- Cawood Ledford
Cawood Ledford (
April 24 ,1926 –September 5 ,2001 ) was the longtime play-by-play announcer for theUniversity of Kentucky basketball and football teams, primarily on radio but sometimes on television as well.A native of
Harlan, Kentucky , Ledford was educated atCentre College inDanville, Kentucky . He began broadcastingKentucky Wildcats games in 1953.He also worked as the play-by-play announcer for national radio broadcasts of the NCAA Men's Final Four on the
CBS Radio Network , and called many runnings of theKentucky Derby for CBS Radio. Ledford also did radio broadcasts forKentucky Colonels games in theAmerican Basketball Association . On a side of theRupp Arena court, the words "Cawood's Court" are painted, a honor by theUniversity of Kentucky dedicated to him in 2001.Cawood Ledford was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. Mr. Ledford won three Eclipse Awards for outstanding coverage of thoroughbred racing. He was also named Kentucky's Sportscaster-of-the-Year eighteen different times. Further, Mr. Ledford was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame in 1994. Cawood Ledford is widely regarded to be the finest basketball play-by-play man in history. He was a much beloved and respected figure inKentucky , in college basketball, in college football, and in horse racing.External links
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* [http://www.kyathletichalloffame.org/Inductees.htm Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame induction]
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