1990 Bengals: Where are they now?

[oldschooler]

1990 Bengals: Where are they now?

By Kevin Kelly

Enquirer staff writer

We set out to track down the starters from the 1990 Bengals team - the franchise's most recent to reach the playoffs before this season's squad - as listed in the team's media guide.

We talked to most of them, but we got some help from several resources, including colleges, the NFL Players Association, public records, Bengals players and staff.

Here's where they are now:

SAM WYCHE, head coach

15 years ago: Wyche carried a 51-47 overall record into his seventh season as the Bengals' head coach.

15 years later: He just finished his second season as quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills.

OFFENSE

TIM McGEE, wide receiver

15 years ago: He had 43 catches and one touchdown and led the team with 737 yards receiving.

15 years later: He's a sports agent and the head girls' basketball coach at Ursuline Academy. He's also the owner of McGee's Courts 4 Sports in Mason, where he resides.

ANTHONY MUNOZ, left tackle

15 years ago: He played in every regular-season game and earned his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl selection but missed the AFC divisional playoff game because of a shoulder injury.

15 years later: He's president of the Anthony Muñoz Foundation and is actively involved in other community initiatives. He is the only primarily Bengals player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He resides in Mason.

BRUCE REIMERS, left guard

15 years ago: He started all 12 regular-season games that he played in, but a severely sprained ankle kept him on the sideline during the AFC divisional playoff game against the Raiders.

15 years later: He resides in Humboldt, Iowa, where he is a driver and manager for a trucking company, handling approximately 40 drivers. He also coaches the offensive and defensive lines at Humboldt High School.

"I watched (the Bengals) play the Steelers (Dec. 4) - it was probably the first game I've watched all year - and what an awesome game," Reimers said. "I would love to meet their coach (Marvin Lewis). It's well past the time that he should have been a head coach. I think he's doing an awesome job.

"I'm tickled pink that the Bengals have come back to play some great games. They've been kind of the whipping post of the NFL for a long time. It's nice to see them back."

BRUCE KOZERSKI, center

15 years ago: He started every game.

15 years later: He has been a football coach at Holy Cross High School in Covington, where he also teaches, since 1998. He assisted until becoming head coach in 2004.

KEN MOYER, right guard

15 years ago: He started every game at right guard except the AFC divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Raiders, for which he was moved to left guard in place of injured starter Reimers.

15 years later: He resides in Cincinnati and serves as the Bengals' team chaplain.

JOE WALTER, right tackle

15 years ago: He started every game of the season.

15 years later: He lives in Florence and works as an assistant vice president in the loan department at Boone National Bank. He also is a board member of Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries.

"These (current Bengals) are tight, really tight, the way we were tight for two or three years there - everybody pulling together," Walter said.

"They've got the line, the quarterback, the receivers, the running backs, just like we had. You can see it, a lot of chemistry."

RODNEY HOLMAN, tight end

15 years ago: He was named to his third Pro Bowl squad after catching 40 passes for 596 yards and five touchdowns.

15 years later: The Bengals' all-time leader in receptions by a tight end (318), he lives in Slidell, La., and is taking graduate classes at Southeastern Louisiana University.

A 40-minute drive from New Orleans, and just 5 miles north of Lake Pontchartrain, Slidell was one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.

"We got a big chunk of (the storm) here," said Holman, who played collegiately at Tulane. "There were a few casualties here and it wiped out quite a bit of the town on the north shore.

"I was blessed to make it through. I had wind damage and that kind of stuff: a fence down, trees down and shingles blew off. The garage door is bent, screens are off windows. But other than that, structure-wise, the house was still standing."

EDDIE BROWN, wide receiver

15 years ago: Started 12 regular-season games and led the Bengals with 44 receptions and nine touchdowns, which tied for third-most in the NFL.

15 years later: When the Las Vegas Gladiators open the Arena Football League season against the Austin Wranglers later this month, he will be coaching the team's wide receivers.

Brown said he has enjoyed watching the Bengals' offense at work.

"Two wideouts (Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh) going out and getting it, making some phenomenal catches, a quarterback (Carson Palmer) playing like he's possessed," said Brown, who also owns and operates Eddie's Seafood Restaurant in Miami, Fla. "A lot of weapons. And they've got that no-huddle (offense) down, the way we had it down, but they don't use it as much.

"Yeah, they remind me a little of us, and that's great to see."

BOOMER ESIASON, quarterback

15 years ago: Completed 55.7 percent of his passes for 3,031 yards - the 10th-highest total by a quarterback in 1990 - and ranked fourth in the NFL with 24 touchdown passes.

15 years later: He's a studio analyst for "The NFL Today" on CBS and host of "The Boomer Esiason Show" on the Madison Square Garden Network. An analyst for CBS Sports/Westwood One's radio broadcast coverage of "Monday Night Football," the playoffs, the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl, he also co-chairs the Boomer Esiason Foundation with his wife, Cheryl. He resides in Long Island, N.Y.

JAMES BROOKS, halfback

15 years ago: He averaged 5.1 yards per carry, ranking eighth in the NFL with 1,004 yards rushing and 10th with 1,273 yards from scrimmage. He was selected to his fourth and final Pro Bowl and played in the AFC divisional playoff game with a cast on his dislocated left thumb.

15 years later: He resides in Cincinnati and ranks second behind Corey Dillon on the Bengals' all-time rushing list with 6,447 yards.

HAROLD GREEN, fullback

15 years ago: He started nine regular-season games as a rookie and rushed for 353 yards on 83 carries.

15 years later: He lives near Columbia, S.C., and is a partner in an automotive dealership.

ICKEY WOODS, fullback

15 years ago: After suffering a devastating knee injury during the 1989 season, he came back in Week 3 and rushed for 268 yards and six touchdowns in 10 regular-season games. He led the Bengals in rushing - 84 yards on 17 carries - during the playoffs.

15 years later: He lives in Cincinnati, where he has dabbled in various professional fields. Among his endeavors is the establishment of the Ickey Woods Youth Foundation.

He's happy to see the Bengals back in the playoffs.

"Seeing this kind of excitement here again just makes you feel good and you really get behind it," Woods said. "You get excited for the guys, really feel good for them, because you remember how exciting it was back then to be a part of it. And you know the guys are going through the same thing now."

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...2/-1/PLAYOFFS01

Where are they now? Part 2

By Kevin Kelly

Enquirer staff writer

DEFENSE

SKIP McLENDON, defensive end

15 years ago: He started 13 regular-season games, getting 28 tackles and two sacks.

15 years later: He is a pastor in Casselberry, Fla.

TIM KRUMRIE, nose tackle

15 years ago: He started 15 of 16 regular-season games, recording 68 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery.

15 years later: He just finished his third season as defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills.

DAVID GRANT, defensive end

15 years ago: He did not start the first half of the season but played in every regular-season game, finishing with 44 tackles and four passes broken up.

15 years later: He is in his sixth year as a strength and conditioning specialist for Seton Hall.

JASON BUCK, defensive end

15 years ago: After leading the Bengals with six sacks in 1989, he recorded a half-sack and 11 tackles.

15 years later: He works as an investment banker in Utah.

LEON WHITE, linebacker

15 years ago: He started 13 games, totaling 34 tackles, one sack and one interception.

15 years later: He resides in San Diego, where he serves on the board of directors for the Athletes for Education Foundation. He helps provide support for San Diego high school football players as an academic coach for the Play it Smart program.

CARL ZANDER, linebacker

15 years ago: He started 13 regular-season games and recorded 47 tackles, two fumbles and one interception.

15 years later: He works for Forever Living Products International in Phoenix.

KEVIN WALKER, linebacker

15 years ago: He started 15 regular-season games and finished second on the team in tackles with 75.

15 years later: He lives in Mason and sells real estate.

JAMES FRANCIS, linebacker

15 years ago: The Bengals' top pick in the 1990 draft, he led the defense with 76 tackles and eight sacks.

15 years later: He resides in Texas.

LEWIS BILLUPS, cornerback

15 years ago: After missing training camp due to a contract holdout, he recorded 55 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks and a team-high 13 passes broken up.

15 years later: He died in a car accident in 1994.

CARL CARTER, cornerback

15 years ago: In his only season with the Bengals, he started 11 regular-season games and had 47 tackles, 11 passes broken up and two fumble recoveries.

15 years later: He resides in Fort Worth, Texas.

DAVID FULCHER, safety

15 years ago: He started 12 regular-season games. His six interceptions - four in the regular season, two in the playoffs - led the team, and his 75 tackles tied as the second-most on the team.

15 years later: He resides in Cincinnati and owns and operates several Cardboard Heroes Sports Stuff stores. He also heads the David Fulcher Foundation with his wife, Judy, and the All Pro Sports Camp. He works for the NFL on game days at Paul Brown Stadium, policing player uniforms.

SOLOMON WILCOTS, safety

15 years ago: He started 10 regular-season games and made 41 tackles, forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble.

15 years later: He's a game analyst for NFL broadcasts on CBS and is a reporter for the network during the NCAA men's basketball tournament. He also is host of "NFL Playbook" on the NFL Network. He resides in Los Angeles.

SPECIAL TEAMS JIM BREECH, kicker

15 years ago: He led the Bengals in scoring with 92 points, going 41-of-44 on point-after attempts and 17-of-21 on field-goal attempts.

15 years later: He works as an insurance broker for The Hauser Group in Cincinnati and resides in Liberty Township. He is president of the NFL Alumni's Cincinnati chapter and a board member of Kicks for Kids, and he also is involved with the Community Foundation of West Chester.

LEE JOHNSON, punter

15 years ago: He averaged 42.3 yards per punt. He also completed his only pass attempt - for a touchdown against the Patriots at Riverfront Stadium.

15 years later: He lives in Alpine, Utah. Entering this season, he still ranked third on the NFL's all-time list for most career punts (1,226).

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...11/0/PLAYOFFS01

[oldschooler]

Lots of great articles and info about the Bengals.

Just thought I would give people a heads up...

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/s...gory=PLAYOFFS01

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Wait a second, Fulcher owns Cardboard Heroes? LOL If I'd known that I would have started shopping there sooner.

[UK Bengal]

wow that brought back some great memories I actually had the honour of talking to david fultcher 2 seasons ago when i rang in to 700wlw on the after game show after the ravens defeat. I was their first international caller lol shame the other guy wanted to talk about paul macartney pffft