Growing up in Maysville, Kentucky Jerry King made a name for himself as a basketball player. After graduating from high school in 1962, King joined the Marine Corps, where he served for four years. After that he earned a basketball scholarship to Morehead State University where he played for four years. King made his softball debut in 1976, playing for Debois Chemical, where he earned his first ASA All-American title. Throughout the span of his career, King has earned numerous honors and awards, most notably five ASA All-American titles (1976, 1979-82), and he has also been a member of several ASA National Championship teams. In 1980, King gave his highest performance with Campbell’s Carpets, appearing in 133 games with a .721 batting average and boasting 191 home runs. In later years, King continued his success playing with the Joseph Chevrolet World Championship team (1994-1996), a team that was rated as one of the top five “50 and over” teams in the country. After his retirement, the honors and accolades continued to come in. King was among the first class inducted into the Columbus, Ohio Legends of the Game (2009). That same year King was honored for his athletic and civic achievements at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. King has also received honors from the House of Representatives as an Outstanding Citizen of the Commonwealth of Kentucky while also being named a Kentucky Colonel by Steve Beshear, the Governor of Kentucky. His success with Debois Chemical earned King the title of MVP of the ASA 1970s All Decade Team for Columbus, Ohio.
