The history of sports in Northern Kentucky goes back a long way. A very long way. Decades. Centuries.
We know you’ve seen these lists before, but this is a different and unique way of presenting our “50 sports icons in Northern Kentucky” as we’ll provide you one per day over the next 50 days.
Hall of Fames are everywhere in NKY, the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame, NKU, Thomas More and local high schools all have something to recognize their past.
We’ll preface this series by saying this, some of you may disagree with who should or shouldn’t be in the top 50 and that’s fine. Plenty are in the Hall of Very Good, but we feel these 50 are the one’s who stuck out to us.
A weekly roundup of NKY sports headlines right to you every Monday at noon.
Sports Editor Evan Dennison spoke and conferred with several local NKY sports history buffs to get their opinions and lists of their own and who should be “locks” for the 50 sports icons. We compiled each list and came up with the 50 of our own (maybe cheated a little by putting families in as one) to present over the next 50 days.
Hope you enjoy as summer time rolls on!
The 41st of the 50 sports icons is the Draud family. From Jon to Scott to Kimberly to Scotty, the Draud family carries a legacy of accomplishments and respect.
THE DRAUD FAMILY
The Draud family has long stood as one of Northern Kentucky’s most accomplished and respected athletic dynasties. At the head is Kenton County Commissioner Dr. Jon Draud, a Ludlow High product who became an All-OVC catcher at Eastern Kentucky University, where he batted .473 in 1958, still one of the best single-season averages in school history. He helped lead EKU to back-to-back OVC titles before coaching Holmes High School to the 1963 state baseball championship. Over the next five decades, Draud distinguished himself as a superintendent, Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education, and four-term county commissioner, earning numerous state and regional honors for his lifelong commitment to education and civic leadership.
His children carried the legacy forward. Son Scott Draud became one of Kentucky’s greatest scorers at Highlands, averaging over 30 points per game in his final two seasons and earning All-State and All-American honors. At Vanderbilt, he racked up 1,466 career points, earned First Team All-SEC, and was named MVP of the 1990 NIT.
Daughter Dr. Kimberly Draud Rohmiller won four straight regional tennis titles at Highlands, was named a Prince All-American, and played four years of tennis at Vanderbilt before graduating from the UK College of Medicine with honors. On the volleyball court, she helped lead Highlands to a volleyball regional championship in 1989 and was an All-State and Region volleyball player in that same year.
The next generation includes grandson Scotty Draud, who became Beechwood’s all-time leading scorer, the Ninth Region’s all-time leading scorer when he graduated and continued his basketball journey at Kentucky Wesleyan and Thomas More. Across three generations, the Draud family has left an indelible mark on Kentucky sports, education, and community leadership.
See the 50 sports icons on a day-to-day basis over the next 50 days
— Day 1:
Dave Cowens
— Day 2:
Shaun Alexander
— Day 3:
Homer Rice
— Day 4:
Dicky Beal
— Day 5:
Jared Lorenzen
— Day 6:
Jim Bunning
— Day 7:
Tom Ellis
— Day 8:
Nate Dusing
— Day 9:
Jim Connor
— Day 10:
Steve Cauthen
— Day 11:
Irv Goode
— Day 12:
Stan Steidel
— Day 13:
Kenney Shields
— Day 14:
David Justice
— Day 15:
Morgan Hentz
— Day 16:
Eddie Arcaro
— Day 17:
Nancy Winstel
— Day 18:
Steve Flesch
— Day 19:
Donna Murphy
— Day 20:
Randy Marsh
— Day 21:
Mike Yeagle
— Day 22:
Derrick Barnes
— Day 23:
Dale Mueller
— Day 24:
Dave Faust
— Day 25:
Kirsten Allen
— Day 26:
The Oldendick family
— Day 27:
Martin “Mote” Hils
— Day 28:
Nell Fookes
— Day 29:
Owen Hauck
— Day 30:
Becky Ruehl
— Day 31:
Tom Thacker
— Day 32:
Sydney Moss
— Day 33:
Bob Schneider
— Day 34:
The Walz family
— Day 35:
John Toebben
— Day 36:
Pat Scott
— Day 37:
Bob Arnzen
— Day 38:
Joan Mazzaro
— Day 39:
Frank Jacobs
— Day 40:
Adrienne Hundemer
— Day 41:
The Draud family
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