BASKETBALL The 'Fly'

[SpaceRaider]

For you youngsters out there, you may not have heard of 'Fly' Williams or you may have heard the name but not know much about him. I can tell you, he energized the whole Ohio Valley Conference as a freshman basketball player for Austin Peay State, everywhere in every gym in the conference, the fans packed to the rafters to get a look at this guy and his game.

Great article on the Fly:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2741967
From Playground Hero to Rikers Island: The Tragedy of Fly Williams

 

[FranklinRaider315]

He’s a convicted felon, armed robber and major heroin trafficker. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[coachchia]

There is a very good book about Fly Williams. It is called Fly35. Excellent read on his recruitment, time at APSU, and afterwards.

 

[blueboro007]

Athletically one of the most gifted players to ever play at the Murph (and that includes Magic Johnson) but one of the more troubled. I think Lake Kelly, the APSU coach, had his hands full.

 

[mtsportsfan]

I was at UTM at the time and enjoyed the chant, "The fly is open, Let's go Peay."

 

[blueboro007]

At one game in '74 we had someone dressed as a giant bug spray can and fans walking around the court carrying a toilet.

 

[MTFNBY5]

And The Murph was packed!

Ah, the good old days when the mid-state was involved in any game between either two of TTU, APSU, WKU, and MT as opponents. So much has changed (just look at the crowd last night for two of the higher-rated in-state teams getting together) and not all of it for the better.