UK All-American Rodger Bird, an AFL champ with the Raiders, dies at 76
Rodger Bird, a former University of Kentucky football standout who won an AFL championship with the Oakland Raiders, died Saturday. He was 76.
Before an All-American career as a halfback, defensive back and punter at UK, Bird was a star for Corbin High School. He lettered at Kentucky from 1963-1965, and was selected to the All-Southeastern Conference First Team in his final two seasons with the Wildcats. He was named to the All-America First Team by Time Magazine and NBC in 1965. Bird finished his UK career with 21 touchdowns and 1,699 rushing yards, good for 14th all-time in program history.
Bird was the youngest of four brothers to play at Kentucky. Eldest brother Jerry played basketball from 1954-56, earned All-SEC honors and is a retired jersey honoree. Calvin played football from 1958-60, was a two-year All-SEC player, and is a retired jersey honoree. Billy was a football letterman in 1961.
“Rodger Bird is a true Wildcat great and a Kentucky football legend,” UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart said, according to a release by the school. “We are proud to call him a UK Athletics Hall of Famer and thankful for all he and the entire Bird family have given to this program. We send our condolences to all whose lives he touched.”
Bird, known as the “Corbin Comet,” is one of only six players in UK football history — along with Lynn Bowden, Sonny Collins, Artose Pinner, Benny Snell and Moe Williams — to rush for four touchdowns in a single game (he did it against Vanderbilt on Nov. 6, 1965). His kickoff-return average of 30.18 yards ranks second in a single season behind only brother Calvin, who died in 2013.
In 1966, Rodger Bird was a first-round selection by the Oakland Raiders in the AFL Draft, becoming the first UK defensive back ever selected with a first-round pick. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors following his first season. In 1967 he led the AFL in punt return yardage for a Raiders team that finished 13-1, won the AFL title and played against the Green Bay Packers in the second Super Bowl. Bird retired after the 1968 season, finishing his pro career with eight interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one defensive touchdown and 1,063 total punt return yards in 38 games played.
Bird in 1990 was selected to the Lexington Herald-Leader’s All-Time Kentucky team as a halfback and to the Louisville Courier Journal’s All-Time Kentucky team as a defensive back in celebration of the program’s 100th season.
Bird was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame (2005) and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (2017).
This story was originally published May 16, 2020 at 3:44 PM.
