Danny Hodge

By any standard, Danny Hodge is one of the greatest winners of all time. In 1947, Hodge walked into the high school gym in Perry, Oklahoma and walked onto a wrestling mat for the first time. Seven short days into his wrestling experience, he took third place in state and went on to place second in the state in 1950 and first place in 1951.

After a stint in the navy reserves, Hodge made an appearance in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and then joined the Oklahoma Sooners. His wrestling career at OU saw an amazing record of no losses on the mat. He won all 46 of his college matches, pinning 36 times - 24 of those consecutively to set a school record.

He also became the only grappler to win the Big 7 tournament three consecutive years, pinning every opponent. His average time on the mat at the Big 7 was an astonishing one minute, 39 seconds. Hodge returned to the Olympic games in Melbourne in 1956 where he brought home the silver medal. In 1957, he became the first wrestler to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

After college, Hodge decided to try his hand at boxing. His first year in the ring, he went all the way to win the Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden. This earned him the distinction of being the only person to hold a national title in both boxing and wrestling at the same time. He never lost a bout or a match during his amateur career.

In 1959, he put on the professional gloves for nine months, winning eight of 10 bouts before returning to his first love of wrestling. He won the World's Junior Heavy Weight title in July of 1960, beginning a reign as world champion that would span 15 years.

In 1976, Hodge was involved in a car accident that broke his neck and soon after he retired. In 1967, he was inducted into the Helm's Wrestling Hall of Fame and in 1976, he was one of 14 charter members of the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.