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          NFL Nation

          Bengals' only No. 9 pick flashed potential until Hines Ward's jaw-breaking hit

          Linebacker Keith Rivers, selected No. 9 overall by the Bengals in 2008, spent four years in Cincinnati before he was traded to the Giants. Tom Hauck/Getty Images
          • Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff WriterJan 13, 2017, 02:30 PM ET
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              Katherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013. You can follow Katherine on Twitter: @Kat_Terrell
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          CINCINNATI -- Provided they don't trade the pick, the Cincinnati Bengals will select a player at No. 9 overall in the 2017 draft for only the second time in franchise history.

          The Bengals selected former USC linebacker Keith Rivers in the 2008 draft. He spent four years in Cincinnati before he was traded to the Giants.

          Rivers started 33-of-35 games for the Bengals, but he's probably best known for an 2008 incident that resulted in a rule change.

          Rivers was starting in his seventh game of his rookie season when he broke his jaw after Steelers receiver Hides Ward delivered a physical, and legal, blindside block. Ward, leading with the crown of his helmet, knocked Rivers off his feet during the play.

          The NFL's Competition Committee voted in the offseason to make it illegal for players to deliver a blindside block if the blocker's helmet, shoulder or forearm makes contact with the head or neck area of the opponent. It now draws a 15-yard penalty. Ward's hit on Rivers was used in an informational video by officials highlighting the new rule changes for the 2009 season.

          Rivers' broken jaw was one of many incidents that highlights a violent and physical rivalry between the Steelers and Bengals in the past 10 years. Tyler Eifert, A.J. Green and Antonio Brown all suffered concussions during a Bengals-Steelers game, Bengals punter Kevin Huber broke his jaw, and Carson Palmer and Le'Veon Bell suffered knee injuries during the matchups.

          Rivers' promising rookie season, in which he had a pass breakup, a forced fumble and an interception, was cut short after the incident. Despite his shortened season, he was the only player other than Jarod Mayo to receive a vote for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

          He played two more seasons for the Bengals before missing all of the 2011 season with a wrist injury.

          The Bengals used the fifth-round pick they received from the Giants for the Rivers trade to select safety George Iloka in the 2012 draft. Iloka has been a full-time starter for four seasons.

          Rivers retired from the NFL in 2015 after one season with the Bills and an offseason stint with the Cowboys.