Stat of the Jay: In Honor of Presidents’ Day, a Look at How Many Bengals Have Scored Touchdowns on Their Birthday

CINCINNATI – On Presidents’ Day, which was created in the 1880s to celebrate the birthday of George Washington, it only makes sense to have a birthday-related Stat of the Jay.

And after Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean became the first player in NFL history to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl on his birthday, that seems like a fitting way to tie things together.

Since the 1970 merger, there have been 170 touchdowns – regular season and postseason – scored by a player on his birthday.

Cooper DeJean is the first player in NFL history to score a TD in the Super Bowl on his birthday.

Only 7 others have done it in any postseason game, per @pfref pic.twitter.com/HB6jsW4e79
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) February 10, 2025

There were six birthday touchdowns in 2024, one shy of the league record of seven that was set in 1975 and matched in 2002.

In addition to DeJean, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, Indianapolis’ Tyler Goodson, Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III, San Francisco’s Deommodore Lenoir and Tennessee’s Chigoziem Okonkwo scored birthday touchdowns this season.

If you’re wondering how many Cincinnati Bengals have scored touchdowns on their birthday, the answer is “a lot.”

Ten Cincinnati players have done it. Only New Orleans has more with 13.

Here are the 10 Bengals:

Andrei Iosivas: Oct. 15, 2023, vs. Seattle (3-yard pass from Joe Burrow)

Andrew Whitworth: Dec. 12, 2010, at Pittsburgh (1-yard pass from Carson Palmer)

Cedric Benson: Dec. 28, 2008, vs. Kansas City (2-yard run)

Rudi Johnson: Oct. 1, 2006, vs New England (2-yard run)

Ki-Jana Carter: Sept. 12, 1999, at Tennessee (2-yard run)

Jeff Blake: Dec. 4, 1994, vs. Pittsburgh (5-yard run)

Eddie Brown: Dec. 17, 1989, vs. Houston (35-yard pass from Boomer Esiason)

Eddie Brown: Dec. 17, 1988, vs. Washington (69-yard pass from Boomer Esiason)

Boobie Clark: Nov. 8, 1976, vs St. Louis Cardinals (17-yard pass from Ken Anderson)

Essex Johnson: Oct. 15, 1972, at Kansas City (65-yard pass from Ken Anderson)

Iosivas is the youngest player to do it (24th birthday) and Whitworth the oldest (29th).

It was the first career touchdown for each player.

And Blake’s was the first non-passing touchdown of his career.

Brown is one of 14 players to have multiple birthday touchdowns in his career.

Another former Bengal holds the record for the most. Terrell Owens did it three times, twice with San Francisco and once with Dallas.

Owens is also the second oldest player to do it, with his birthday touchdown with the Cowboys in 2008 coming on his 35th birthday.

Another former Bengals player, Ryan Fitzpatrick, is the oldest to ever do it, scoring on an 8-yard scramble at Cleveland in 2019 on his 37th birthday.

DeJean’s Super Bowl pick six makes him tied for the youngest. He and nine others did it on their 22nd birthday.

None of them were Bengals, but there is a Cincinnati connection.

Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson scored a 50-yard scramble – the first non-passing touchdown of his career – in Cincinnati in 2017.

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