Former Hog Bender dies

Former Arkansas player and assistant coach Mike Bender died in his sleep Friday. He was 73.

Bender, who grew up in Strong, lettered two years at offensive lineman and was a member of the Razorbacks’ 1964 national championship team. In 1965, Bender was a team captain and named all-Southwest Conference.

He had a brief playing career with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. He returned to Arkansas in 1995 to coach the team’s offensive line under Danny Ford, a position he held for three seasons in 1995-1997.

Bender was portrayed by actor Frederic Lehne in the 2016 film Greater, which depicts the life of former Arkansas offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth. — Wholehogsports.com