One of the greatest to ever do it in Kentucky — and a better human outside of sports — will be permanently honored at his alma mater.
Freddie Wayne Maggard, a three-sport standout at Cumberland High School, a 2015 KHSAA Hall of Fame inductee, Kentucky football legend and all-time KSR personality, will have his old stomping grounds named after him, made official by the Harlan County Board of Education in a Thursday vote. The Cumberland HS football field will be renamed after the superstar whose impact on the community and across the state remains timeless.
The field will reopen on September 26, with Maggard’s legacy immortalized, at the Harold Shrout Memorial Stadium in Cumberland. A special event has been planned for the reopening when the Cumberland Elementary Redskins play Lynn Camp, a nod to the interest and growth in youth football in the area, with roughly 65 players currently suiting up from Kindergarten through 6th grade, following in the former UK star’s footsteps.
There will be a 40th anniversary celebration of the 1986 Cumberland HS football team the night before, on Friday, Sept. 25.
Maggard was a football, basketball and baseball star at Cumberland HS before suiting up for the Wildcats in Lexington from 1988-91. CHS alumni approached the board recently about the possibility of naming the field after him.
Harlan Daily Enterprise sports editor John Henson describes Maggard as the “best all-around athlete” he’s ever covered in the area, leading Cumberland to a pair of state title appearances as a quarterback and defensive back, earning AP All-State honors at both positions in 1986. He was also a three-year starter and 1,000-point scorer on the basketball team, and a four-year starter and All-State selection in baseball, selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 1987 MLB Draft.
After a successful career at Kentucky, he went on to serve in the United States military and work for the Kentucky National Guard before transitioning to media with KSR and the UK Sports Network, and serving on Mark Stoops’ staff as director of player development for the Wildcats.
“It is my understanding Freddie is very honored by this. Nothing but good feedback from it,” District 5 Board Member and Vice Chair Scott Sherman said of the decision. “It’s a good way to tie the heritage of Harlan County sports for current kids to see things can be done here.”
“My fondest sports memories occurred while playing for my hometown team and on that field. It was always “Us vs “Them.” Lifelong friendships were forged between those chalked lines,” Maggard told Henson. “I’m blessed to stay in touch with many of my teammates to this day, some 45 years later. I’d like to sincerely thank all who made this happen.”
Maggard stepped away from his role at KSR in 2023 after being diagnosed with cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and aphasia. He shared his story right here on the website in one of the most powerful articles ever published — read that now if you missed it.
That story was then brought to life on camera as Maggard talked about his experience at the VA Hospital in Lexington and how it saved his life.
Now, his legacy is being honored back where it all started at Cumberland, and will now carry on forever.
Long live Freddie Wayne.