Hodge, Daniel A.
Boxing, Wrestling
May 13, 1932, Perry, OK
Hodge spent two years in the Navy after graduating from high school and then entered the University of Oklahoma in 1953. He won three consecutive NCAA wrestling championships in the 177-pound class, from 1955 through 1957, and he won AAU 180 1/2-pound titles in 1953, 1954, and 1956.
A silver medalist at the 1956 Olympics, Hodge became an amateur boxer in 1958, winning 17 consecutive fights and the national Golden Gloves heavyweight championship. He won 8 of 10 professional bouts and then went into professional wrestling.
A serious injury suffered in a 1976 auto accident forced his retirement.