Louis Breeden is a former professional American Football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 player who played defensive back

Defensive back

In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...

 for the Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

 (1978-1987) in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

.

Career

Before his NFL career, Breeden played for North Carolina Central University

North Carolina Central University

North Carolina Central University is a public historically black university in the University of North Carolina system, located in Durham, North Carolina, offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, professional and doctoral levels....

. After graduating college, he was selected by the Bengals in the seventh round of the 1977 NFL draft

NFL Draft

The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...

. He ended up missing the entire 1977 season on injured reserve

Injured reserve

The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...

, but in 1978, he became a starter and immediately made a big impact for Cincinnati, intercepting 3 passes and recovering 2 fumbles. Breeden once again had injury problems during the 1979 season, playing just 10 games and recording no interceptions, but he came back full time in 1980, and ended up leading the Bengals with a career high 7 picks.

In 1981, Breeden set a Bengals record in a game against the San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 by intercepting a pass from Chargers future hall of fame quarterback Dan Fouts

Dan Fouts

Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...

 and returning it 102 yards for a touchdown, helping his team win the game 40-17. To this day it is the longest play in franchise history, although it has been tied by Eric Bieniemy's 102 yard kickoff return in 1997 against the New York Giants

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

, and Artrell Hawkins

Artrell Hawkins

Artrell Hawkins, Jr. is a former American football defensive back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...

' 102 yard interception return in 2002 against the Houston Texans

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. Breeden finished the season with 4 interceptions, 145 return yards, 1 touchdown, and a fumble recovery, assisting the Bengals to a 12-4 regular season record. Cincinnati advanced through the postseason to the AFC championship game, where they once again faced Fouts' Chargers, this time in one of the coldest games in NFL history(it later became known as the Freezer Bowl

Freezer Bowl

In NFL lore, the Freezer Bowl was the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was played in the coldest temperature in NFL history in terms of wind chill...

). Just like in the previous game, Breeden had a key interception that helped his team win the game. After the Bengals built a 10-0 lead, the Chargers cut their deficit to 10-7 with Fouts' 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Winslow

Kellen Winslow

Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...

. But on the Chargers next possession, Breeden intercepted a pass from Fouts, setting up another Bengals touchdown to give them a 17-7 lead. The Bengals ended up winning the game 27-7, and advanced to their first championship game in franchise history, Super Bowl XVI

Super Bowl XVI

Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...

.

Breeden spent his entire NFL career with the Bengals and retired after the 1987 season. In his 10th NFL season, Breeden recorded 33 interceptions for 558 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also recovering 2 fumbles. His interceptions and return yards are both the second most in Bengals history behind Ken Riley

Ken Riley

Kenneth Jerome Riley is a former professional American Football defensive back who played his entire career for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the American Football League in 1969 and in the NFL from 1970 through 1983...

.

Retired Life

Breeden was the owner of Louis Breeden Promotions, an advertising company in Cincinnati. He remains good friends with former teammates David Fulcher

David Fulcher

David Dwayne Fulcher is a former American Football safety who played for the Cincinnati Bengals , and the Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...

, Barney Bussey

Barney Bussey

Barney Bussey is a former American football safety. He attended high school at Lincoln County High School in Lincolnton, Georgia where he was a major reason behind Lincoln County's defensive success in the late '70s. Bussey was a terror on both sides of the ball, breaking long runs and chasing...

, Isaac Curtis

Isaac Curtis

Isaac Fisher Curtis is a former professional American football wide receiver who played his entire National Football League career with the Cincinnati Bengals .-College career:...

, and John Simmons.