Bob Gain, a 1980 College Football Hall of Fame inductee and one of the greatest players in the history of University of Kentucky, passed away Nov. 14 in Willoughby, Ohio. Born June 21, 1929 in Akron, Ohio, He was 87.

Playing for Hall of Fame Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1947 to 1950, Bob Gain excelled as a two-way starter at tackle while also serving as the Wildcat’s placekicker. Gain helped lead the Wildcats to a four-year record of 33-10-2 and the Cats’ first three bowl appearances in school history.

Kentucky posted a 8-3 record in 1947, making its first postseason appearance with a victory over Villanova in the Great Lakes Bowl.  UK went 9-3 in the 1949 season, playing in the Orange Bowl. The Wildcats were 11-1 in 1950, winning the Southeastern Conference championship. Gain capped his collegiate career with a 13-7 victory over Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl, ending the Sooners’ 31-game winning streak. He notched 38 extra points as the placekicker during his career, including 10-of-10 in a win over North Dakota in 1950, which remains a school record for most extra points in a game.

In 1950, Gain became the first player in Southeastern Conference history to win the prestigious Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman.  He earned First Team All-America honors as a junior and senior. He was a three-year All-Southeastern Conference choice, First Team as a junior and senior and Second Team as a sophomore.

Although a first-round selection of the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers (fifth pick overall), he played with Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian League during the 1951 season and then with Cleveland in the National Football League during the 1952 season. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in Korea in 1953, and he returned to play with the Cleveland Browns from 1954 to 1964. He had a stellar career as a defensive lineman with the Browns.  He was named First-team All-Pro once, Second-Team All-Pro seven times, and he played in the Pro Bowl five times.

Gain received numerous honors following his career.  His UK jersey is retired, and he is a member of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame and the Kentucky chapter of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Having played high school football in Weirton, West Virginia, he was also elected to the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.