Tony Delk, Oscar Combs among inductees to Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame

Two University of Kentucky legends are being recognized for their achievements, one on the court and one off it. Former Kentucky Basketball guard Tony Delk and Oscar Combs, founder of the Cats’ Pause, were named to the 2024 Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, along with former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and Roy Pickerill, the longtime sports information director at Kentucky Wesleyan College. The announcement was made this morning by the Louisville Sports Commission as part of Champions Day at Churchill Downs.

“The KSHOF Class of 2024 recognizes four outstanding individuals who represent a broad spectrum of sports and occupations – individuals who had a major impact on sports in the Commonwealth and on the national stage,” said Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Greg Fante. “This year’s inductees have worked diligently to make a difference in their specific areas. And we are thrilled to honor them and their accomplishments in Freedom Hall, the KSHOF’s official enshrinement gallery.”

Of course, Delk was one of the stars of the 1996 national championship team. Still one of the top five scorers in program history (1,890 points), Delk earned First Team All-American honors and was named Final Four MVP. He still holds the school record for three-pointers made (283) and is No. 2 in steals (201). He was drafted No. 16 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft and played in the league for ten seasons.

Combs revolutionized the sports media industry by founding The Cats’ Pause in 1976, the first independent publication fully devoted to an athletic program at one university. He began covering UK athletics at the Hazard Herald in 1965, was a cohost on the UK radio network program show for 20 years, and was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2000. It’s not hyperbole to say that without Combs, KSR probably would not exist.

Congrats to all four inductees, who will be honored in September at Freedom Hall. Read complete bios courtesy of the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame below.

Teddy Bridgewater. Miami native Teddy Bridgewater was a dominant quarterback at the University of Louisville (UofL) who played nine seasons in the NFL. A three-year starter at UofL who threw for 9,817 career yards and 83 touchdowns, Bridgewater earned MVP honors leading the Cardinals to a 33-22 win over no. 2 Florida in the 2013 BCS Orange Bowl. The next season, he passed for 447 yards and three touchdowns in UofL’s Russell Athletic Bowl win over Miami. He was drafted in the first round by Minnesota and played nine seasons in the NFL with the Vikings, Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins and Lions. Bridgewater was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015; his career passing numbers are 15,120 yards, 75 touchdowns and 1,114 rushing yards.

Oscar Combs. Hazard native Oscar Combs started covering UK athletics at the Hazard Herald in 1965 and became an innovator in the coverage of major college athletics. In 1976, Combs founded The Cats’ Pause, the first independent publication to cover a major athletic program (UK) in the U.S., marking the start of a nationwide industry. For 20 years starting in 1998, he was co-host on the UK radio network pre-game coverage and helped to build and expand the Wildcats’ fan base in football and basketball. Combs has won numerous awards from the Kentucky Press Association and in 1977 won the U.S. Basketball Writers Association feature of the year. Combs was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2000.

Tony Delk. Brownsville, Tenn., native Tony Delk was an All-American and NCAA Final Four MVP at the University of Kentucky (UK) who went on to a 10-year career in the NBA. A sharpshooting guard, Delk led UK in scoring three seasons (1994-95-96), scored 1,890 points and still owns the school record for three-pointers (283) and is second in steals (201). During his time at UK, the Wildcats were 119-18, won three SEC Championships, went to two Final Fours and won the 1996 championship. Delk earned SEC Player of the Year in 1996 and was the 16th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft by Charlotte. Delk played for eight teams, played in 545 games, averaging 9.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his career, and went to the playoffs seven times.

Roy Pickerill. Louisville native Roy Pickerill has been associated with the sports information office at Kentucky Wesleyan College for 53 years, starting as a student assistant, serving as the sports information director (SID) for nearly 30 years and currently serving in an emeritus role. Pickerill was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall-of-Fame in 1999, inducted into the Great Lakes Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2008, earned CoSIDA’s lifetime achievement award in 2016 and his Kentucky Wesleyan publications earned 30 national awards, including 20 “Best in the Nation” awards.  In 2022, the CoSIDA Division II SIDs created a distinguished service award in Pickerill’s name.