To a large extent, Larry Bird has defied the traditional role of a super hero, choosing to retain a country boy image while attracting national acclamation. Indeed, it was Bird's aversion to bigness that caused him to drop out of Indiana University after only a couple of weeks and return to his home in French Lick, Ind., a town of about 2,000, where he took a job driving a garbage truck.

But from this inauspicious start, Bird was encouraged to enroll at the smaller campus of Indiana State, and in three years he went on to become the premier collegiate player in the country and lead the Sycamores to within one game of a perfect season and the NCAA championship.

A 6' 9", 220-lb forward, who shifted to center on defense, Bird never was one to extol his own achievements, choosing to ignore the press so his teammates wouldn't feel neglected. Bird learned to do without publicity early in his career when he starred at Spring Valley High School in French Lick but never made the first or second All-State teams.

Once he reached Indiana State, though, his numbers were too big to ignore as he averaged better than 30 points per game in three years at Indiana State, moving into sixth place on the all-time list of college scorers. He also was an exceptional rebounder and playmaker, called by Boston Celtics General Manager Red Auerbach "the best passing forward I've ever seen."

Bird was chosen for the All-America team twice and as a senior he was voted the College Player of the Year. But Bird always talked team, and it was in this area that he achieved his greatest success. Playing for a school that didn't even move into Division I until 1971, Bird led Indiana State to records of 25-3 and 23-9 in his first two years. Then, in 1978-79, the Sycamores ran up an incredible 33-game winning streak before losing to Michigan State in the NCAA finals.

It also says something for Bird that he was drafted by the Celtics in 1978, but turned down the big money to return to school for his final year of eligibility.

LARRY BIRD Born Dec. 7, 1956, French Lick, Ind.

AWARDS AND RECORDS
All-America, 1978, 1979
College Player of the Year, 1979

Photo: A shy but sure bird