All-America quarterback Vito ?Babe? Parilli, All-America end Steve Meilinger, and NFL legend George Blanda are among the ?Bear?s Boys? group of Kentucky football alumni who are having a reunion Friday and Saturday, June 24-25, in Lexington.

The ?Bear?s Boys? are the Wildcats who played for Coach Paul ?Bear? Bryant from 1946-53. The ?Bear?s Boys? have had reunions since the 1980s, currently meeting every two years. The reunion is organized by Dick Rushing and the family of the late John Griggs, former chairman of the group.

In addition to Parilli, Meilinger, Blanda, and Rushing, ?Bear?s Boys? who plan to attend include Chuck Bell, Jim Bowie, Gene Clark, Ivan Curnutte, Bill Evans, Ed Hamilton, Jim Hardin, Dick Holway, Bob Holt, J. C. Kennard, Neil Lowry, Chet Lukawski, Ken Lutz, Dick Martin, Don Netoskie, Bill Pesci, Babe Ray, Harry Rogers, Lee Truman, Dick Mitchell, Al Bruno, Tommy Adkins, Bill Moseley, Jim Proffitt, Harry Jones, Larry Jones, Harry Ulinski, Lou Karibo, Bob Fry, George Sengel, and Ben Zaranka.

The ?Bear?s Boys? have plenty to celebrate at their reunions:

a 60-23-5 record during Bryant?s eight seasons;

UK?s first bowl game, a 24-14 win over Villanova in the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl;

a 9-3 record in 1949, including a trip to the 1950 Orange Bowl;

an 11-1 mark in 1950, featuring a 13-7 win over Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl, ending the Sooners? 31-game winning streak, UK?s first Southeastern Conference championship, and a claim on the national championship (USA Today/Sagarin computer ratings).

an 8-4 mark in the ?51 season, capped by a 20-7 win over Texas Christian in the Cotton Bowl.

Kentucky Football Calendar: June 24-25 – ?Bear?s Boys? Reunion in Lexington
July 27-29 – SEC Football Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. UK appearance on Fri. July 29 with Coach Rich Brooks, Muhammad Abdullah, and Tommy Cook
Fri. Aug. 5 – Players report