James "Radio" Kennedy

James Robert "Radio" Kennedy (October 14, 1947 – December 15, 2019) was an American man with an intellectual disability caused from a traumatic brain injury^[1] who was known for his association with the T. L. Hanna High School football team, in Anderson, South Carolina.^[2] Kennedy first gained prominence in 1996, when Gary Smith wrote an article about him for Sports Illustrated titled "Someone to Lean On."^[3][2][4] Kennedy's story was then made into a feature film in 2003, Radio, in which he was portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr.^[5][6][7][8]

Radio Kennedy
Born	James Robert Kennedy October 14, 1947 Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	December 15, 2019 (aged 72) Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
Known for	Association with the T. L. Hanna High School football team; Subject of Radio

Biography

James Robert Kennedy was born on October 14, 1947, in Anderson to parents Bill Kennedy and Janie Mae Bolden Greenlee.^[4][9] He had two brothers, George and Walter.^[4] At age 5, he suffered irreversible brain damage when he was hit by a car.

According to Sheila Hilton, the former principal of T.L. Hanna High School, Kennedy earned the nickname "Radio" in the mid-1960s, when he began to show up at the school football field with a transistor radio.^[10][11] In 1964, Kennedy befriended the school's football coach, Harold Jones.^[12] Their friendship served as the basis of the 2003 film Radio, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Kennedy and Ed Harris as Jones.^[5] In 1965, Kennedy became an unofficial 11th-grade student at T.L. Hanna High.^[13] Kennedy was considered a permanent high school junior, meaning that he would never graduate or have to leave.^[4]

Recognition

In 2006, a statue of Kennedy was unveiled at the football stadium of T.L. Hanna High.^[14] In 2016, Kennedy was inducted into the T.L. Hanna Athletic Hall of Fame.^[13][15][16]

Later years

According to Jones, Kennedy had been treated for pancreatitis, as well as diabetes and kidney issues.^[17] Kennedy died on December 15, 2019, in Anderson at the age of 72.^[4] At the time of his death, Kennedy was living with his brother George and niece Jackie.^[18]