bengals organization means to me. It is extremely humbling to know that the fans selected me to be honored in this fashion. My family and I are extremely grateful to be inducted into the Ring of Honor. It feels like a superlative dream that I have not woken up from yet. I still can’t believe it.”
The ceremony will take place at halftime on the team’s October 26th matchup against the New York Jets in Paycor Stadium.
Congratulations to both Lemar Parrish and Dave Lapham!
Dave Lapham and Lemar Parrish are this year’s Ring of Honor inductees!
On October 26th at halftime vs the New York Jets, they will be recognized with a special induction ceremony.
: https://t.co/ZNOWZilnVC pic.twitter.com/qoa7Z3qWdP
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) July 16, 2025
