Former Bengals president, part owner John Sawyer dies at 90

CINCINNATI - Former Cincinnati Bengals president and part owner John Sawyer has died. He was 90.

The Bengals said that Sawyer died Thursday morning at a retirement home in Cincinnati after battling health problems for the past four years.

He was team president from 1968-93 and had served as a vice president since 1994. He is considered to be one of the founders of the Bengals and had long been a key adviser to the Brown family, including Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown and his son Mike, now the team president.

Sawyer, a former World War II pilot, rarely missed a Bengals home or away game. He was a former part owner of the Cincinnati Reds and helped initiate construction of Riverfront Stadium, which was home to both franchises for more than 30 years.