Bridges to be honored by Kansas , Former All-American making rare visit to fieldhouse

By Gary Bedore, Assistant Sports Editor, Friday, January 18, 2002

The Bill Bridges Rebounding Award is presented annually to Kansas University's single-season leader in caroms. It is a much-sought-after piece of hardware, considering the premium coach Roy Williams places on board work.

"It's good to have awards if they inspire kids. I'm honored they named it after me," said Bridges, a 1961 Kansas University All-America forward out of Hobbs, N.M. He will be presented a KU Hall of Fame portrait at halftime of Saturday's Kansas-Oklahoma men's basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse.

"You know what that award should be called ... the 'Mule Award,''' Bridges added with a laugh.  "Horses," Bridges said are shooters. "Mules" are guys who do the dirty work — guys who snatch rebounds.

Bridges grabbed 1,081 rebounds — third-most in KU history — during his three-year college career (1959 to '61). The 6-foot-51/2, 235-pounder grabbed 30 rebounds against Northwestern in 1960.  Only 7-foot-2 Wilt Chamberlain grabbed more in a KU game — 36 versus Iowa State in 1958 and 31 versus Northwestern in '57.

"I consider it an art form," the undersized Bridges said of rebounding. "It's not always just ripping it down. Not everyone can ascend to that tower Wilt was on. He was immortal. Us commonfolk on the ground, it was an art form, a mindset. You think the ball belongs to you. You will die to get it."

Bridges, who scored more than 10,000 points and grabbed more than 10,000 rebounds in 12 years in the NBA, grabbed tons of boards because of technique and desire.  "There are a lot of thoroughbreds out there shooting — only 45 percent of the shots go in," Bridges said. "You don't have to be a scientist to figure out you have to do something to try to get that other 55 percent. You need to go another way to power it through. You have to have a backup plan."

Bridges left KU with career scoring averages of 13.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per contest. He ranks 35th on KU's all-time scoring list with 1,028 points.  "He was an unbelievable rebounder and physical specimen," said Bridges' former teammate, Lawrence businessman Bob Billings. "He had great physical strength and a nose for the basketball, great at blocking out. He is a great person, absolutely the salt of the earth."

Now a successful business consultant in Santa Monica, Calif., the 62-year-old Bridges returns to Lawrence for just the second time since his playing days at KU.  Bridges was here for one game during the Larry Brown era.  "When I left college, I felt Kansas had done so much for me," Bridges said. "The legacy of the KU basketball program ... the great education I received. When I left there I was floating. I left there feeling loved, feeling cared for. I left KU thinking someday I'd come back in a 12-car motorcade with flags flying over the back. I felt there thinking I'd be president of the United States and General Motors both. I loved my years in Lawrence.

"After I left, I was busy playing pro ball, getting on with my life, making the transition. I just never made it back. I'm somewhat introverted but very excited about coming back, seeing so many friends like Bob Billings and Monte Johnson, seeing the campanile."

He's pumped for his weekend visit.  "I'm 62 years old and feel like I'm 20," Bridges said. "If you know anybody who would like to sell 20 years to me cheap, I'll buy it. When Wilt (Chamberlain) went down ... I said life is short. You never expected Wilt to go. He was Superman. It was very humbling. I won't take life for granted. This is like the second half for me."