Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Georgia

The Bulldogs were never a powerhouse in wrestling but the program deserves to be remembered and celebrated for many reasons.  First and foremost because it at one time provided a place for Georgia high school wrestlers to compete in their home state & many of the wrestlers, including those who came to Georgia from other states, stayed to coach wrestling in Georgia.

152 lbs
David Cooper

A graduate of nearby Avondale high School, Cooper competed for the Bulldogs at the 1966 NCAA Championships.

167 lbs
Steve Godlewski 

Godlewski wrestled on four Georgia High School State championship teams competing for Briar Cliff High school where he himself had finishes of fourth, State champion, third, State Champion.  Competing for Georgia, he participated in the 1967 NCAA championships.

HWT
Tommy Lyons 

A Standout on the mat as well as the gridiron, Lyons competed for the Georgia Military Academy (now known as Woodward) in high school, where he was recruited to wrestle and play football for the bulldogs.  In football Lyons was on the 1970 All SEC team and was named an All American.  As a wrestler he won three SEIWA titles & participated in the 1968 NCAA championships. 

Post his outstanding collegiate football career Lyons played six years in the NFL for the Denver Broncos where he started in 41 games.  After retiring from the NFL he went to medical school at the University of Colorado and practiced medicine in the Atlanta area for years.

167 lbs
David Landis 

Coming all the way from Pennsylvania, Landis wrestled for Central Dauphin East while in high school.  He was an NCAA qualifier for the Bulldogs in 1979 and post graduation he taught physics and coached wrestling at both Athens Christian High School & Providence Christian Academy both in Georgia.

134 lbs
Don St. James 

Another grappler from the east coast, St. James came from Rush-Henrietta High school where he was a New York state champion.   Competing for the Bulldogs he qualified for the 1980 NCAA championships.   He'd assist at the University of Tennessee for a short spell before going on to have an outstanding career as a high school wrestling coach in Georgia.   He coached at Etowah, Centennial & Cambridge high schools.  Altogether he coached thirteen Georgia state champions, two runner-ups and thirty-eight place-winners.

150 lbs
Matt Skove 

While in high school Matt Skove was probably the least known and least popular of the famous Skove brothers who wrestled for Long Branch high school in New Jersey.  Never a state champion, Skoves best finish was third in 1978.   Nevertheless he went on to have a phenomenal collegiate career.

As a sophomore in 1980, Skove qualified for the NCAA championships.  Unfortunately it was announced the Bulldog wrestling would not continue for the 1980-1981 season & Skove was forced to find a new home.   He chose Oklahoma State.

Now wrestling for the Cowboys, Skove had a standout senior season which included winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, a BIG 12 title and capturing fourth place at the NCAA wrestling championships.