
Remembering Wahoo McDaniel: Louisiana’s Dual Sports Superstar
https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=17&page=4&search=louisiana
Small Town Louisiana to The Miami Dolphins
Edward Hugh McDaniel was born on June 19, 1938, in Bernice, Louisiana. His father worked in the oilfields, which led to his family's moving across Louisiana and Texas until they settled in Midland, Texas.
McDaniel started his athletic career young in Pony League baseball, where he was coached by George Herbert Walker Bush. Years later, Bush would give up coaching and become the United States President.
Wahoo would continue playing sports into college when he was recruited by the University of Oklahoma. In 1960 McDaniel's made it out of college football and into the American Football League, being first drafted to the 1960 iteration of the now Los Angeles Chargers.
McDaniels was later traded to the Houston Oilers, where he played in the team's first championship season. McDaniel would later move teams, making his way to the New York Jets where he began to wear the name Wahoo stitched onto the back of his jersey. During this run with the Jets, whenever McDaniel would tackle a player the announcer in the stadium would ask the audience to say who made the tackle, and in response, the crowd would chant "Wahoo! Wahoo!"
McDaniel retired from the AFL in 1968 after completing his final season with the Miami Dolphins.
From Punts to Piledrivers
In 1960 while he was playing for the Houston Oilers, McDaniel wanted something to supplement his income during the AFL offseason. McDaniel found Western States Sports, a professional wrestling promotion owned by legendary wrestler Dory Funk Sr. Western States Sports would take in McDaniel where he was then trained by Funk Sr.
McDaniel quickly started his wrestling career, wrestling for West States Sports in the offseason around the Texas area until his NFL career took him to New York to play for the Jets. While there McDaniel would begin wrestling for the then WWWF, now WWE.
McDaniel represented his Native American heritage through his wrestling career, wearing a traditional Native American headdress to the ring before his matches. Often during the 1960s era of wrestling McDaniel would find himself in several wrestling feuds over the disrespect his opponent showed to his Native heritage.
McDaniels became well known for his heavy chops and hard punches in his wrestling style and is possibly best remembered for a feud with legendary wrestler Johnny Valentine whose wrestling style was nearly identical to McDaniels's, leading to a cult classic matchup of hard hits that would knock anyone else flat.
In his wrestling career, McDaniel won 17 different championships, then recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance. One of those championship belts was the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship which is still in use today as the WWE United States Championship.
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel retired from professional wrestling in the mid-90s due to his worsening health. McDaniel passed away from kidney failure in 2002, later being inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2019.
Best King Cakes in Shreveport-Bossier
Do Medical Grade Skin Products and Procedures Really Work?
Gallery Credit: Bristol/TSM