Unlike basketball or baseball or football, most high school and college wrestlers never go professional. A few might compete on the national team, but that’s 30 people out of hundreds of thousands compared to the hundreds who go pro in the other sports. However, unlike those sports, something special happens to wrestlers. Wrestlers develop amazing skills that translate to real-life like no other sport. This might be why wrestlers often continue to wrestle as a hobby late into their life, and often come back to their alma-mater high school to watch matches, coach and just help out in any way that they can. Patrick Henry is no different, where wrestling alums are a big part of practice and program and many of whom have gone to do great things, and their stories are for another post. This one is more about the famous people who we may know, but did not know were wrestlers in high school or college.
Abraham Lincoln was undefeated. Teddy Rosevelt had a wrestling room in the white house. 25% of the people who held the world’s toughest job were wrestlers.
The next toughest and most selective job is space exploration. NASA includes many wrestlers. The pictures above don’t include Victor Glover who was one of the first four to fly to ISS on the first SpaceX capsule and many others.
Hollywood is known to require the greatest tenacity to break through and become a star. Mario Lopez was a California State placer from San Diego. Many other entertainers developed their grit, tenacity, and perseverance on the mat.
To become a CEO and lead a corporation of thousands of people requires a unique combination of independence and teamwork that wrestling develops. As a result, many of the Fortune 500 CEO’s wrestled in high school or college.
Lastly, to get on the mat is to go into battle. To be a wrestler on a team is to go into battle every week where you have to face the opponent with preparation and respect. A perfect sport to create some of the best generals in any armed service.
In the end, wrestling isn’t a sport, it is a fraternity, a brotherhood, and a preparation for life. It is speed chess and training grounds for the toughest obstacles and the most rewarding careers. It is not for those who fear attention or prefer to hide on the sidelines or find a rest break during the game. It is for those who are ambitious and will find a way to achieve their dreams, no matter the obstacles that come their way.
Images from NCWA Famous Wrestlers.
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