Professional Football Players

Transcription

1 Professional Football Players Over the centuries many great men have tested their strength and resolve against the skills of other men in the sport of wrestling. The following is just a partial listing of those who have enjoyed intertwining their limbs with others and reads like a "Who s Who" of great men, great athletes. As you enjoy this section if you notice that some notable figure, past or present, has been overlooked, please contact us. We would be very grateful for the assistance to make this listing of celebrated individuals even more impressive and complete. Professional Football Maybe we should start this section with a trivia question? There are 8 wrestlers in Football s Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Can you name any of them? Don t peek before thinking about it... 1) Larry Czonka 2) Dan Dierdorff 3) John Hannah 4) Henry Jordan 5) Ronnie Lott 6) Bruce Smith 7) Jim Thorpe 8) Chuck Noll As a result, John Madden, Distinguished Member of Football s Hall of Fame has been quoted as saying, "I would have all of my Offensive Lineman wrestle if I could." Dan Dierdorf, ABC Sports Commentator, three time Emmy nominee, NFL 6-time All-Pro Tackle, voted NFL's top offensive lineman three times. He was one of the finest offensive tackles ever to play for Michigan and a consensus 1970 All-

2 American. He combined strength and speed to become a key blocker as the Wolverines set a series of rushing records. A native of Canton, Ohio, he was twice All-Big Ten and went on to become an all-pro with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League and player representative for the team. He twice was named best offensive lineman of the NFL. Walter Barnes, NFL. NCAA Southeastern Conference Wrestling Champion. Harris Barton, offensive tackle, North Carolina, 1983 game, 2003 Inductee Barton was a 1986 All-American and All-ACC selection. The 4-time All-Pro selection had a 12-year NFL career that included three Super Bowl appearances and was highlighted by a 1993 Pro Bowl selection. Brad Benson, NFL, Super Bowl Champion Giants. Pennsylvania State High School Wrestling Champion. Tom Cousineau, First Team All-American at Linebacker for Ohio State and St. Edwards High School in Ohio. Played 6 seasons in the NFL, finished with the 49er s. Defeated Notre Dame s Bob Golic in the 1975 NCAA s semi-finals. Jay Hilgenberg, NFL. Finished 2nd in the Iowa state high school wrestling championships in 1977 and was 6th in In the NFL we was a 7 time Pro-bowler and played 12 of his 13 years with Chicago. Dave Joyner, NFL. Three-time Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Champion at heavyweight and NCAA Runner-up in Played football in the World Football League for a while and is currently one of the leading orthopedic surgeons in America. A graduate of Penn State University and high school state wrestling champion from State College High School in Pennsylvania. Dr. Joyner is on the Pennsylvania Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He is a former Chairman of the United States Olympic Sports Medicine Committee and is a member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. Joe Bostic, Washington Redskins, Lineman. Wrestled in high school in North Carolina and then at Clemson University.

3 Marvin Lewis, Born Sept. 23, 1958, Lewis attended Fort Cherry High School in McDonald, Pa. (near Pittsburgh), where he was an all-conference quarterback and safety and stared in wrestling. He also earned a high school letter baseball. Before becoming the ninth head coach with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003, he was a record-setting NFL defensive coordinator and one of the brightest and most innovative minds in the league. Lewis has orchestrated an organizational overhaul in Cincinnati, leaving his imprint on the roster, coaching staff and front office. The effects of these changes have been felt throughout the community, as well as on the field, where Coach Lewis has directed the Bengals to the top of the AFC North division. His role in the Bengals stunning turn- around has been one of the biggest stories in sports. Alex Karras, NFL. A college football star at the University of Iowa, Alex Karras turned professional in 1958, spending the next 14 years with the Detroit Lions. Karras went on to be selected All-Pro in 1960, 1961, 1963 and While still with Detroit, he made his first film appearance in Paper Lion (1969). His appetite for show business further whetted by his work in the announcing booth on ABC's Monday Night Football, Karras became a full-time actor in He displayed a keen sense of comic timing in such roles as Mongo in Blazing Saddles (1974) and gangster James Garner's gay henchman (who literally comes out of the closet) in Victor/Victoria (1981). He has often appeared with his wife, actress Susan Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Karras have co-starred in the TV biopic Babe (1975), the raunchy but successful Porky's films, and the long-running ( ) TV sitcom Webster. In addition to his thespic activities, Alex Karras has co-authored several books, including Even Big Guys Cry (1977) and Alex Karras: My Life in Football (1979). Tim Krumrie, NFL. Was a Wisconsin state high school wrestling champion. In football, he enjoyed an outstanding career as a defensive tackle for the Bengals from joined Cincinnati as a 10th round pick in 1983 out of Wisconsin and went on to start 166 of 193 games over the course of the next 12 seasons suffered a severe leg fracture while playing in Super Bowl XXIII vs. San Francisco but returned to start the season opener the next year (1989) aside from 1987 players strike, never missed a game in his 12-year career and at one point had a streak of 160 starts in 161 games led the team in tackles five times and was selected as a Pro Bowl starter following the 1987 and '88 seasons played defensive tackle at Wisconsin from and was selected to that school's Hall of Fame in 1999.

4 Mike Pyle, Illinois State High School Wrestling Champion for New Trier High School (IL), class of Also won the state championships in the discus and the shot put. In football, he played under the legendary Walt Aschenbach, who coached New Trier from 1925 to 1965 and finished with a record of Mike went on to star for the Yale football team, which went 9-0 his senior year. He then turned pro, drafted 89th over all by the Chicago Bears, where he played his entire career, He was their center and captain. His best year was 1963, when he was chosen All-Pro and the Bears won the National Football League championship. State Archie Griffin, as a junior at Ohio Archie was named to every All- American team and was called "the greatest football player I've ever coached" by Woody Hayes. Combining power, speed and an uncanny ability to break four or five tackles on a single play, he smashed the all-time record for running backs in the Big Ten, amassing 4,064 yards. As a senior Archie extended his record of consecutive 100-yards plus games to 31, his overall yardage to 5,176 and became the only player ever to win the Heisman twice. Chuck Noll, NFL, State High School Wrestling Champion and legendary coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was head coach of the Steelers for 23 seasons from 1969 until His Noll-led team developed from a miserable 1-13 season in Noll's first campaign to the highest level ever attained by an National Football League team to date. He won four Super Bowl championships in a six-year period starting with a 16-6 win over Minnesota in Super Bowl IX and culminating with a win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV. Pittsburgh also defeated Dallas twice in classic struggles, in Super Bowl X and in Super Bowl XIII. Noll took over a Pittsburgh team that had never won a championship of any kind in almost 40 years of National Football League play. Jonathan Ogden, NFL. Irv Pankey, NFL, was a two-time state high school wrestling champion in Maryland. Jim Plunkett, In 1970, Jim Plunkett became the only Heisman Trophy winner in Stanford history, ending his collegiate career with 7,887 yards in total offense, which was then not only a Stanford record but an NCAA

5 Art Baker, Buffalo Bills. mark as well. He played in the NFL for 17 years and won two Superbowls quarterbacking for the Oakland Raiders. He was the MVP of Superbowl XV. He was a California high school state champion in wrestling. Mike Pyle, NFL, State Champion IL. Rhonde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Covert, NFL. Tiki Barber, New York Giants. Holds the Virginia all-time record with 651 carries and almost 5000 yards for the Caviliers. Entered the NFL in 1996 and is currently with the NY Giants and in 2004 was fifth in the NFL in rushing yards. Wrestled in high school, hometown Roanoke, VA. Eric Bateman, New York Jets. Greg Boone, Oakland Raiders. Jeff Bostic, Washington Redskins Center, North Carolina state high school wrestling champion and played his college ball at Clemson University. Shown here snapping the ball. Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots inside linebacker who played in three Super Bowls. Wrestled at Roseville High School in northern California. Bob Breunig, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona state high school wrestling champion and WAC Champion at Heavyweight for the Sun Devils. Played ball at Arizona State and went on to become one of the best linebackers in Dallas Cowboy history. Phil Bryant, Philadelphia Eagles, two-time National Prep School wrestling champion. Ralph Cindrich, Houston Oilers, Pennsylvania state high school wrestling runner-up. Roger Craig, joined the NFL's San Francisco 49ers as a second-round draft choice in 1983 out of the University of Nebraska and was a vital member of the San Francisco offense during three Super Bowl championship seasons.

6 The 6-foot, 219-pound running back set an NFL record for a running back with 92 pass receptions in 1985, gaining 1,016 yards. He also became the first player in history to gain more than 1,000 yards receiving and more than 1,000 yards in rushing in a single season. State high school wrestling qualifier for states in Iowa. Rob Davis, Green Bay Packers. Donnie Edwards, San Diego Chargers. Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers, a three-time Maryland state high school wrestling champion. Rob Essink, Seattle Seahawks. DeMarco Farr, St. Louis Rams. Patrick Ed Flannery, Houston Oilers. Flanagan, Detroit Lions. Terrell Fletcher, San Diego Chargers. Frank Garcia, St. Louis Rams, a two-time Arizona state high school wrestling champion. Mike Goff, Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Golic, is a nine-year NFL veteran, playing defensive tackle for the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. While in Philadelphia, he began his television career with a weekly segment on the Randall Cunningham Show. He received a Mid-Atlantic Region Emmy Award for his feature "Golic's Got It." Golic is a 1985 graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he served as captain of the football team during his senior season. He was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler for the Irish at heavyweight. Photoed here, #90. Darien Gordon, Denver Broncos Scottie Graham, Minnesota Vikings. Kelly Gregg, Baltimore Ravens and a three-time Kansas state high school wrestling champion. Played ball at the University of Oklahoma before moving onto the pros.

7 Morlon Greenwood, Miami Dolphins. Nick Griesen, New York Giants. Randy Grossman, Pittsburgh Steelers. A star at tight end for Temple University's football team in the early 1970s, Randy Grossman went unnoticed in the 1974 NFL draft. Signing as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he went on to play eight seasons of professional football. As a member of the Steelers during their reign of NFL supremacy in the 1970s, Grossman was on the winning side in four Super Bowl games. He wrestled at Haverford High School. John Hannah, a 6-2, 265-pound guard from Alabama, was the first round pick of the New England Patriots and the fourth player selected in the 1973 National Football League Draft. He was an eight-letterman star in football, track and wrestling and a two-time grid All-America at Alabama. By starting his first 13 games before a freak leg injury forced him out of the final game of his rookie season, Hannah dispelled any concerns the Patriots might have had about his ability to adjust from the straight-ahead blocking of the college wishbone offenses to the drop-back blocking and pulling required of guards in the pros. In the next 12 years, Hannah became widely recognized as the premier guard of pro football. He was named All-Pro 10 straight years from 1976 through He won the NFL Players Association's Offensive Lineman of the Year award four straight years from 1978 through Hannah was named to nine Pro Bowls but missed the game following the 1983 season because of an injury. In spite of the constant contact his body had to absorb, Hannah missed only five games because of injuries of a possible 191 in his 13-season career. He also missed three games due to a contract dispute at the start of the 1977 season. Hannah clearly was the mainstay of an excellent offensive line that helped to power the Patriots to some of their finest years. During his career, New England enjoyed seven winning seasons and a cumulative record. Hannah was given a large share of the credit when the Patriots rushed for a then-record 3,165 yards in John finished his career after the 1985 season on a high note. His final campaign had produced an AFC championship and Super Bowl XX appearance for the Patriots, and All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl invitation for himself.

8 Orlando Huff, Seattle Seahawks. Corey Hulsy, Oakland Raiders. Bo Jackson, Oakland Raiders. There have been others -- from Jim Thorpe to Deion Sanders. But even now, eight years after he played his last football game and four years since his last baseball game, Bo Jackson is still considered by many to be "the man" among multi-sport athletes. Legendary? To this day, memories of Jackson linger, and not just because an ad campaign made "Bo Knows" a mantra. There was that Monday Night Football touchdown run through Seattle's Brian Bosworth in There was the 1989 All-Star Game home run, which he hit while Ronald Reagan was in the TV booth describing it. He never played for a world champion, but the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Jackson was the first athlete named to play in the All-Star Game of two major sports. Not bad for a guy who won a Heisman Trophy and became a 1998 College Football Hall of Fame inductee in a sport he described as his "hobby." Mario Johnson, New England Patriots. Dahanie Jones, New York Giants. Henry Jordan, Green Bay Packers. He was the fifth player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame from the outstanding Green Bay defensive unit that helped to make the Packers the scourge of the National Football League during the 1960s. Jordan's defensive linemate Willie Davis, linebacker Ray Nitschke, cornerback Herb Adderley and safety Willie Wood are the defensive stalwarts who preceded the 6-2, 248-pound defensive tackle into the Hall. A three-sport star at the University of Virginia where he captained the football team as a senior and was a runner-up in the heavyweight class of the 1957 NCAA wrestling championships, Jordan began his pro football career as a fifth-round draft pick of the 1957 Cleveland Browns. Henry quickly assured himself a spot on the roster as a hard-hitting defensive tackle for a team that grabbed the 1957 NFL Eastern division title and tied for the division crown a year later. But before the 1959 season, Cleveland sent him to the Packers for a fourth-round draft choice. Jordan's acquisition proved to be a key element in coach Vince Lombardi's ambitious building program. For the next decade, Jordan, who was born in Emporia, Virginia, on January 26, 1935, was a fixture at defensive right tackle as Green Bay won six divisional titles, five NFL

9 championships and the first two Super Bowls. Jordan, known as a quick, smart defender, specialized in pressuring the passer. He won All-NFL acclaim five times in 1960, 1961,1962, 1963, and 1964, and also played in four Pro Bowls, seven NFL title games and Super Bowls I and II. He was named the Outstanding Lineman in the 1962 Pro Bowl classic. Extremely durable, he missed only two games in his first 12 seasons before his final 1969 campaign, when injuries limited his playing time to just five games. John Jurkovich, Cleveland Browns. Nick Lecky, Kansas state high school wrestling champion draft. Jess Lewis, Houston Oilers, NCAA wrestling champion for Oregon State. Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers. You think USC, you think running backs and offensive linemen but the Trojans have had some killer defensive players as well. None were better than safety Ronnie Lott who was a fierce ball-hawker and brutal tackler. Everyone remembers him as a Hall of Fame legend in the NFL, but he showed he was a superstar in college on some outstanding Trojan teams. He emerged as a starter as a sophomore before becoming All-Conference as a junior and senior and USC's MVP in 1980 and a unanimous All-American. The Trojans won the national title in 1978 with Lott's help and they went to, and won, two Rose Bowls. He won 4 Super Bowls with the 49er's and was an All-Pro Bowler and is in the Football Hall of Fame. Sean Mahan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Steve Martin, Houston Oilers. Mickey Marvin, Oakland Raiders. Napolean McCallum, Oakland Raiders. Randle McDanial, Minnesota Vikings. Was a wrestler before his days as a 12 time Pro-Bowler. Mark McDonald, Arizona Cardinals. Bryant McKinnie, Minnesoate Vikings. Greg Meisner, Los Angles Rams.

10 Matt Millen, Oakland Raiders. Ronald Moore, Cleveland Browns. James Mungro, Indianapolis Colts. Stephen Neal, New England Patriots, World and NCAA Wrestling Champion. He was born the son of Jack and Illys Neal on Oct. 9, 1976 in San Diego, Calif. A five-sport athlete at San Diego High School, he competed in wrestling, football, swimming, tennis and track and field... Finished fourth in the state his senior year with a 45-2 record at 189 pounds... Wrestled against 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams while wrestling at San Diego High... Wrestled against former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar while at Cal State-Bakersfield. David Patten, New England Patriots. Scott Peters, New York Giants. Bob Pickens, Chicago Bears. Dave Porter, Green Bay Packers, NCAA Wrestling Champion for the University of Michigan. Larry Csonka, NFL, Miami Dolphins, only undefeated team in NFL history. He pounded defensive players as a fullback and thumped opponents on the mat as well. Curley Culp, NFL, 1967 NCAA Champion, National AAU Champion. While at Yuma (Arizona) High School, Culp won state heavyweight wrestling titles in 1963 and 1964, finishing with a 15-0 record as a senior. He was named all-state both years as well. At the same time, he was beginning a stellar football career, receiving all-state honors on the gridiron in 1963 and Off the field, Culp graduated with a 3.1 GPA, and was 30th in a class of 238 students. Culp later went on to play professional football, and was an American Football League all-star and a member of the Kansas City Chiefs squad that won Super Bowl IV in He was a five-time all-pro and was the National Football League's outstanding defensive player of the year in Bill Fralic, as a tackle at the University of Pittsburgh, Fralic was a consensus All-American three times in football and twice in wrestling (1983 and 1984). He was the second player chosen in the 1985 NFL draft, by the Atlanta Falcons. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Fralic became a starting guard with Atlanta as a rookie. He was named to The Sporting News all-pro team in 1986 and 1987 and

11 was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1986, 1987, 1988, and In April of 1993, Fralic signed with the Detroit Lions as an unconditional free agent. He retired after one season with the Lions. Doug "Bubba" France, played for eight years in the NFL and was selected for two pro-bowls. Ohio state high school wrestling finalist. Bill George, NFL. Intra-collegiate wrestling champion. Charlie Getty, was no stranger to playing in championship games, having played in three consecutive bowl appearances as right tackle at Penn State. He was also an outstanding collegiate wrestler, finishing fifth in the NCAA Championships in Charlie joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1974 as a second round draft choice and played both tackle and guard his first few seasons. He became a permanent fixture at right tackle in 1967 and started there until his retirement. He had his strongest season in 1981 when the Chiefs compiled the most total offensive yards in club history. In all, Getty played in 110 Chiefs games. Getty finished his career in 1983 with the Green Bay Packers. Kevin Glover, Drafted in the second round out of Maryland, he was instrumental in the blocking for Barry Sanders outstanding career. Known as a player who could hold his own in the middle of the line, he played for three years under Bobby Ross at Maryland, then played in three consecutive Pro Bowls from He won the starting job at center after starting at guard in 1988 One of the Lions most durable players starting every game four straight seasons on the offensive line( ), three seasons ( ) center Was one of the most well respected and well liked players. Rocky Rasley, Detroit Lions. Willie Roaf, New Orleans Saints. Bruce Smith, Washington Redskins. Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Was a Florida State high school wrestling champion before his All-Pro days in the NFL. Mark Schlereth, Detroit Lions. Steve Sefter, Philadelphia Eagles. Pennsylvania state high school wrestling champion.

12 Brad St. Louis, Cincinnati Bengals. Matt Suhey, Chicago Bears, Pennsylvania state high school wrestling champion. Bill Szott, Washington Redskins. Woody Thompson, Atlanta Falcons, Pennsylvania state high school wrestling champion. Mike Trgovac, Carolina Panthers. Kyle Turley, St Louis Rams. Ryan Turnbull, Cleveland Browns. Adam Vinatieri, New England Patriots. Born in Yankton South Dakota, the second of four children, Adam lettered in football, soccer, track, and wrestling at Rapid City Central High School (South Dakota) and earned first-team all-state honors in He graduated from South Dakota State and joined the New England Patriots in To date he has earned three Super Bowl rings and is one of the NFL s best and most consistent kickers. Fred Weary, St. Lousi Rams. Charles White, Los Angles Rams. Randy White, Dallas Cowboys. Cory Widmer, New York Giants. Coy Wire, Buffalo Bills. Pennsylvania state high school wrestling runner-up. Greg Wojochowski, St Louis Rams. La'Roi Glover, NFL. Runner-up in the 1992 California state high school wrestling championships. Jim Everett, retired in 1997 after 12 seasons as one of the NFL's most reliable quarterbacks. After a senior season at Purdue in which he completed 285 of 450 passes for 3,651 yards, Everett finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in He was selected by Houston in the first round (third overall) of the 1986 draft and was traded to the Rams in September, 1986.

13 Within two years he established himself as the Rams' starter, passing for at least 3,000 yards in five consecutive seasons ( ). He later increased his career total of 3,000-yard seasons to seven, tied for sixth in league history. Bob Golic, 2-time All-American in wrestling while at Notre Dame. Bob Golic is the brother of Mike Golic who was also a NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles, and is a football commentator for ESPN. He played his college football for Notre Dame. Drafted by the New England Patriots in Played in the NFL as Defensive Tackle for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Los Angeles Raiders a total of 14 years. Played with the real Rudy, who the movie Rudy was based on at Notre Dame. Beat Harold Smith in wrestling. Tim Green, NFL. Carlton Haselrig, Wrestling for the University of Pittsburgh- Johnstown, Haselrig won NCAA heavyweight championships in both Division I and Division II from 1987 through 1989, becoming the only man ever to win six titles. During his college career, he won 143 matches while losing only 2 and tying 1. Though he hadn't played football in college, Haselrig was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the twelfth round of the 1989 NFL draft. He spent a season on the team's developmental squad and was on the regular roster as a nose tackle in The 6-foot-1 Haselrig wrestled at 275 pounds and increased that to 290 as a pro football player. The Steelers moved him to offensive guard in 1991 and he was chosen to play in the 1992 Pro Bowl. Ron Heller, NFL. Chad Hennings, NFL. Iowa state high school wrestling champion. Two time Academic All- America, Inducted into GTE Academic All- America Hall of Fame, Unanimous All-America, Most Valuable Athlete for Air Force Academy, WAC Defensive Player of Year and on All- Decade Team, Outland Trophy winner signify outstanding Lineman in the country, Washington DC Touchdown Club Lineman of the Year, Freedom Bowl MVP, Japan Bowl Most Inspirational Player, Selected to be team Captain by teammates for Shrine All Star game, Played nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys as a starting defensive lineman. Ernie Ladd, NFL, Super Bowl Champion, Kansas City Chiefs. Until the phenom known as Goldberg arrived in the late 1990's, Ernie Ladd was perhaps the most successful pro football player-turned-pro wrestler in the history of the sport, and one of the most influential "big men" wrestling has ever known. Despite being a nationally famous NFL pro football player (for the

14 Baltimore Colts and K.C. Chiefs, among others) "The Big Cat" -- standing 6`9 and weighing 320 lbs. -- was not only one of the most successful wrestlers of his time, he was also one of the most hated. Known equally for his treachery and penchant to cheat at every opportunity as he was for his talent and overwhelming size, Ladd was perceived by fans as one of the most dangerous men in the sport. Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens. State high school wrestling champion in Florida. He has publicly stated that wrestling gave him the skills to become a top-flight player in the NFL. He attended the University of Miami where he was a threeyear starter who turned pro after his junior year. He led the Hurricanes in tackles for 22 consecutive games and led the Big East Conference in tackles for two straight seasons. One of the games best all around player. In just five seasons in the NFL, Ray has been selected to four consecutive Pro Bowl teams and was named to USA Today's all-rookie team in his first season. In 1997, Ray received the John Mackey Award (voted by his peers as the AFCís best linebacker). In the 1997, and 2001season Ray was named Ravens' MVP. In 2000, Ray was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and MVP of SuperBowl XXXV. In 2001, Ray was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Kirk Loudermilk, NFL. Minnesota Vikings. Joel Mackovica, NFL. Chris McIntosh, NFL. Jim Nance, a three-year starter at fullback for Syracuse University, Nance won the NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship in 1963 and The powerful, 6-foot-1 Nance played at 235 pounds in college, but he weighed nearly 260 pounds when he joined the Boston Patriots of the American Football League in 1965 and he never really got into season that season. In 1966, Nance led the AFL in rushing with 1,458 yards on 299 carries, both all-time league records, and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. He was named the AFL's player of the year. The following season, he again led the league with 1,216 yards in 269 attempts. Lorenzo Neal, NFL. Was a California state high school wrestling champion in 1989, finished 2nd in 1988 and 4th in Jeremy Newberry, NFL. Wrestled in high school at Antioch High School (CA). Leo Nomellini, NFL, Big 10 Champion.

15 Foursome. Ernie Ladd, Kansas City Chiefs, Defensive Lineman. The Grambling State University standout with the Chiefs 15th pick in the 1961 draft. At 6'9" and 315 pounds, Ladd was arguably the biggest and strongest man in professional football: 52-inch chest, 39-inch waist, 20-inch biceps, 19-inch neck, 20-inch calf, and size 18D shoes. He played in three AFL championship games, helping the Chargers win the American Football League title in 1963 with fellow teammate Earl Faison, both members of the original Fearsome Damien Covington, Buffalo Bills, Linebacker. John Gilmore, Chicago Bears, Tight End. Mike Reid, A former defensive tackle for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Reid is one of the most sensitive writers of romantic songs in contemporary country music. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the son of a railroad worker. Although he was a piano player from age six, Reid s real passion was sports; in 1969 he won the Outland Trophy as the best collegiate defensive lineman in the country and was an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Champion at heavyweight. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL, and became the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1970 and Pro Bowler. In music, Reid has penned 11 number one hits and won several Grammy's. Errict Rhett, NFL, State High School Champion in Florida. Cory Schlesinger, NFL, New England High School Wrestling Champion. Tony Siragusa, NFL, New Jersey State High School Champion in Fred Smerlas, NFL, State High School Champion in Massachucets and New England Champion. From 1979 up to 1990, there was no larger character playing for the Buffalo Bills than Fred Smerlas. Drafted by Chuck Knox in 1979, out of Boston College in the second round, Smerlas became an instant star in and out of uniform. He was a five-time Pro Bowler.

16 Dave Szott, NFL, 1986 New Jersey State High School Champion. Tommy Vardell, NFL. He finished 5th in the California State High School Wrestling Championships in John Ward, NFL, All-American Oklahoma State. Brad St. Louis, Cincinnati Bengals. Ricky Williams, 1998 Heisman Trophy Winner, Ricky was everything you could've ever wanted in a college running back. He was polite to a fault, respectful to the history of college football, and was very, very good and very, very productive. With his dreadlocks and ability to show up and produce in the biggest moments, few players in college football history can boast the career Williams had. By the time he was done at Texas he held 15 NCAA and 44 Texas records capping off a consistent career that began with a 95 yard, two touchdown day at Hawaii and finishing with the Hula Bowl, where with nothing to prove to anyone, he carried the ball 22 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He was pinned by Stephen Neal in high School.