Three Wildcats Headed into Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Former UK Athletics stars Derek Anderson (men’s basketball), Nate Northington (football) and Ralph Hacker (UK Sports Network) were among six individuals selected to the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
The Wildcats were announced members of the 2019 induction class at a press conference in Louisville.
Anderson, a member of the 1996 national championship team, an 11-year NBA veteran and NBA champion, Northington, the first black player to ever play a Southeastern Conference football game, and Hacker, the longtime radio color analyst and play-by-play man for UK basketball and football games, will be honored on Aug. 19 at the Galt House in Louisville.
Tickets are available by contacting Julie Howell at jhowell@louisvillesports.org or calling (502) 587-6742.
Joining the Wildcat trio in the 42nd KSHOF class are: Deion Branch, University of Louisville all-conference wide receiver, 13-year NFL career and Super Bowl MVP; William Exum, trailblazer as the long-time athletic director and multiple sports coach at Kentucky State University and USA Olympic Track & Field manager; and Willis Augustus Lee (Natlee), one of the most decorated U.S. Olympians ever who won seven medals in shooting events at the 1920 Olympics.
A selection committee comprised of 16 sports media from throughout the Commonwealth, along with a bygone era committee comprised of current members of the KSHOF, selected this year’s class. All votes by the selection committee were independently tabulated by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton, one of the largest accounting and advisory firms in Kentucky, with offices in Louisville and Lexington.
Derek Anderson – Living on his own at age 11, Anderson persevered to become an all-star basketball player at Doss High School and earned a college basketball scholarship that led to an NCAA championship, an NBA championship and successful business career. He started college at Ohio State, transferred to the University of Kentucky and was a member of the Wildcat’s 1996 national championship team. The 13th overall draft pick by Cleveland, Anderson played 11 years as a guard in the NBA for six different teams and was a member of the Miami Heat championship team in 2006. He retired in 2008 with a career per-game average of 12 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds. Anderson authored the book “Stamina” about his life story from homelessness to successful careers on the basketball court, in business and philanthropy.
Ralph Hacker – A sport broadcaster and pioneering media executive in Lexington, Ky., Hacker spent nearly 30 years as analyst then play-by-play radio announcer for University of Kentucky football and basketball (1972-1998). He started his radio career doing high school games in Richmond at age 15 and at age 16 did radio broadcasts for Eastern Kentucky University football and basketball. He covered UK sports for five years before joining legendary Cawood Ledford as radio color analyst, and then made the transition from analyst to play-by-play. He anchored numerous UK radio call-in shows and coaches’ shows. As President of HMH Broadcasting, Hacker was instrumental in building one of the state’s top broadcasting companies with properties such as WVLK Radio, which was UK’s flagship station for decades.
Nate Northington – An all-star high school football player at Thomas Jefferson in Louisville who was highly recruited by colleges north of the Mason Dixon Line, Northington accepted a football scholarship to the University of Kentucky and became a trailblazer for college football equity in the South. On Sept. 30, 1967, while still a teenager, he became the first black player in SEC football history when he logged 3:17 playing time in UK’s 26-13 loss to Mississippi at Stoll Field. His presence was the source of much personal derision by fans and the general public, which was later featured in full-length documentaries by CBS and ESPN. In 2016, UK unveiled a statue of Northington and three other players who broke SEC color barrier. Prior to transferring to Western Kentucky University due to injuries and personal reasons, he convinced freshman players Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg to stay at UK and finish the job of integrating the SEC.
The KSHOF is owned and operated by the Louisville Sports Commission, a Kentucky-based non-profit whose mission is to attract, create, host and operate sporting events and activities that enhance the quality of life of the Commonwealth. The KSHOF was founded in 1963 to recognize athletes and sports figures who are Kentucky natives as well as individuals who participated in their respective sport or made a significant impact in their sport in Kentucky.
“The KSHOF Class of 2019 recognizes six outstanding individuals who have had a major impact on sports in the Commonwealth and on the national and international stage,” said Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Karl F. Schmitt, Jr. “We are thrilled to have the Kentucky Lottery back as our presenting sponsor, as well as regional accounting and advisory firm Dean Dorton for officially tabulating the votes. Also we want to acknowledge the longstanding partnership between the KSHOF and the Louisville Arena Authority.”
