You probably remember the name Dickie Gregory. In 2013, Gregory survived a scary fall from the Rupp Arena bleachers that left him paralyzed from the chest down. High atop Row J in Section 238, Gregory reached out to catch his wife when she tripped and, after saving her, fell six or seven rows, breaking his neck in three places. On Monday, he passed away at the age of 76.
Over the past four years, we’ve received updates on Gregory, who underwent several surgeries and moved from facility to facility. After his fall, John Calipari and the Kentucky basketball team visited Gregory in the hospital, and Calipari kept tabs on him in the years to follow, visiting him the next spring while in Louisville for a book tour:
Through all the pain, Gregory’s love for the Cats stayed strong.