Not only is Ken Mink the oldest player in college basketball, he’s twice as old as the school he goes to. At the age of 73, he’s the oldest college basketball player — ever.
Not bad for a guy who got expelled from college back in 1956 when Eisenhower was president. What he did to deserve his punishment is still a sore point to this day, but what led him back to school? It all started one afternoon last summer when he was shooting hoops in his driveway. He thought to himself that he was still pretty good.
So, he applied around and found a school willing to take a chance on an old guy who’s still got game. And in return, the school, Roane State Community College in Tennessee, and the old guy have become national stars.
The “New York Times” ran a feature and Ken went one-on-one with Regis live on his TV show.
Inspired to go back to school yourself? Check out these stories:
With teammates 30 years his junior, John Wilson could have felt defeated, but instead he became the oldest college baseball player in history. For Wilson, at 53, putting on a college uniform and graduating college was a goal he wasn’t too old to accomplish. But his journey to that point wasn’t easy, he says. Listen to his radio interview and watch a great video story we did with John during a trip to Central Florida.
Do you have any regrets in life? Mike Flynt did. Over beers a few months ago, he lamented to his friends that he was kicked off his college football team for fighting before his senior year. Rather than carrying the regret around with him for the rest of his life, he decided to do something about it.
54-year-old mother, grandmother and nurse’s assistant Jennie Long had plenty to keep her busy. Then, she decided to add homework to the mix, by going back to school A serious accident almost ended the dream before it began. But Jennie bounced back, and now she’s getting national recognition.