Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Louisiana State

Born in 1985, by the time that I became aware & a huge collegiate wrestling fan, most of the wrestling programs we've lost over the years were already gone.  Back in the late 90's, early 00's when I started following collegiate wrestling, I wasn't even aware that many of these schools without wrestling programs used to have them.  It was a funny and unique story as to how I first learned that the Tigers of Louisiana State at one time had a program.

John "Earthquake" Tenta
HWT

Ever sense I was four years old, I have wanted to be a professional wrestler.  Leaving out a long story, pro wrestling was how I first became interested in amateur wrestling some 28 years ago.  When I was a senior in high school, I started looking into professional wrestling schools.  Former WWE legend John Tenta aka The Earthquake ran a wrestling school.  I got up the nerve, I called the school and I asked to speak to Mr. John Tenta.  Much to my surprise he answered the phone.

We talked for about twenty minutes.  He was a very encouraging and inspiring man. He told me that if I had an opportunity to go to college first I should.  That his or another pro wrestling school would still be there afterwards.  He then asked me if I had an athletic background.  I told him that I had wrestled in high school. That's when he shocked me by saying that he had wrestled in high school as well & been a provisional champion in Canada.  I was even more shocked when he told me that he had wrestled in college.  The biggest shock though, was when he told me WHERE he had wrestled in college.

"Louisiana State"

"Excuse me??!?!?!?!"

I couldn't believe that LSU had a wrestling team.  I asked if they were any good.  His answer? "Well we weren't Iowa, but I think we were."  He then went on to tell me that the wrestling team was dropped a short time after he began wrestling there.   It was an inspiring conversation with a man who went out of his way to spend twenty minutes on the phone with a kid one day.  I imagine he probably forgot about it 10 minutes after it happened, but it'll be something I cherish till the day I die.


As I grew older I looked more into Louisiana State wrestling.  Tenta was right, we're not talking the NCAA team titles like Iowa.  Yet, Tenta was also right that LSU was pretty good.  Always competitive in the SEC conference & in the Regional qualifier after the disbandment of SEC wrestling. In 12 seasons of SEC wrestling, we're talking 5 team titles.  That's more than any other SEC team.   We're also talking NCAA qualifiers in 12 of the 15 seasons LSU wrestling existed (1969-1970 to 1984-1985) & All Americans more often than you would think.

What I found most interesting about LSU wrestling was the clash between Larry Sciacchetano & the athletic director at the time.  Sciacchetano wanted to recruit local talent from Louisiana & surrounding states to help grow wrestling in the area & establish a fan base.  He argued that the people of Baton Rouge weren't going to show up to watch kids from Iowa & Ohio & other "wrestling states."  They wanted to see their local boys.   The A.D. argued that the local boys weren't good enough to make LSU wrestling competitive & they needed the "out of staters" in order to win.   The A.D. won out and from what I've been able to gather, the wrestling lineups were of wrestlers from anywhere other than Louisiana.  Matter of fact, in every study I've done on LSU wrestling, I have yet to find a single native Louisianan on the team.

Mike Chinn
134 lbs 

Mike Chinn spent his first three seasons as Oklahoma wrestling as a Sooner before coming to Louisiana State to become a Tiger.  He won the 1978 SEC title & took fifth place at the NCAA tournament.  He accredited his success to his dog Obie, who he had to keep up with on his morning runs.

Eric Moll
177 lbs 

From Barrington High School in Illinois where he won a state title in 1977, "Big E" was a three time NCAA qualifier for the Tigers in 1978, 79 & 80.  Known for having mountain peak biceps, it was said that he could easily curl 185 lbs on the preacher.   We sadly lost Moll when he passed away in Houston, Texas a few years ago.

Kyle Grunwald
134 lbs 

A two time State champion out of New York, Grunwald qualified for the NCAA tournament in 79', 80' & 81'.

Joey Atiyeh
190 lbs 

Born in Syria, Joe Atiyeh was said to be the best Football player in the entire country when he played on the high school gridirons of Pennsylvania.  When he came to LSU, it was to be a Defensive Tackle on the football team & a member of the wrestling team.  He qualified twice for the NCAA tournament, taking eighth place honors at the 1980 championships as a junior. 

Competing for Syria, Atiyeh would win a Silver medal at the 1984 Olympic games.  Another interesting note is that Atiyeah once defeated NCAA champion Lou Banach 13-10 at the Midlands tournament.

Mike Evans
HWT

A different Mike Evans than "Mr. Mustache" of Iowa, this Mike Evans was originally from Bloom Trail, Illinois where he took runner-up honors at the 1978 state championships. He then went on to wrestling for Joliet Junior College, where he won two NJCAA titles with a 60-1 record.   Transferring to Louisiana State, he qualified for the 1980 NCAA championships & capped off his career in 1981 with a seventh place finish. 

Post college he dabbled in professional boxing for a while & then had a life of trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood. He never made it real big but he did have a few minor roles in various television & film productions.  He has a small uncredited part where he shares screen time with the late Burt Reynolds in the film CITY HEAT.

Mike Clevenger
118 lbs 

A three time NCAA qualifier, Clevenger captured All American honors at the 1984 NCAA championships with a third place finish.

Jim Edwards
126, 134 lbs 

A two time State champion from Ohio, Edwards was a four time NCAA qualifier for the Tigers.  He placed fifth as a sophomore in 1982.

Bill Dykeman
158 lbs 

A native of New Jersey, Dykeman placed sixth at the 1982 NCAA championships as a freshman for the Tigers. He would then transfer to Oklahoma State where he would make All American twice more, placing fourth as a junior in 1984 & seventh as a senior in 1985.
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Clarence Richardson
177 lbs 

Although a great wrestler, an SEC champion & an All American in 1983 (fourth), Clar Richardson is known best for securing a fall in just nine seconds at the NCAA tournament.  A record that still stands to this day.

Kevin Jackson
158, 167 lbs 

Had it not been for the Tigers dropping their wrestling program, Kevin Jackson would have been the Tigers first four time All American.  The two time Michigan high school state champion took third place honors in 1983 & 1984, finishing in seventh place as a junior in 1985.  After LSU discontinued wrestling, Jackson took the 1986 season off as he found a new home at Iowa State university.  There he finished at the NCAA runner-up in 1987.

Post college, Jackson went on to have an outstanding career at the international level.   Pan-American Gold, World Gold & Olympic gold medals.

Rob Johnson
126 lbs

Johnson was a two time All American for the Tigers placing sixth in 1984 & seventh in 1985