Etched In Stone

After leaving the place he'd help establish as a national wrestling power, Gray Simons spent five seasons at Indiana State as the Sycamores' head coach prior to taking over his first "big school" - the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. While sports-crazy, Tennessee was still new to the wrestling game. Gray Simons and a talented recruiter named Steve Gaydosh wouldn't just change Tennessee's for...

Gray Simons finished his college career by setting a new standard in college wrestling. Seven national championships, college wrestling's first four-time title winner in any division to go along with two Olympic appearances. The Olympic disappointment didn't last long as Gray Simons returned to Mat Town to take over its proud wrestling program. Simons was primed to lead the program to new heights,...

From 1961-1964, Gray Simons was one of the best wrestlers in the World. Heading into his junior season at Lock Haven, Simons had already won two NAIA national championships and an NCAA championship, beating Olympian Dick Wilson in the finals as a sophomore.  After his trip to Rome saw him come away from the Olympics without a medal, Simons continued his tear through college wrestling. Would injuri...

From the legendary Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, the path to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for Elliot Gray Simons included some unbelievable feats of wrestling, but it didn't start off with immediate accolades. Simons would win a state championship for Hall of Fame coach Billy Martin before enrolling at tiny Lock Haven State Teachers College. There, Simons would dominate the colle...

Trailer for the upcoming Etched in Stone series, Gray Simons: Seven. Gray Simons was college wrestling's first four-time collegiate national champion. He also holds the unique distinction of being the first - and only - seven-time college national champion. Simons was a four-time NAIA champion at Lock Haven and was also a three-time NCAA champion, winning the Outstanding Wrestler award six times i...

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling are excited to announce that their Etched In Stone - Stories of Wrestling Legends podcast featuring Lee Kemp, a three-time World champion and a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Wisconsin has launched at etchedinstonepodcast.com . Episode II will be released on March 7 followed by Episode III on March 14 and Episode IV on March 21....

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling are excited to announce that their Etched In Stone - Stories of Wrestling Legends podcast featuring Lee Kemp, a three-time World champion and a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Wisconsin has launched at etchedinstonepodcast.com . Episode II will be released on March 8 followed by Episode III on March 15 and Episode IV on March 22....

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling are excited to announce that their Etched In Stone - Stories of Wrestling Legends podcast featuring Lee Kemp, a three-time World champion and a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Wisconsin has launched at etchedinstonepodcast.com . Episode II will be released on March 7 followed by Episode III on March 14 and Episode IV on March 21....

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling are excited to announce that their Etched In Stone - Stories of Wrestling Legends podcast featuring Lee Kemp, a three-time World champion and a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Wisconsin has launched at etchedinstonepodcast.com . Episode II will be released on March 8 followed by Episode III on March 15 and Episode IV on March 22....

The famous tagline for ABC's Wide World of Sports is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Lloyd Keaser's story isn't all sunshine and rainbows. In addition to the hardships he overcame as a youth and the struggles in high school and at the Naval Academy, Keaser's wrestling career also saw the highs and lows. Wrestling is a fickle beast. Wrestling doesn't care how good you are. It can fel...

When it comes to being a success, Famed country music legend Loretta Lynn once said you either have to be first, best or different. In the sports world, there aren't many opportunities to be all three at the same time, since there's usually always someone who's come before you.     In 1973, Lloyd "Butch" Keaser would accomplish the rare trifecta, but before Keaser made history as the first African...

In March of 2021 at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships in St. Louis, five African-American wrestlers – Iowa State's David Carr, Minnesota's Gable Steveson and the Penn State trip of Roman Bravo-Young, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks — all won individual championships. It was a high water mark for wrestlers of color, especially African Americans as at the top level of men's college wrestl...

The third John Smith interview is here!  This interview was recorded in October of 2020 at Coach Smith's office, as part of the audio documentary series, The Smiths. We talk about Pat's career, John's loss to Reinoso at the '92 games, and John's coaching career.  Enjoy! *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as in...

In honor of the Olympic Trials taking place this past weekend, we wanted to release the second of three John Smith interviews. As a reminder, this interview was recorded as part of the audio documentary, The Smiths.  This interview covers the second-half of John's competitive career, as well as John's perspective on Pat's career.    *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons,...

Bonus episode time!  This episode features the full Mark Branch interview, which was recorded in November of 2020 for The Smiths.  Today, Mark Branch is the head coach at the University of Wyoming, but back in 93/94 he was a redshirt freshman, wrestling for the Cowboys.  Enjoy!   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as...

Bonus episode time!  This episode features the full Dan Gable interview, which was recorded in August of 2020 for The Smiths.  Enjoy!   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Ha...

Bonus episode time!  This episode features the full Pat Smith interview, recorded in October of this past year at Pat's wrestling academy in Arkansas. Please enjoy!   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrest...

Bonus episode time!  This episode features the full John Smith interview, recorded in August of this year. We have two additional John Smith interviews that we may release in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, please enjoy!   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, famil...

John leads Oklahoma State through NCAA sanctions, while Pat tries to become wrestling's first four-time, NCAA Division 1 Champion.   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Hall...

Distracted and exhausted, John makes a run at the 1992 Olympics, while Pat seeks a third-straight NCAA title.   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Directed, wri...

John becomes a global wrestling superstar but is pushed to the brink of retirement by an unknown Cuban wrestler, Lazaro Reinoso.   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Hall of...

Pat Smith navigates the shark-infested waters of NCAA wrestling, while Oklahoma State is thrown into an NCAA investigation.   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Hall of Fame...

John Smith battles an unlikely foe before making his first run at Olympic Gold.   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Directed, written and produced by Ryan Warn...

John Smith suffers a crushing defeat in the 1985 NCAA finals before entering an age of self-discovery.   *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Directed, written an...

John Smith navigates his freshman year at Oklahoma State, while his older brother, Lee Roy, attempts to make the 1984 Olympic Team.     *** THE SMITHS The Smiths chronicles the rise of wrestling icons, John & Pat Smith, with never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with more than 30 friends, family and competitors.   *** CREDITS Executive Producers: USA Wrestling; The National Wrestling Ha...