45 Darryl Bishop

Darryl Bishop was born August 27, 1950, in Louisville, Kentucky. A gifted two-sport athlete at Seneca High School, he earned All-State honors in football and basketball and was a Parade All-American on the hardwood. Bishop initially signed to play football at Morehead State but changed course after Seneca coach Ron Cain accompanied him to Lexington, choosing Kentucky and the opportunity to compete in both sports.

Bishop made history on December 6, 1969, when he became the first Black UK basketball player to take the floor at Memorial Coliseum, receiving a standing ovation and scoring 16 points in a freshman victory over Cincinnati. He later joined the varsity as a walk-on from the football team in 1971–72, appearing in five games and scoring eight points in 21 minutes. His finest varsity performance came against Vanderbilt on January 24, 1972, when he scored six points and collected two rebounds.

Although his varsity basketball career was brief, Bishop became one of Kentucky football’s finest defensive backs. He recorded 348 tackles and 14 interceptions over three varsity seasons, earned first-team All-SEC honors as a senior and played in the Shrine North-South Game and Hula Bowl. His signature plays included a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown on the final play of Kentucky’s 14–7 victory at Vanderbilt in 1971, a 97-yard return against Mississippi State and two interceptions that helped preserve a 12–7 win at Georgia in 1973.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Bishop in the 16th round of the 1974 NFL Draft, and he also had brief professional opportunities with the World Football League’s New York Stars and the New England Patriots before a serious knee injury ended his playing career. A UK communications graduate, he settled in Boston and spent many years working with young people through Massachusetts youth services and the Boys & Girls Club in Roxbury. Bishop died February 8, 2022, at age 71, leaving a legacy as a Kentucky pioneer and an exceptional Wildcat in two sports.