Jerry Vayda

Jerome Joseph Vayda (July 18, 1934 – February 16, 1978) was an American basketball player who played at the small forward position. Standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall, he was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, to Joseph G. Vayda and Anna C. Vayda.

Vayda attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played college basketball with the Tar Heels. In 1954 he was named to the ACC's All-Second Team.

As a member of the U.S. Air Force, Vayda represented the senior men's United States national basketball team at the 1959 FIBA World Championship. He scored 162 points across the tournament for an average of 18.0 points per game, and the United States won the silver medal.

Vayda died on February 16, 1978, at the age of 43, from a heart attack. He was survived by two children, Catherine J. Vayda and William J. Vayda.