# 45
Hometown: Louisville, KY (Seneca)
Position: G Playing Height: 6-3 Playing Weight: 205
Date of Birth: August 27, 1950
Date of Death: February 8, 2022 [South Carolina - 86 - 76]
Additional Photos: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16)
Game by Game Statistics
Prep Notes:
Parade All-American
Kentucky Career Notes:
Multi-Sport Player [Football]
Season Notes:
1971-72: (Walk-on from Football team)
| Season | Games Played | Minutes | FG | FGA | % | FT | FTA | % | Total Rebs | Asst. | F | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-72 | 5 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 57.14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Total | 5 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 57.14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
Biography - Bishop, Darryl R., NKAA (Notable Kentucky African American Database)
He had a more successful career as a defensive back on the football team. At that time at UK, football players could not play until their sophomore year. In spite of only playing three years, Bishop's career at UK was phenomenal. He holds the UK career record for most pass interceptions (14) and return yardage (376). He made more tackles (348) than any defensive back in UK history. He is also remembered for the 43-yard interception return touchdown in the 1971 win over Vanderbilt and the 97-yard touchdown return against Mississippi State.
Darryl Bishop was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in January 1974. (Information provided by the University of Kentucky Athletics Media Relations Office). See also Fifty Years of the University of Kentucky African-American Legacy, 1949-1999. In March of 1974, Darryl R. Bishop signed to play with the newly formed World Football League [source: "Sports in brief,",Lakeland Ledger, 03/05/1974, p. 3B]. Bishop played with the New York Stars until he was cut from the team in July of 1974 [source: "Sports in brief," Spartanburg Herald-Journal, 07/06/1974, p. B3].
Obituary - Darryl Bishop, Sr. A.D. Porter & Sons Funeral Home
Darryl Roosevelt Bishop was born in Louisville Kentucky on August 27th, 1950, to his parents the late Barbara Jean Bishop and Roosevelt Davies. He peacefully passed from this life the morning of February 8th, 2022 after a gradual decline in health.
Darryl attended Newburg Elementary and Seneca High School in Kentucky where he excelled in his studies and in sports. While at Seneca High School Darryl became an outstanding star athlete in football, basketball, and in track and field. In his senior year he made All-State in football and basketball. This got him a lot of attention from colleges across the country that wanted to give Darryl a scholarship.
However, Darryl was a hometown HERO and he decided to take the offer from the University of Kentucky which was an hour away from home. While at UK he couldn't play his freshman year of football during that year the assistant basketball coach Joe B. Hall approached him and asked him to try-out for the basketball team. Darryl tried-out for and made the team, becoming the "THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER" to wear the University of Kentucky Wildcats' basketball jersey. While he only played 6 games with the team he was able to return to football his sophomore year.
[sic, JPS Note - Bishop would not have been eligible for varsity football or basketball his freshman season as all freshmen were ineligible to play varsity at the time. Bishop did indeed play on both the freshman football and freshman basketball teams that season (1969-70). This is what gives him the right to claim to be the first black player to play basketball for UK. It was two years later that Bishop walked-on to the varsity basketball team along with another football player Elmore Stephens. But that was after Tom Payne had already played for and integrated the varsity basketball team for UK during the 1970-71 season.]
While playing football, Darryl excelled on the gridiron and he still holds the most records for (14) interceptions and (348) tackles as a defensive back and return yardage of (367) as we speak in the year of 2022. Darryl graduate from the University of Kentucky with a degree in communication. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the year of January 1974.
After a short stint with the Bengals, he went to play for the World Football League that resulted in him seriously injured his left knee and ending his career in football and the team doctors told him to go get his knee treated at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston Massachusetts.
Darryl decided to make Boston Massachusetts his home where he lived for the last 40+ years until his passing. While in living in Boston he worked for Detention Youth Services (DYS), the Boys and Girls club in Roxbury. He coached at the Cathedral High School and the Shelburne Community Center where he retired from in 2017. He impacted hundreds if not thousands of young men and women from different backgrounds and ethnicities.
Darryl leaves to mourn in passing, his loving children; daughters; Nesha Ellery-Parker (Daryl), grand-children, Jeffery, Ja'Mont, Ja'Nisha Elery, Ja'Nay Ashby ( Louisville Kentucky), Antimony Bishop ( Minnesota Minneapolis), Darrilyn Brooks-Jones ( Lindsay), grand-children, Jasmyne, Diamond, Justin, and London ( Boston MA/Baltimore Maryland), Son; Darryl Cato-Bishop ( North Carolina), step-daughters; Coryn Dillahunt-Moore ( Boston MA) ,and Undrea Steele-Cato, ( Los Angles California). Sisters; Judy K. Bishop, Lawanda Stafford, Bothers; Jay Maharris-Greer (Tricia), Steven Davies (Amy), (Louisville Kentucky), and his longtime companion, Patricia Cato (Boston Massachusetts), nieces, nephews, great nieces, cousins, and his good friends; Owen Corbin, and John Favors (Boston MA), and many friends. He proceeded in death by his sister, Denise Bishop, and his brothers, Bruce Bishop, Louise Bishop, and John R. Davies. Special thanks to the staff at the Shelburne Community Center #2370
Visitation: 9 am- 11 am Saturday, March 5, 2022 at New Covenant Baptist Church, 1190 S. 40th St., funeral service to follow at 11am. Burial: Resthaven Cemetery.
