Takedown Report

Top 10 wrestlers who played in NFL; Top 10 NFL stars who were wrestlers

BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | JAN. 30, 2020,
PODCAST: How Wrestling Built Me featuring Stephen Neal
Wrestling and football have been linked, going way back in time. On the high school and youth levels, many football players also wrestled. In some instances, there are college athletes who competed in both football and wrestling, much more in the earlier years, but it is still going on. Just in 2019, Fresno State football running back Josh Hokit became a Div. I All-American in wrestling. It can be done.
During the 2013 year when it was recommended that wrestling no longer be on the Olympic program, USA Wrestling did extensive research on wrestlers who competed in the NFL. We compiled a huge list, something that helped us bring more attention to wrestling in the USA as we battled our way back into the Olympic Games.
There are two ways to look at this thing. Who was the best wrestler, who also competed in the NFL? Who was the best football player, who also wrestled? For fun, we will provide a top 10 list for both questions. (Please remember that this is just one man’s opinion).
Best Wrestlers who played in the NFL
We have a lot to choose from, including a World champion, an Olympian, and a few NCAA wrestling champions and some multiple NCAA All-Americans. Clearly, the top choice is 1999 World champion and two-time NCAA champion Stephen Neal, who won three Super Bowl rings as an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. Neal won his NCAA titles for Cal-Bakersfield.
Right there at No. 2 is three-time NCAA Div. I champion and three-time NCAA Div. II champion Carlton Haselrig, who played on the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Haselrig wrestled for Pitt-Johnstown.
Both Neal and Haselrig are Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and neither of them played college football. 1964 Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Bob Pickens, who played on the offensive line for the Chicago Bears, gets in at No. 3. Next is two-time NCAA wrestling champion Jim Nance of Syracuse, a running back for the New England Patriots. Add in NCAA champions Curly Culp of Arizona State (who is also in the NFL Hall of Fame) and Art Baker of Syracuse.
We included two-time NCAA wrestling All-Americans Bob Golic (Notre Dame), Charlie Getty (Penn State) and Steve Sefter (Penn State), and Oklahoma State wrestler John Ward, who reached third at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. We also have a few Honorable Mention wrestlers in the NFL who were NCAA Div. I All-Americans. I know many great wrestlers on the high school level may have only played football in college, but we have to give props to those guys who were All-American college wrestlers, regardless of how good some of the others were in high school.
TOP 10 WRESTLERS WHO PLAYED IN NFL
1. Stephen Neal, New England Patriots OL** – 1999 World freestyle champion, 2x NCAA wrestling champion (Cal-Bakersfield) 4th 1966, 2nd 1997, 1st 1998, 1st 1999
2. Carlton Haselrig, Pittsburgh Steelers OL** – 3x NCAA Div. I champion, 3x NCAA Div. II champion (Pitt-Johnstown), Div. I champion (1987-1989), Div. II champion (1987-1989), 3rd 1986 Div. II
3. Bob Pickens, Chicago Bears, OL – 1964 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Team member
4. Jim Nance, New England Patriots, RB – 2x NCAA wrestling champion (Syracuse), 1963 and 1965 champion
5. Curly Culp, Kansas City Chiefs, DL – NCAA wrestling champion (Arizona State), 1967 champion
6. Art Baker, Buffalo Bills, RB – NCAA wrestling champion (Syracuse), 1959 champion
7. Bob Golic, Cleveland Browns, DL – 2x NCAA wrestling All-American (Notre Dame), 3rd 1978, 4th 1977 …. rest of the lists and story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/January/30/Best-wrestlers-who-were-also-in-the-NFL?mc_cid=0c135afe6f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

February 17, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized