[4] Bird attended the University of Kentucky and played football for head coach Blanton Collier.
He played five positions for the Wildcats, including halfback, kick returner, wide receiver, and defensive back.
[3][4] Bird led Kentucky in receiving and all-purpose yards in each of his three seasons playing for the team.
[8] He joined the New York Jets in the summer of 1963 as a wide receiver, but was cut by the team before the season and did not see any playing time.
[10] Rodger was a two-time All-SEC halfback for the Wildcats in 1964 and 1965 and played three seasons in the AFL for the Oakland Raiders.