Cincinnati Bengals helmet worn by star linebacker Bill Bergey during the early 1970s. This is an extremely early and rare Cincinnati Bengals helmet dating to the birth of the franchise in 1969. The Bengals were a member of the American Football League (AFL) in 1969, which was the year prior to the AFL-NFL merger. Bergey was drafted by the Bengals in 1969 and played with the club through the 1973 season. The well-worn Riddell suspension-style orange helmet features the team name "Bengals" applied on each side. Bergey's uniform number ("66") appears on the back of the helmet in solid-black numerals. The size, "7 1/2," is stamped on one of the rear suspension straps. Bergey has inscribed the helmet, "Bill Bergey Bengals" in black Sharpie (grading 10/10) on the left side of the helmet, just above the team name, where he has also drawn a "smiley face." The helmet displays considerable wear, indicating more than one season of use, including many nicks, scratches, and abrasions. The original face mask is included, but it has detached from the mounting brackets (remnants of just the top two front brackets remain affixed to the helmet). Bergey, who was the only Bengals player to wear number "66" until 1978, was a starter for five seasons with the club and was named to the AFL All-Star team during his 1969 rookie season. He was later a two-time First-Team All Pro with the Philadelphia Eagles (1974 and 1975) and helped lead the club to the Super Bowl in 1980.