He entered the United State Air Force Academy that year, where he excelled academically as an athlete. He was on the Superintendent’s List (for academic and military achievement), graduating in 1964, continuing his love of sports inspired by his Father, professional baseball player Jimmy Bloodworth, an 11-year Major League Baseball second baseman.

Darryl was recruited by both the football and baseball programs at the Academy, lettering three years in the two sports, leading the nation in home runs per game in 1963 and serving as Captain of the baseball team in 1964.

"My time at the Academy was a transformative period in my life and provided a strong academic foundation for law school once I separated from the Air Force.  But the Academy did more than that. It led to my attending pilot training and flying some of the hottest aircraft in the world for five years. The flying episode in A Time to Heal, while fictional, gives the reader an idea of the excitement of flying a high-performance airplane."

Truly grateful for the educational and life-changing bedrock of the Academy, Darryl and six of his tight-knit pilot friends from the sixth graduating class penned Unbreakable Bonds: Reflections and Stories of Aging Aviators, Class of 1964 United States Air Force Academy. The authors reflect on the inspirational values and lifetime friendships they gained there, sharing motivational & stirring experiences, including combat flying in the Vietnam War and professional careers that followed their military service. The impact the Academy had on all their lives and this story of mutual respect, love, and Unbreakable Bonds is available on this site’s Non-Fiction page.