Derrick Rhoden ’04 a Brossart Mustang who played varsity basketball from 2000-01 through 2003-04, scoring 854 Career Points while battling an unpublicized battle with being bi-polar and schizophrenic.  He had physical and mental issues associated with the disorder, which did not allow him to reach his full potential.  Tom Fricke, for whom this award is named was blinded in an accident at 18 years of age, and learned to overcome his disability and become a productive contributing member of society.

Derrick was awarded  the Tom Fricke Award by the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday evening at The Garden of Park Hills at the organization’s annual summer reunion before a full house.  Four others received Distinguished Service Awards.  Former Cincinnati Red, Bronson Arroyo, was the featured speaker who incorporated singing a few of his songs into his talk.  Admittedly, he was pretty good.

As a result of an editorial published on this site, Derrick, who passed away in December of 2023 at the age of 38, is being remembered through his brother Nick’s establishing a GoFundMe account to raise money for CIT NKY an organization that functions to train police officers on how to properly handle mentally ill subjects in crisis, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness NKY who raises awareness and supports loved ones of those effected by serious mental illnesses.