University of Kentucky All-American Jack “Goose” Givens, who also played in the NBA and eventually transitioned to sports broadcasting, joined me on 840WHAS for a wide-ranging interview. We are both self-proclaimed nerds who attended UK at the same time.

We dove into his recruitment by Kentucky and the racial challenges it posed for him and his mother. Givens grew up in Lexington where he “never thought I’d have a chance to play” for the Wildcats.

Jack also discussed the intensity of playing for a hard-boiled coach in Joe B Hall, and how their relationship changed after Hall sought Givens’ advice during his broadcast years.

Givens led the 1978 Kentucky Wildcats to an NCAA National Championship, scoring 41 points in the Cats defeat of Duke.