Honor barrier-breaker

This letter is not intended to distract from the well-deserved recognition of the four football players whose statues have been erected at the University of Kentucky.

I do believe that another person deserving of the same recognition is Jim Green of Eminence. Green was a stride ahead of the other black athletes that broke UK’s and the Southeastern Conference’s color barrier.

Green beat every sprinter that he competed against that won a medal in the 1968 Olympics. He beat John Carlos and even O.J. Simpson in sprint matchups. He was the first black athlete to graduate from UK. A hamstring injury kept him from an Olympic medal.

He and I were co-captains of the UK track and field team in 1970-71 under Coach Press Whelan. Jim didn’t have pads and a helmet to shield him during competitions across the Deep South. He stood tall, deflected the insults and collected the winning medals.

I would respectfully ask that Jim Green be added to the other four players who now stand tall at UK. They all deserve that special recognition.

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Honor barrier-breaker."