Statement From Bengals President Mike Brown on Forrest Gregg
"It's a sad day here. My memories of Forrest are very special. He not only was the coach of the team, but we were also good friends.
"As a coach, he was very successful here. We had good people, good players and he got the best out of them. He was demanding. The players didn't try to cut corners. They went out and did what they had to do, and what we were doing worked. We were somewhat ahead of the curve at the time.
"It saddens me greatly that he's gone and I express sympathy to Barbara and his children."
A look back through the years of former Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg. Gregg led the Bengals to the franchise's first Super Bowl. He passed away on Friday, April 12, 2019 at the age of 85.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg tries to get the attention of some of his players during practice at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Jan. 6, 1983. the defending AFC champions are preparing for the playoff game with the New York Jets in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
Quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals Ken Anderson (14) poses with coach Forrest Gregg in San Francisco, Jan. 19, 1982 as the Bengals get ready to meet the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Jan. 24th. (AP Photo/Lacy Atkins)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson (left) talks with head coach Forrest Gregg (right) during practice at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati on Jan. 5, 1983. The defending AFC champions are getting ready for this Sunday's playoff game with the New York Jets in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg, left, is embraced by Buffalo Bills head coach Chuck Knox as they meet on the field after the Bengals beat the Bills in an AFC Playoff game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 1982, Cincinnati, Oh. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals coach Forrest Gregg ponders strategy on the sidelines during a regular season game in 1983. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg stands in the middle of the field at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and watches as his team runs laps during a practice session, Jan. 6, 1982. The Bengals are preparing for the AFC title game against the San Diego Chargers in Cincinnati. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg is surrounded by sports writers as he holds a news conference in Cincinnati to recount his team's 27-7 win over the San Diego Chargers for the AFC title, Jan. 11, 1982. The Bengals will now meet the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg makes an "O" with his arms to direct the crew filming practice session to film the offense at work in Cincinnati, Nov. 19, 1982. The Bengals worked out at Riverfront Stadium in final preparation for a match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg shouts out instructions to his team during the Bengals 27-21 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the first regular season game of the year in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sept. 6, 1981. (AP Photo/Jeff Hinckley)
Members of the Cincinnati Bengals offense run around head coach Forrest Gregg during their warm-up at Riverfront Stadium, Jan. 7, 1983, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg has a look of concern as he talks with his players during a practice session at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Jan. 2, 1982. The Bengals are preparing for a playoff game against the Buffalo Bills in Cincinnati. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg waves to the crowd of several thousand fans on Cincinnati's Fountain Square in Cincinnati in afternoon on Monday, Jan. 25, 1982 as the team returned home from the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
Cincinnati Bengals coach Forrest Gregg cheers on his team during Super Bowl XVI, against the San Francisco 49ers on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
Cincinnati Bengals coach Forrest Gregg ponders his teams fortunes during second half action of the Super Bowl XVI against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Jan. 24, 1982 in Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Fame head coach Forrest Gregg speaks at a press conference before an NFL Super Bowl XVI game against the San Francisco 49ers in Pontiac , Mich., on January 22, 1982. The 49ers defeated the Bengals 26-21. (AP Photo/Al Messerschmidt)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, Ken Anderson, and Coach Forrest Gregg wait for television interview to start on photo day in Pontiac, Mich. Gregg and the Bengals will meet the San Francisco Forty-Niners in Super Bowl XVI, Sunday, Jan. 19, 1982. (AP Photo)
Cincinnati Bengals coach Forrest Gregg is carried off the field by jubilant players and fans after the Bengals defeated the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship playoff game in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 10, 1982. The win gives the Bengals their first Super Bowl position. (AP Photo)
Hall of Fame coach Forrest Gregg signs autographs at the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan Fest Saturday, May 3, 2014, at the International Exposition Center in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Members of the Cincinnati Bengals offense run around head coach Forrest Gregg during their warm-up at Riverfront Stadium, Jan. 7, 1983, in Cincinnati. The defending AFC champions are getting ready for this Sunday's NFL playoff game with the New York Jets in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame tackle Forrest Gregg (75) watches from the sideline during the 1968 NFL Pro Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 21, 1968. The West defeated the East 38-20. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg makes an "O" with his arms to direct the crew filming practice session to film the offense at work in Cincinnati, Nov. 19, 1982. The Bengals worked out at Riverfront Stadium in final preparation for a match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg shouting out instructions to his team during the Bengals 27-21 Victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the first regular season game of the year in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sept. 6, 1981. (AP Photo/Jeff Hinckley)
Forrest Gregg, Cincinnati Bengals coach, smiles for newsmen during interviews at the team's hotel in Troy, Mich., Jan. 19, 1982. The Bengals will face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
Cleveland Brown coach Forrest Gregg made it official that he would no longer be at the helm of the NFL club, Dec. 15, 1977, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns, who have a 6-7 record, play their last game in Seattle on Sunday, and Dick Modzelewski is expected to take over for that game. (AP Photo/G. Paul Burnett)
In this Nov. 14, 2011 photo, Hall of Fame football player Forrest Gregg talks about his battle with Parkinson's disease during an interview in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg watches intently as backup quarterback Turk Schonert takes snaps from center during a practice session at the team's Spinney Field training facility in Cincinnati, Nov. 18, 1982. The Bengals began preparation for this Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Fame head coach Forrest Gregg speaks at a press conference before an NFL Super Bowl XVI game against the San Francisco 49ers in Pontiac , Mich., on January 22, 1982. The 49ers defeated the Bengals 26-21. (AP Photo/Al Messerschmidt)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson calls a play in the huddle, while head coach Forrest Gregg listens in during the team's practice session at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday afternoon, Jan. 1, 1982. The Bengals are preparing for an AFC playoff game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. (AP Photo)
