Previous Story
NFL to present Corbin High School with golden football in honor of Rodger Bird
Posted On 12 Jan 2016
On Tuesday, January 19 Corbin High School will be receiving a golden football from the National Football League in honor of former Redhound and Oakland Raider Rodger Bird.
Bird will present the football next Tuesday evening inside Gilliam Gymnasium in between the Lady Hounds’ basketball game against Boyle County and the boys’ game against Jackson County. He will also speak to CHS students in a school-wide assembly at 11:00 a.m. that day.
Corbin is among thousands of high schools from across the nation that will be receiving a golden football this year for having a graduate that went on to participate in a Super Bowl. This is being done in celebration of the championship game’s 50th anniversary in 2016.
Bird, who graduated from Corbin in 1962, played for the Raiders in Super Bowl II (1968). He was a first-round draft pick in 1965, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. Prior to entering the NFL, he played collegiate ball as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats.
Bird was a first team All-American at UK, as well as earning All-SEC and SEC Legend honors. As a Redhound, he was twice named to the All-State list, and he helped lead the team to an undefeated season in 1960.
Following Tuesday morning’s assembly, culinary students will provide a special lunch for Bird, school staff and Redhound Varsity Club members inside the school’s media center. Bird is also planning to meet with Redhound student-athletes later that afternoon.
In addition to the school assembly and special presentation in between the girls’ and boys’ basketball games, it has also been announced that Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney and the Corbin city commissioners will officially designate and sign a proclamation making next week “Rodger Bird Week.”
As part of the festivities, a Rodger Bird collage will be unveiled and go on permanent display at the high school.
Also, News Journal Publisher Emeritus and former longtime radio broadcaster of Redhound sports, Mr. Don Estep, will be on hand to serve as emcee for the event.
One Comment
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Congratulations Uncle Rodger on your award. I love to hear all of the sports stories on all of the famous Birds, including my dad. I am proud to be a part of the Birds from Corbin! Love you and take care! Angela
Uncle Rodger – congratulations on such a great career and a nice award for CHS. After all these years I still love to watch the highlights from Super Bowl II. Love you, Jamie
As a W’burg Yellow Jacket in 1961 Ken Cox “rang my bell” on the opening kick-off when we played Corbin. I had to be told my blocking assignments after that. I do remember recovering a fumble by Rodger, but after that (and prior) it was all downhill. After trailing13-0 at half-time, we lost 40 to 6. I enjoyed following his play at UK and with the Raiders. The Bird family contributed greatly to athletics in this area for a long time.