LEXINGTON, Ky. (WHAS11) – Officials with the University of Kentucky say former Wildcat and member of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame Jerry Bird has died.
According to UK Athletics, 83-year-old Bird died in his hometown of Corbin, Kentucky Sunday from natural causes.
Bird played at UK from 1954 to 1956 and helped the Cats to two SEC titles in 1954 and 1955 and was a member of the undefeated 1954 team that was crowned national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.
On March 17, 1956 versus Iowa, Bird grabbed an NCAA Tournament school record of 24 rebounds, a post-season mark that still stands today.
Bird was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 as part of the Hall of Fame’s Charter Class.
