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{September 2000}
Cawood Ledford 1926-2001 - He called 18 Final Fours, more than anyone else, and 22
Kentucky Derbys. And there was the
World Series, The Masters, professional basketball, Little League and boxing, including
extensive coverage of Muhammad Ali. But, always and above all, Cawood Ledford was for four
decades the "Voice of the University of Kentucky Wildcats." The voice fell silent yesterday.
The man known as Cawood to legions of fans died of cancer at Harlan Appalachian Regional
Hospital. He was 75. His death brought an outpouring of memories from sports figures and
politicians, and from fans who called radio talk shows to remember the man so many had grown
up listening to. Mr. Ledford retired as the play-by-play man for UK in 1992. Most of his
career was spent covering the Wildcats. The first UK event he called was the Sept. 19, 1953,
football game that pitted Bear Bryant's Cats against Texas A&M. The last was on March 28,
1992 -the NCAA Tournament East Regional final against Duke, considered by many to be the
greatest college basketball game ever played. Just before he retired, the Kentucky House
of Representatives approved a resolution honoring Mr. Ledford as "the standard by which all
other sportscasters are measured." Later, the fiscal court in his native Harlan County named
a part of US 421 "Cawood Ledford Trail." He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was also the first person to get in both the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and the
Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. Ledford's ability at calling basketball games is perhaps what
he will be remembered for most. To many of his peers, he was one of basketball's finest play-
by-play announcers. Experts picked him as the sport's top announcer several times. He broadcast
basketball finals for CBS and NBC radio networks for several years. To many Kentuckians, he
was not just the voice, but the soul of UK basketball. For years, when UK games were televised,
many fans thought the best way to experience a game was to turn on the TV, turn down the sound
and listen to Mr. Ledford's play-by-play. He tried to put fans at courtside. You can read more
about Cawood Ledford "here."