Reed, Robin L.
Wrestling
b. Oct. 20, 1899, Pettigrew, AR
d. Dec. 20, 1978
While hitch-hiking from his home in Oregon to New York City in 1924 to join the U. S. Olympic team, Reed stopped at Iowa State University to work out, but was refused permission. He asked the coach if he could work out if he first pinned every member of the wrestling team. The coach agreed. Reed proceeded to pin every Iowa State wrestler and he got his workout.
During practice for the Olympics in Paris, he bet he could pin Harry Steel, the U. S. heavyweight champion and eventual gold medal winner in that weight class. He not only pinned Steel, but he did it five times in fifteen minutes. Not surprisingly, Reed went on to win the gold medal in the featherweight class, pinning every opponent he faced.
Undoubtedly the greatest amateur wrestler of his era, Reed never lost a match. As a student at Oregon State University, he was the AAU 125-pound champion in 1921, the 135-pound champion in 1922 and 1924. After the 1924 Olympics, he returned to Oregon State to become the school's wrestling coach while still a student and he remained to coach the school to the national AAU championship in 1926.
Reed then wrestled professionally for about 10 years before retiring from the sport to become a real estate broker.