Former Vanderbilt Basketball Star Terry Compton Dies at Age 67 from COVID-19

Former Vanderbilt star Terry Compton died Sunday at the age of 67 as a result of COVID-19 complications, via Mike Organ of the Tennessean.

His brother, Billy Compton, confirmed the news on Facebook with a message about the pandemic:

"Yes Covid19 is real friends. COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate by age. After spending 3 hours by my brothers beside tonight and 5 hours at my Mom’s beside last Tuesday night covered in PPE protective gear I could only have imagined the never ending stress, compassion and potential dangerous situation our health care workers are faced with along with the ongoing attempts to save your loved ones life. Covid19 can and often leaves sad endings."

Compton spent three seasons with Vanderbilt from 1971-74, earning the nickname "The Long Rifle" with his shooting ability even before the implementation of the three-point line.

He led the Commodores in scoring in each of his three years with the team, twice earning All-SEC honors while helping his team win the regular-season conference title in 1973-74. His 16.6 career points per game ranks sixth in Vanderbilt history for players with a minimum of 50 games played.

Vanderbilt athletic director Storey Lee offered her condolences on Twitter Monday:

The Kansas City-Omaha Kings drafted Compton in the fourth round of the 1974 NBA draft, but he never appeared in a game.