KAHF Class of 2013 Induction
 Join us  as we honor the newest members to be
inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame:
 

Bo McMillin ● Donna Bender Moir ● Dwayne Woodruff

Please return to this site for details to be presented soon.

Thursday, June 13, 2013
Grand Ballroom
Crowne Plaza Louisville Hotel

830 Phillips Lane
Louisville, Kentucky 40209
502-367-2251
 

Looking Back:

The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
Installs Its Class of 2011:
Rex Chapman, Bunny Daugherty, Artis Gilmore,
Ed Kallay, Jerry May, Phil Roof, and George Tinsley. 

The city was dubbed "Rex-ington" . . .

             . . . when Rex Chapman attained rock star status for the University of Kentucky in Lexington. While a lifelong Louisville Cardinals basketball fan, Chapman recalls that, when he visited the campus and facilities, U of L "felt like a commuter school," so "King Rex" ultimately chose blue over red, and UK landed the highly recruited prospect out of Owensboro Apollo High School. One of seven inductees into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2011 on June 8th, Chapman was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and played 12 seasons in the NBA.                                 -- Jim Reed Photo 
(Click here for more photos and our in-depth program
write-up by Mark Story of The Lexington Herald.)

   
(Many stories and photos to follow in the next few days.)

Kentuckians pride ourselves in our state’s diversity . . .

           . . . but one interest ties us all together, whether we’re from the hills and hollows of the Cumberland Plateau, the rolling meadows of the Bluegrass, or the flood plains and wetlands of Kentucky’s western tip: It’s our enduring love of one very special sport. We dabble in all manner of organized contest, of course, but the abiding fidelity that both unites and divides Kentuckians of all ages is basketball. In the Bluegrass State, we quickly develop lifelong loyalties to our high school and college teams, and we have a rich and fabled heritage to support our teams, our dreams and our aspirations.

It begins early as barefoot farm kids and city street urchins alike engage in pickup games on outdoor courts or face the goal alone and dream of hitting the winning shot as the game clock ticks down. While the best of the crop hit the courts in organized contests, coached to hit the open man on the give-and-go, the majority of us become ardent and vocal spectators, fans for life. By early adulthood, fierce team allegiances have been formed that have no equal in politics or other partisan pursuits. Our love of the sport transcends those lines that otherwise divide us and brings the faithful together from all walks of life to cheer and fret as we pit this year’s home team against all comers. Basketball is an institution in Kentucky.

It’s no wonder then that most of our Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2011 inductees made their mark in the world of hoops. Basketball is in our blood, and we root for the home team.

The Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
presents the Class of 2011:

Rex Chapman was one of the most electrifying basketball players in the history of the Commonwealth. He played two years at the University of Kentucky and had a 12 year NBA career. In 1998, Chapman became the first draft choice ever by the expansion Charlotte Hornets. During his pro career, Rex averaged 14.6 points and 2.7 assists.
(Click here for more photos & our in-depth write-up by Mark Story of The Lexington Herald.)

Bunny Daugherty was more than just a coach. She was a team player in trying to better things for young girls across Kentucky. Every girl who has played sports in Kentucky owes a small debt of gratitude to Daugherty, say two of her former players at Sacred Heart. In her 49 years in athletics, she coached 200-plus seasons, including 40 of basketball, 37 of field hockey and volleyball, 25 of track, golf and tennis, as well as 10 each of gymnastics and swimming. The coach won 13 state titles in basketball, golf, tennis and field hockey.
(Click here for other photos and our in-depth program write-up by Jennifer Smith)

Artis Gilmore shocked the basketball establishment by shunning the NBA to sign with the Kentucky Colonels of the renegade ABA in 1971. By the time he left the Commonwealth, Gilmore had teamed with Dan Issel and sharp-shooting guard Louie Dampier to lead the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA Championship. Gilmore went into the NBA, first with the Bulls, then the Spurs and briefly the Celtics, and averaged a double-double (points and rebounds) in eight of his first nine years in the league.
(Click here for more photos and our in-depth program write-up by Mark Story)

In three decades as a beloved Louisville TV and radio personality, Ed Kallay was truly a jack-of-all-trades. He became the first television sports broadcaster in the state of Kentucky when he signed on with WAVE in 1948. During his career he did play-by-play for Louisville Colonels baseball, University of Louisville football and basketball, Kentucky Colonels ABA basketball, Louisville Blades ice hockey and the annual Male-Manual football game on Thanksgiving Day.
(Click here for photos and our in-depth program write-up by Connie Leonard)

Jerry May suffered a hip injury during a pickup basketball game and was so fascinated by the treatment he decided that preventing injuries was something he would like to do. When he graduated from Valley High School in1970, athletic trainers were not commonly a part of sports teams. Sports medicine, as it is called today, wasn’t really part of the curriculum back then, so May  earned a Master’s degree in physical education. May was also among a group of professionals who pushed for a doctor to be on site at all high school football games.
 (Click here for more photos and our in-depth program write-up by Paul Rogers)

From Phil Roof’s days playing at tiny Paducah St. John High School in the 1950s to 15 years as a major-league catcher to more than 30 years as a coach and manager at various levels, Roof has been a student and teacher of the national pastime. When his playing career ended in 1977, the doors opened to become a Major League coach and minor-league manager, working eight seasons as a coach with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago Cubs. Fifteen seasons as a minor-league manager in the Twins’ system—compiling a 1,040-971 record, earning Pacific Coast League’s "Manager of the Year" in 2000, and guiding Minnesota’s Triple-A teams to post-season play in four out of nine years.
   (Click here for more photos and our in-depth program write-up.)

At Kentucky Wesleyan, George Tinsley helped the Panthers reach the championship game of the NCAA’s Division II tournament all four years, winning the title in 1966, ’68 and ’69, and finishing as the runner-up in ’67. He was named an All-American in 1968 and ’69. He was named to the NCAA Division II’s 50th anniversary team, along with such players as Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Jerry Sloan. He also was picked as an alternate on the ’68 U.S. Olympic team. Tinsley was drafted by the Oakland Oaks of the ABA in 1969 and played four seasons with the Oaks, Washington Capitals, Miami Floridians, Kentucky Colonels and the New York Nets.
(Click here for more photos and an in-depth write-up by Bob White, The Courier-Journal.)

2011 Induction Banquet
A great crowd was on hand to cheer as we honored the Class of 2011,
the newest members of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame

Please come back often for articles and photos  from the evening of Wednesday, June 8, 2011 in the
Crowne Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Louisville Hotel, 830 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209
1-502-367-2251

About Kosair Charities
 Since 1923 Kosair Charities has had one primary mission: helping children in need. Kosair Charities knows that the quality of a child’s tomorrow depends largely on the quality of the health, medical treatment, and support a child receives today. That’s why over the years Kosair Charities has given more than $180 million to serve thousands of children and provide them a second chance at life. Kosair Charities is also the largest beneficiary to Kosair Children's Hospital.

Looking back at the

KAHF Class of 2010

Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame

Inducts Class of 2010

Racing great and two-time winner of NASCAR's Daytona 500 Michael Waltrip takes time from the crowd pressing for autographs to share the moment with his daughter Macy during induction ceremonies for the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2010 on Wednesday, April 28, 2010.    -- KAHF Photo by Jim Reed

University of Kentucky basketball All-American Mike Pratt, former University of Louisville quarterback Jeff Brohm and NASCAR owner/driver Michael Waltrip were among eight individuals  inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010, April 28.

The Class of 2010 also included SEC football pioneer Wilbur Hackett, longtime Campbellsville women’s basketball coach Donna Wise, Western Kentucky All-America basketball player Lillie Mason, former UK offensive lineman Dan Neal, and golf trick-shot artist Buddy Demling.

Honored before a record crowd at the annual Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame induction banquet on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Louisville are these inductees:  

Jeff Brohm
Brohm ranks among the University of Louisville’s all-time leaders for passing yards, touchdown passes, completions, total offense and completion percentage, leading the Cardinals to victory in the 1993 Liberty Bowl. At Trinity High School, he was named “Mr. Football” for the state of Kentucky in 1988 after leading the Shamrocks to a state championship. He was also named the Kentucky High School Player of the decade for the 1980s. Brohm spent time with six different NFL teams, as well as the Orlando Rage of the XFL.

 Cornelius “Buddy” Demling
Demling is perhaps best known for his popular trick-shot exhibition, which he has performed more than700 times since 1964 at locations across the world. An accomplished player, Demling’s achievements include the 1957 and 1958 Kentucky PGA Assistants Championship; the 1987, 1988, and 1989 Kentucky Senior Open Championship and the 1989 and 2000 Kentucky PGA Senior Championship. He was Kentucky PGA Senior Player of the Year seven times.

 Wilbur Hackett
Hackett served as a pioneer of integration in SEC football, becoming the first African-American team captain in SEC history in 1969. He began his career playing with the freshman team, and later served as a three-year varsity starter, earning sophomore All-SEC honors in 1968. Hackett was also named The University of Kentucky’s co-Most Valuable Player as a senior and later served as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons. Hackett just completed his 12th season as an SEC football game official.

 Lillie Mason (Stockton)
A former Kentucky “Miss Basketball” from Olmstead High School, Mason is the all-time basketball scoring leader for Western Kentucky University, amassing 2,262 points in her four-year career. She is a three-time All-American, who set 19 WKU women’s basketball career, season and game records. Mason is the Lady Topper’s only Kodak All-American (1986), was twice named All-Sun Belt Conference, was the league’s 1986 Player of the Year and was named to three All-SBC tournament squads. She also was the NCAA 1985 Mideast and 1986 East Regional tournament MVP and helped lead the Lady Toppers to their first two NCAA tournament Final Four appearances, in 1985 and 1986.

 Dan Neal
Neal is a former University of Kentucky offensive lineman who was team captain in both his junior and senior seasons. He spent 11 years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore Colts: 11 years as a player, 15 years as a coach, for an overall 26 total years in the NFL. The Corbin, Kentucky, native was an 11th-round draft pick by the Colts and spent perhaps his best years playing for the Bears, from 1975-1983, when he spent time blocking for the great running back Walter Payton.

 Mike Pratt
Pratt helped lead the University of Kentucky to three SEC championships and two Elite Eight NCAA tournament appearances; Kentucky finished the regular season ranked No. 1 his senior season. He was co-MVP of the 1970 team with Dan Issel. He was a second-team All-American in 1970, and was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches (1969, 1970). Pratt also was named an Academic All-American in 1970. Pratt went on to play for the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association and later coached on the college and NBA levels. Since 2002, Pratt has served as radio color analyst for UK men’s basketball games.

Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip, an Owensboro native, has won two Daytona 500s and four career races in the series now known as Sprint Cup. More than a decade ago, Waltrip established a family-owned NASCAR Nationwide Series team in Sherrills Ford, N.C., called Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). In 2007 when TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) entered competition in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, Waltrip developed a partnership with Toyota to field three full-time Toyota Camrys at the pinnacle of the sport while maintaining the integrity of his championship caliber Nationwide team. In the midst of building three NASCAR Sprint Cup teams from the ground floor, Waltrip commenced construction of a 140,000 sq. ft shop in which his two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams with drivers Martin Truex Jr. and David Reutimann and Nationwide Series team with driver Trevor Bayne are housed today along with JTG-Daugherty’s No. 47 Toyota Camry driven by Marcos Ambrose.

Donna Wise
Longtime women’s basketball coach at Campbellsville University, Wise retired after her 32nd season at the school. Wise coached more than 650 wins for the Lady Tigers, nearly 71 percent of her games and is in the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame. She has coached 23 NAIA All-Americans and was herself named NAIA Coach of the Year three times and conference Coach of the Year seven times. Her teams played in 16 national tournaments, winning 17 regular season conference titles.

Read the announcement of the

Kentucky Farm Bureau
2010 High School Athletes of the Year

Click here.

2010 Induction Banquet Held!
A record crowd of 630 was on hand to honor the  Class of 2010 of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Louisville.

Read the write-up in the Lexington Herald-Leader on Kentucky.com here:

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/04/29/1243811/new-ky-hall-of-famers-didnt-see.html
 

Looking Back: KAHF Class of 2009
 

 Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame

Inducts Class of 2009

Louisville, Ky. (April 30, 2009) — With beaming smiles and, at times, misty eyes, one by one, inductees of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2009 or their representatives spoke to the banquet crowd of some 450 people Wednesday evening, April 29, at Louisville’s Crowne Plaza hotel.  The careers of eight Kentucky athletic standouts were celebrated along with recognition of the bright promise of the two Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the Year. Proceeds from the event benefit Kosair Charities.

Following lavish, big screen, video introductions, honorees came to the Grand Ballroom lectern to accept the recognition of enduring legacies and to share reminiscences of days gone by. Amid personal glimpses and nostalgic recollections, each celebrant was quick to acknowledge the collective effort of team mates, colleagues, friends and family that made their individual success possible.

Joining 225 Kentucky sports-related inductees from previous years — ball players, boxers, jockeys, coaches, trainers, sports writers, broadcast announcers and other sports figures — whose achievements are denoted in brass plaques affixed in the corridors of Louisville’s Freedom Hall arena, the Class of 2009 has eight inductees: Shelby County star and University of Kentucky basketball standout, the late Mike Casey; Kentucky State scoring sensation (compiling 4,045 points) Travis “The Machine” Grant;   founder of Louisville Golf Co. and owner of Persimmon Ridge Golf Course, the late Elmore Just; University of Kentucky basketball star Patti Jo Hedges-Ward; legendary Clay County High School coach Bobby Keith; champion swimmer and Louisville St. Xavier High School coach Marty O’Toole; influential sports figure and minor league baseball power broker, Dan Ulmer; and award winning turf writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader, Maryjean Wall.

In addition, two Louisville students, Iroquois High School’s Adia Mathies and Trinity High School’s Jordan Whiting were honored as the 2009 Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the Year during the festivities. A varsity starter for the Lady Raiders as a sixth grader, and recently named Kentucky’s Miss Basketball, Mathies is a UK signee. Named to three first-team All-America teams as a senior, Whiting is not only a football linebacker, but also helped Trinity win state titles in wrestling, power lifting, and track and field. For more on the students, click on HS Spotlight. 

—  Jim Reed      .

Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2009

(Seated, L-R) Lawren Just (accepting for Elmore Just), Travis Grant, Patti Jo Hedges-Ward, Dan Ulmer, Maryjean Wall,  (Standing, L-R) Emcee Dick Gabriel, Jordan Whiting, Marty O'Toole, Laura Casey Lake (accepting for Mike Casey), Bobby Keith, Adia Mathies, KAHF president Jim Ellis.

Click here to see
  2009 photos
from this year's
induction banquet!

Note: Many more 2009 inductee
and crowd photos in the days to come.

For more on the 2009 KAHF event,
check this article in the Lexington Herald-Leader here.

 2009 KAHF Inductees 

Mike Casey led Shelby County to the 1966 boys’ state basketball tournament title and was named the 1966 Mr. Basketball. He was the leading scorer at the University of Kentucky as a sophomore from 1967 to 1968, averaging 20 points per game. He missed the1969-1970 season after breaking a leg in a car accident, but returned in 1970 and finished UK with 1,535 points, making him the 13th all-time scorer in UK history.  News Update: Vanderbilt University Medical Center confirmed that Mike Casey died April 9, 2009.  Casey had been hospitalized in Nashville since January, awaiting a heart transplant. The high school legend and UK star was 60.
More information from the Lexington Herald-Leader.
 

Travis Grant set a career college scoring record (more than 4,000 points) playing basketball at Kentucky State University. He also spent more than one season with the Los Angeles Lakers and more than two seasons in the American Basketball Association, where he averaged 25.2 points per game for San Diego from 1974 to 1975.

A graduate of Louisville’s Western High School, Patti Jo Hedges-Ward was a starting point guard for the University of Kentucky’s only Southeastern Conference (SEC) women’s basketball championship team. She was an All-SEC performer, a gold medalist and a member of the 1983 Pan Am team.

 Elmore Just was a golfer at Flaget High School and Bellarmine University where he captained the college’s undefeated team that went to the National College Athletic Association tournament. He championed at three golf clubs, founded Persimmon Ridge Golf Course and founded the Louisville Golf Club Company.

Bobby Keith is a former Clay County High School basketball coach who led the team to a state championship in 1987 and runners-up positions in 1985 and 1988. His teams have won 14 regional championships and no other coach has taken more teams to the Sweet 16. Under Keith’s leadership, the team has claimed 767 victories and only 125 losses.

A 1957 graduate of St. Xavier High School, Marty O’Toole was a four-time All-American and the first swimmer to win four state championships in the same event – the 100-yard breaststroke – making Kentucky high school sports history. After attending Catholic University and the University of Notre Dame, O’Toole returned to St. Xavier. He coached the Tigers for two years in the early 1970s, then returned as head coach in 1989, directing St. Xavier to state titles the past 20 seasons. He has coached 23 swimmers to 49 individual state championships, along with 37 relay state titles. They’ve set 16 state records and two national records with 59 members earning All-American status.

As Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Minor League Baseball, Dan Ulmer successfully led the drive to bring minor league baseball back to Louisville and organized a slate of buyers to purchase the Redbirds from A. Ray Smith who wanted to move the franchise. He is chairman of the new arena construction committee and once ranked 3rd among the top ten minor league baseball power brokers.

Maryjean Wall is a pioneer among female sports journalists in the history of the Commonwealth. When she began covering horse racing for the Lexington Herald-Leader, she was one of the only women in America covering the beat. The three-time Eclipse Award-winner also won the John Hervey Award – a similar honor for writing about harness racing – three times.

 Ticket information

Banquet tickets are $75 ($600 per table of eight) and available for purchase by calling Mrs. Jo Barrett at (502) 637-7696. Tickets must be purchased by April 17.

 About Kosair Charities

 Since 1923 Kosair Charities has had one primary mission: helping children in need. Kosair Charities knows that the quality of a child’s tomorrow depends largely on the quality of the health, medical treatment, and support a child receives today. That’s why over the years Kosair Charities has given more than $180 million to serve thousands of children and provide them a second chance at life. Kosair Charities is also the largest beneficiary to Kosair Children's Hospital.

# # #

KENTUCKY FARM BUREAU

9201 Bunsen Parkway * P.O. Box 20700 * Louisville, KY 40250-0700

Phone 502.495.5000 * Fax 502.495.5114 * www.kyfb.com

 For Immediate Release                   

CONTACT:    Angela Blank (502) 495-5191 or  (502) 303-7160      Angela. Blank@kyfb.com
                    Rachael Kamuf   (502) 495-5197  or (502) 744-3702     rkamuf@kyfb.com

Students Named KFB High School Athletes of the Year

Louisville, KY. (March 11, 2009) – Iroquois High School’s Adia Mathies and Trinity High School’s Jordan Whiting have been named the 2009 Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athletes of the Year. They will be honored at the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Banquet on April 29.

 “We congratulate these athletes on all of their outstanding accomplishments both on and off the field,” said Steve McCormick, director of administrative services at Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Cos., sponsor of the awards. “Mathies and Whiting both have bright futures ahead of them in college and wherever their sports and education may take them.”

 The Kentucky Farm Bureau Female High School Athlete of the Year, Mathies, has been one of the top girls’ basketball players in the state for a number of years, playing at the varsity level since she was in sixth grade and has signed to play for the University of Kentucky. The Louisville senior has tallied almost 3,000 career points going into Iroquois’ appearance in the 2009 KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament. Mathies, a Full Court Press High School All-American, was ranked by ESPN as the 13^th best shooting guard in the country and 65^th overall player.

 The Kentucky Farm Bureau Male High School Athlete of the Year, Whiting, was a linebacker on the Trinity football team. The Louisville senior became the first person in school history to be part of four state championship teams and has signed to play for Ohio State University. Whiting was named first-team All-State as a junior and senior, named to three first-team All-American teams as a senior, was a finalist for Mr. Football, and was a nominee to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

 He was a finalist in the National Alliance of African American Athletes’ Watkins Award, which promotes academic excellence among African American athletes. Whiting also helped Trinity win state titles in wrestling, power lifting, and track and field while holding a 3.8 grade-point average. Jordan helped Trinity win another state title in Power Lifting for class 6A. Jordan bench pressed 390 lbs. in the 250 lb. weight class and is to go to Oklahoma City to compete in the National High School Power Lifting Championship.

 Mathies and Whiting will be honored at a ceremony on April 29, along with the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. The 2009 inductees are:

 Mike Casey, Kentucky’s 1966 Mr. Basketball who went on to star at the University of Kentucky; Kentucky State University standout and former NBA pro Travis Grant; Patty Jo Hedges-Ward, who played on the only UK women’s basketball team to win the SEC championship in the early 1980s; the late Elmore Just, founder of Persimmon Ridge Golf Course and Louisville Golf Club Co.; former Clay County High School basketball coach Bobby Keith; Marty O’Toole, St. Xavier High School’s swimming coach and four-time All-American swimmer; Dan Ulmer, a Louisville Bats owner and chairman of the board of Minor League Baseball; and retired Herald-Leader racing writer Mary Jean Wall.

 The public is invited to the Hall of Fame ceremonies at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville. Tickets cost $75 per seat or $600 for a table and must be purchased by April 17. The night will start at 6 o’clock with a silent auction and the ceremony will begin at 7:30. For more information on tickets, call Jo Barrett at (502) 637-7696. 

 # # #
 

KAHF Class of 2008

Jamal Mashburn Jr. looks way up to daddy as the former UK Wildcat basketball great addresses the crowd during his induction into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

The ceremonies were held at the Galt House Hotel & Suites in downtown Louisville, Wednesday evening, April 30. Staying close to dad all evening, the youngster left mama, grandma and sister, Taylor, at a nearby table and tagged along as "Mash" accepted membership in the KAHF Class of 2008.

The taller Mashburn revealed to the assembled crowd at the banquet that he'd had a special highlight reel made just for his son's benefit. All-SEC and an All-American while at UK, the sixth all-time leading scorer in UK History was a first-round NBA draft choice. During 11 seasons in the NBA, Mashburn had a career scoring average of 19 ppg.

A quick peek at the honorees of the Class of 2008 induction into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, held April 30. Seated L-R: Bob White, Joe Kendall's daughter, who accepted his posthumous award, Jaime Walz-Richey, Dale Lindsey and Jamal Mashburn. Standing, L-R: host Dick Gabriel, Emily Carbone, Joe Federspiel, Orlando "Tubby" Smith, William S. Farish, E.J. Fields, and host Jim Ellis.

Jamal Mashburn, Tubby Smith
Among Inductees to the
Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame

Derby Week ceremony benefits Kosair Charities

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 5, 2008) – Former University of Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith and player Jamal Mashburn are among the athletes, coaches and sports journalists included in the 2008 induction class of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

The KAHF today announced the 2008 Hall of Famers and plans for the induction ceremony which will take place Wednesday, April 30, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville.

Other inductees will include thoroughbred owner and breeder Will Farish, University of Kentucky football and NFL player Joe Federspiel, Kentucky State University football player Joe Kendall, Western Kentucky University football and NFL player Dale Lindsey, WKU women’s basketball player Jaime Walz-Richey, and Courier-Journal sports writer Bob White.

During the induction ceremony, additional awards will be presented to the Kentucky Farm Bureau High School Athlete of the Year for the top boy and girl prep athlete of 2007. The High School Athletes of the Year will be announced shortly.

“The Hall looks for accomplished sports figures whose achievements have brought positive recognition to Kentucky,” said Jim Ellis, president of KAHF. “This year’s class represents outstanding athletic accomplishments both in the Commonwealth and for the Commonwealth.”

KAHF’s Selection and Induction Committee, which includes sports writers, announcers and commentators, determined the inductees from among nominations submitted by the public.

Inductees will be honored at the Derby week induction ceremony, and their accomplishments will be highlighted in individual bronze plaques to be hung alongside those of previous KAHF inductees inside Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Prior inductees include Muhammad Ali, Denny Crum, Pat Day, Paul Hornung, Dan Issel, Mary T. Meagher, Tori Murden-McClure, Pee Wee Reese, Adolph Rupp, Phil Simms, Johnny Unitas, Secretariat and others.

All proceeds benefit Kosair Charities, which is the largest private financial supporter of Kosair Children’s Hospital, and has contributed nearly $110 million to support the medical care of thousands of children from across Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

“Many of our Kosair kids find pleasure and derive a sense of shared accomplishment through the lives of sports figures,” said Randy Coe, executive director of Kosair Charities. “When people who have excelled in athletics are admitted to the Hall of Fame, children of all ages share the excitement.”

Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance is sponsor of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.

A closer Look at our
Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
Class of 2008

William S. Farish
Owner of Lane’s End Farm.  United States Ambassador to Great Britain; Eclipse Award winner; owned or bred multiple graded stakes winners; has raced more than 140 stakes winners and bred more than 250 stakes winners, including the 2003 Horse of the Year  Mineshaft, the 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, 1999 Horse of the Year Charismatic and Champion Lemon Drop Kid; first breeder since A. J. Alexander in 1880 to breed or co-breed two horses (Charismatic and Lemon Drop Kid) who combined to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont in the same year; 1992 and 1999 Eclipse Award winner as the year's leading breeder.

 Joe Federspiel
All SEC and second team All-American linebacker at UK, where he played from 1969-1971.  DeSales graduate (All-State) who lives in Lexington.  Played 10 or more years in the NFL and is in the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.  Also was a referee in the SEC.  Federspiel had the bad luck to be the best player on some very bad teams which went 7-25 during his tenure.  He was named to UK’s All-Century team in a 1990 vote by state newspapers.

Joe Kendall
From Owensboro, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this summer.  He was an All-American offensive back at Kentucky State in the 1930’s – could play all three positions (QB, HB, FB) and was the star of K-State’s undefeated mythical black national championship team.  Coached high school football in Harlan and Owensboro, and ran summer recreational programs in Owensboro inspiring the city to name a park for him.

 Dale Lindsey
Western Kentucky University; All-American, two-time All-OVC selection and 1993 inductee into the school’s Hall of Fame; played nine seasons for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns; went on to coach for six NFL teams, including the San Diego Chargers, whom he helped lead to the 1995 Super Bowl.

Jamal Mashburn
UK basketball All-SEC; All-American-led team to 1993 Final Four; 6th all-time leading scorer in UK history; helped restore UK basketball following probation; NBA career-(1st round draft pick); 11 seasons in NBA; career scoring average of 19 ppg; one of only six players since 1970 to have averaged at least 20 points per game in his final NBA season.

 Tubby Smith
Head basketball coach at UK from 1997-2007, coached Wildcats to 1998 NCAA championship. His teams won five SEC regular season championships and five SEC tournament titles.  His 2002-03 team won 26 straight games and was undefeated in SEC play, both regular season and tournament. Smith that year swept all 10 major Coach of the Year awards.

 
Jaime Walz-Richey
Highlands HS, WKU-state’s all-time leading scorer for boys and girls (4,948 points); Miss Basketball, national Gatorade high school Player of Year, 1996; ranked number one HS recruit in USA as senior; eight different organizations named her Kentucky Player of Year including the Associated Press and Courier-Journal;  AP Kentucky Female Athlete of Year in 1996; Sports Illustrated Athlete of Month in February in 1996; Four years at Western, All-Sun Belt in 2000, played in three NCAA tournaments.

 Bob White
Honorary Inductee - Known as “Mr. Kentucky High School Sports”, he has worked full-time for The Courier-Journal for 41 years, including the final 38 as the lead high school sports reporter.  A graduate of the University of Kentucky, White spent four months at the Cynthiana (Ky.) Democrat and a couple of years at the Cleveland (Tenn.) Banner before making his way to The C-J.  He is a member of the KHSAA Dawahare's Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, along with the Metro Area Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1991, White was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by National High School Coaches Association.

Our KAHF Induction
Class of 2007
was on May 2, 2007

Cardinal Clansmen: Lloyd “Pappy” Redman (left) was a U of L center and linebacker in the mid ’40s. His son Bob lettered in football at the university in the late ’60s. They both were on hand to pay tribute to third generation Cardinal, Chris, who starred as U of L quarterback in the late ’90s. Chris Redman, an NFL veteran, has signed with the Atlanta Falcons. The family reunion was to celebrate the Class of 2007 being inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame on May 2.

Click here to view two dozen more of our 2007 banquet photos!

Secretariat's owner and avid Cats fan Penny Chenery was presented a UK basketball jersey by Kosair Charities executive director Randy Coe  while UK greats Tubby Smith and Dan Issel offered congratulations. Almost 500 people were in attendance for our 2007 KAHF induction ceremony.

 (Photo courtesy of MGM Photography)

To view Bob Gardner's photos from both our 2007 and 2006 events, click here: MGM Photography