Former Tide player dies in heart surgery 7/31/2005, 2:48 p.m. ET The Associated Press
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) Former Alabama basketball player Kenneth Rice died during heart surgery Friday at Huntsville Hospital, his sister says. He was 35. Regina Bass told The Decatur Daily that Rice entered the hospital July 23 with chest pains. She quoted doctors saying Rice's heart was "enlarged and weak." He was having surgery to insert an internal defibrillator. Rice, who played for Austin High School in Decatur, redshirted his first year at Alabama and played sparingly the next three seasons. He was part of three Southeastern Conference tournament championship teams in 1989, '90 and '91. In 2000, Rice pleaded guilty to drug charges in a case that also involved former Alabama and Dallas Cowboys running back Sherman Williams of Mobile. Rice served 18 months in a federal prison, but family members and friends said he seemed to be getting his life on track. Rice married his wife, Alethea, on Dec. 31. The couple lived in Madison with their 5-year-old daughter, Alessa. Funeral arrangements were incomplete Sunday. ___ Information from: The Decatur Daily, http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/index.shtml ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs _______________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics E-mail Discussion List Welcome to RollTideFan - Wear a Cup! To unsubscribe or make changes to your subscription, please visit http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net
