Gable Steveson

[mad_rascal]

What about Charlie Ward? Won the Heisman, then played 10+ plus years in the NBA. Underrated achievement IMO 

[Camel Wrestling Fan]

Dave Winfield. Drafted in football, basketball and baseball where he became a Hall of famer. 

Bo Jackson?

Dion Sanders?

[billyhoyle]

Anybody say Jackie Robinson yet? 

[Southend]

  On 5/23/2024 at 5:49 PM, Iwrite said:

Many years ago, I spent an afternoon with Grace Thorpe, Jim's daugther, in Yale, OK. She told me that her father loved to wrestle a "backyard style" and never was defeated. Pretty interesting.

Also, Bob Mathias belongs in any conversation about the greatest athlete ever. He won the Olympic decathlon gold medal in London in 1948 at AGE 17 -- and won again four years later. He told me that he wanted to go again in 1956 but he was ruled ineligible by the AAU for starriing in a movie about his own life. He was also a star running back at Stanford and played in the Rose Bowl.

Glen Brand, 1948 Olympic wrestling champion, told me he was  in awe of Mathias when he won the decathlon in 1948 and Glen considered Mathias the best athlete he ever saw.

 

 

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You are old. 

[Wildcat92]

Wilt Chamberlain:

• High jumped 6'6"
• Ran the 440 in 49 secs
• Ran the 880 in 1:58
• Shot put 53'4"
• Long jumped 22'
• We all know about is basketball prowess
• International Volleyball Association HOF
• Reportedly could bench 500 lbs

[Wrestleknownothing]

  On 5/29/2024 at 3:30 PM, Wildcat92 said:

Wilt Chamberlain:

• High jumped 6'6"
• Ran the 440 in 49 secs
• Ran the 880 in 1:58
• Shot put 53'4"
• Long jumped 22'
• We all know about is basketball prowess
• International Volleyball Association HOF
• Reportedly could bench 500 lbs

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Yeah, but he couldn't beat Conan the Destroyer on his home court.

[mspart]

It is well known that Conan did not play fair. 

mspart

[11986]

  On 5/28/2024 at 10:56 PM, scourge165 said:

Steve Young would be on the other end of that spectrum. 6'2 245...they talked about moving him to safety. There's a story he ran a 4.38 40 in camp that Rice and Walsh swear by(which is clearly BS, but probably meant he could run a 4.5-something).

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I really don't recall Steve Young being that big. Height yes, weight not so much. 

[NM1965]

  On 5/29/2024 at 4:19 AM, mad_rascal said:

What about Charlie Ward? Won the Heisman, then played 10+ plus years in the NBA. Underrated achievement IMO 

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What a bonehead decision, or at least it seems to be. Charlie would've been a for sure #1 draft pick and I can't help he'd have made a lot more money off football. But then again his career in the NBA was long. Maybe he made more in the NBA than he would've made in a relatively short NFL career. He was a little guy and would've definitely gotten hammered in the NFL. 

[NM1965]

  On 5/29/2024 at 3:30 PM, Wildcat92 said:

Wilt Chamberlain:

• High jumped 6'6"
• Ran the 440 in 49 secs
• Ran the 880 in 1:58
• Shot put 53'4"
• Long jumped 22'
• We all know about is basketball prowess
• International Volleyball Association HOF
• Reportedly could bench 500 lbs

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If you believe that stuff I have a bridge that I'd love to sell you. Those stories about Wilt are about as legit as Dan Gable supposedly tossing around the Banach brothers in practice! 

[NM1965]

  On 5/21/2024 at 12:29 PM, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

He was amazing.  If I recall, he was bigger, or around the same size, as linemen back in his day.  And he could run.

I believe in lax, he was able to "withhold" the ball by compressing his stick to his chest, put his head down and run people over.  You can't do that anymore!

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If you watch the old game footage from when Brown played for Cleveland you'll note that Jim Brown was the same size as the defensive linemen of the era. Brown straight up ran over linebackers and outran the secondary guys. Jim Brown was a man among boys, and that was in the NFL. 

[Wrestleknownothing]

  On 5/28/2024 at 10:56 PM, scourge165 said:

Yeah...he was. He was also a guy who played mostly 1B and struggled to hit .300 in HS. I think his Baseball prowess has perhaps been exaggerated. A guy like Elway had a legit shot to be a star Baseball player. Steve Young would be on the other end of that spectrum. 6'2 245...they talked about moving him to safety. There's a story he ran a 4.38 40 in camp that Rice and Walsh swear by(which is clearly BS, but probably meant he could run a 4.5-something).
But that's the point. Brady had the ability...like Peyton did, to process and play manipulate the pocket, but he never had the big arm(most of his backups probably had stronger arms).

But 7 Super Bowls is 7 Super Bowls. 

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I don't know if this is 4.38 speed, but man he has some wheels on him. Just ran past a lot of people who thought they had an angle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urjayGmL94Y

 

[NM1965]

  On 5/23/2024 at 4:12 PM, CowboyYe2024 said:

If Gable doesn't make the NFL

he could cut to 197 at OKST

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He makes it look easy. Gable has that lazy talent that shows up whenever he steps on the mat. He'd have driven at least one of my coaches insane. 

[mad_rascal]

  On 5/29/2024 at 7:55 PM, NM1965 said:

What a bonehead decision, or at least it seems to be. Charlie would've been a for sure #1 draft pick and I can't help he'd have made a lot more money off football. But then again his career in the NBA was long. Maybe he made more in the NBA than he would've made in a relatively short NFL career. He was a little guy and would've definitely gotten hammered in the NFL. 

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NFL was rough on QBs back then too. None of the Brady rules, etc. I think he said he'd play NFL if he was picked in the first round. No one was willing to do it, but they may have been scared he'd choose basketball anyway. NBA contracts are guaranteed all years, NFL not so much. 

[AgaveMaria]

  On 5/29/2024 at 7:58 PM, NM1965 said:

If you believe that stuff I have a bridge that I'd love to sell you. Those stories about Wilt are about as legit as Dan Gable supposedly tossing around the Banach brothers in practice! 

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Most of Wilt Chamberlains Track & Field feats are on the record as he did them in College meets. They are not made up.

Remember that he AVERAGED 50 points a game one season - with no 3 point shot. He also averaged 48.5 minutes per game for a whole season.

He was an excellent athlete. He even played a season after College with the Harlem Globetrotters.

 

[NM1965]

  On 5/30/2024 at 3:18 AM, AgaveMaria said:

Most of Wilt Chamberlains Track & Field feats are on the record as he did them in College meets. They are not made up.

Remember that he AVERAGED 50 points a game one season - with no 3 point shot. He also averaged 48.5 minutes per game for a whole season.

He was an excellent athlete. He even played a season after College with the Harlem Globetrotters.

 

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No way he benched over 300 pounds, let alone 500. 

[BFosr1]

  On 5/30/2024 at 3:18 AM, AgaveMaria said:

Most of Wilt Chamberlains Track & Field feats are on the record as he did them in College meets. They are not made up.

Remember that he AVERAGED 50 points a game one season - with no 3 point shot. He also averaged 48.5 minutes per game for a whole season.

He was an excellent athlete. He even played a season after College with the Harlem Globetrotters.

 

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Yeah and he also played against 6’4 centers who were science teachers and plumbers.

[BFosr1]

  On 5/30/2024 at 3:37 AM, NM1965 said:

No way he benched over 300 pounds, let alone 500. 

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Not with those longs arms…. Heck no.

[NM1965]

  On 5/30/2024 at 4:35 AM, BFosr1 said:

Not with those longs arms…. Heck no.

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Exactly. I can believe the bball claims, he's probably the best ever (sorry Jordan). The track and field claims, I believe some of them. But the 500 bench? No way. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

  On 5/30/2024 at 4:35 AM, BFosr1 said:

Yeah and he also played against 6’4 centers who were science teachers and plumbers.

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That was pro sports at the time...

[MNRodent]

  On 5/30/2024 at 3:37 AM, NM1965 said:

No way he benched over 300 pounds, let alone 500. 

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I could believe 300 but not 500.  He wasn't exactly scrawny compared to other 7'1'' BB guys.

[NM1965]

Hehehe...Arnold looks like a hobbit in that picture. 

Could Wilt bench 300#? Man, that's a tall order for a dude with arms that long. I think Shaq benched #375 in his prime, but Shaq was a lot thicker than Wilt.  Maybe Wilt could bench 300, he was a great athlete. But 500? Hehe, no way. I found a pic of Wilt from his bball days. 

Edited May 30, 2024 by NM1965

[Gus]

Gable Steveson has signed with the Buffalo Bills!

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40250779/olympic-gold-medal-wrestler-gable-steveson-signing-bills

[Mr. PeanutButter]

  On 5/31/2024 at 6:16 PM, Gus said:

Gable Steveson has signed with the Buffalo Bills!

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40250779/olympic-gold-medal-wrestler-gable-steveson-signing-bills

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le sigh. 

Wishing him the best (and hopefully he avoids CTE) but bummed that the sport is potentially losing out on an all timer

[wjd]

  On 5/30/2024 at 4:35 AM, BFosr1 said:

Yeah and he also played against 6’4 centers who were science teachers and plumbers.

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You obviously don't follow basketball or know your basketball history. I believe he played against something like 8 or 9 HOF centers. Not all of these guys are HOFers but look up the size and stats of Bill Russell, Nate Thurmand, Walt Bellamy, Kareem, Bob Lanier, Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes. The list goes on and on. Back then the big man in the middle was the focus of a team, not outside shooting.