Former ‘Bama Player Dies in Surgery: Former Alabama guard Kenneth Rice died during heart surgery at Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital. He was 35. Rice, who was having surgery to install an internal defibrillator, played sparingly at Alabama between 1988 and 1991, though he did play on three SEC championship teams. Rice had served 18 months in a federal prison in 2000-01, stemming from drug charges in a case that involved former Dallas Cowboy Sherman Williams. He had been married seven months. [7/31/05]