NFL Power Rankings: 30 best TE of all-time

No. 28: Bob Trumpy, Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals selected Bob Trumpy in the 12th Round of the 1968 draft, number 301 overall. Trumpy rose from humble beginnings to become the prototype of the tight end’s potential in the Paul Brown system in Cincinnati, which was later adapted by Brown protege Bill Walsh into his version of the West Coast Offense. (A future post will dissect how the WCO was originally pioneered by Sid Luckman and Don Coryell, and what we currently refer to as the WCO should properly be called the Bill Walsh Offense.)

Trumpy set the pattern later used by Dwight Clark, Brent Jones and Vernon Davis in San Francisco. His best season came in 1969, when he had 835 yards receiving, 9 touchdowns and a gaudy 22.6 yard per catch average. Trumpy appeared in four Pro Bowls and had one All Pro selection.

Next: The No. 27 Tight End in NFL History