Wrestlers From A To Z From Roone Arledge To Zac Taylor And Famous Wrestlers And Not-So-Famous Wrestlers In Between

So you say you’ve never heard of a famous wrestler? Think again.

Many distinguished careers started on the wrestling mat. Politicians, generals, actors, cartoonists (Milt Prigge), writers and, well, wrestlers.

Many of the world’s best wrestlers will be on stage Friday and Saturday in Spokane at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Who knows, perhaps there’s a president in the group.

As a way of introducing neophytes into the wide world of wrestling, here is our list, from A to Z:

A Wide World of Sports’ Roone Arledge experienced the thrill of victory and agony of defeat in his wrestling career.

B World War II Marine flying ace Gregory “Pappy” Boyington of Okanogan developed his quick reflexes on the wrestling mat.

C Tom Cruise was a top gun for his high school wrestling team before a knee injury forced him into an acting career.

D Wrestling Hall of Fame member Kirk Douglas tried his best to take down the Roman Empire in the movie “Spartacus,” but wound up pinned to the cross.

E More than 4,000 fans in Cheney cheered Eastern Washington University to its first national championship, the NAIA wrestling title in 1977. In 1990, trying to get into compliance with Title IX, the school dropped the sport.

F Actor Stephen Furst, who made his screen debut as an overweight fraternity pledge in “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” floundered on the mat in the wrestling movie “Takedown.”

G A wrestling icon, Dan Gable compiled a high school and college record of 182-1. In 1972, he won an Olympic gold medal without surrendering a point to any opponent. Last March, Gable directed the Iowa Hawkeyes to their 16th NCAA title.

H Hulk Hogan and the late 800-pound Haystacks Calhoun are practitioners of that “other” wrestling.

I The world according to author John Irving, an outstanding prep and college wrestler, always centers on the mat.

J President Andrew Jackson used his favorite wrestling move, “Ol’ Hickory,” to win the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Tennessee.

K Before he embarked on the ElectricKool-Aid Acid Test tour, author Ken Kesey had a great notion when it came to wrestling. He had a 28-6-2 record for the Oregon Ducks.

L President Abraham Lincoln learned that all men are created equal - at least in their weight class - during his early years in the wrestling ring. At the urging of his general store boss, Lincoln thrashed local tough and country wrestling champ Jack Armstrong in a celebrated match in 1830 at New Salem, Ill.

M Madonna was a movie virgin in the wrestling film “Vision Quest,” singing “Crazy For You” in a fictional Spokane night club.

N Wrestling Hall of Fame member Dr. Norman Bourlag of Iowa won the Nobel Prize in 1970 for developing new varieties of wheat and the “Grainby” roll.

O Larry Owings, a University of Washington sophomore from Canby, Ore., pulled off the biggest upset in U.S. wrestling history when he defeated Iowa State’s Dan Gable at 142 pounds in the 1970 NCAA finals. Gable set an NCAA record at Iowa State with 118 consecutive wins before losing to Owings in the final match of his career.

P Rose Bowl and Super Bowl victories were in the cards after quarterback Jim Plunkett dropped out of wrestling and focused on football at Stanford.

Q Shadle Park High School wrestler Terry Davis’ popular novel “Vision Quest” brought Hollywood to Spokane for the filming of the movie. Cast members included Matthew Modine, Ronny Cox, Linda Fiorentino, Forest Whitaker and Mead wrestling coach Cash Stone.

R President and wrestler Teddy Roosevelt earned a reputation as a “Rough Rider” long before leading his troops up San Juan Hill.

S General H. Norman Schwarzkopf met tougher foes on the mat than the Iraqis in Desert Storm.

T Actor and high school wrestler Mr. T doesn’t have a gold medal, but he has the chains.

U President, general and wrestler Ulysses S. Grant took down Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis at Appomattox, Va.

V Actor Victor French was hell on the mat before he helped Michael Landon find the “Highway to Heaven.”

W General and future President George Washington, who at age 47 wrestled and defeated seven consecutive challengers from the Massachussettes Volunteeers, pinned Lord Cornwallis and the British army at Yorktown, Va. X Pro wrestler Maxx Payne was a national champion for North Idaho College as heavyweight Darryl Peterson.

Y One win away from becoming Washington’s first four-time State AAA high school champion, Richland’s Thomas Yamamoto was upset in 1990 when he was called for stalling in overtime.

Z Zac Taylor, a three-time state champ for Sandpoint, is the only Spokane-area qualifier for the Olympic Trials. He’s following the footsteps of namesake and wrestler, President Zachary Taylor.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 7 Photos (5 color)