dan hodge

Hodge, a native of Perry, Oklahoma, came to The University of Oklahoma in 1955 and went 46-0 in his career as a Sooner. He won three national championships in Norman and is the namesake of the Hodge Trophy, which is the college wrestling equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. He went on from Oklahoma to win three national freestyle championships and a silver medal from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

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In 1957, Hodge became the only wrestler ever featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, and in 1978 he became a charter member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He never gave up a takedown during his OU career and is one of just two college wrestlers to win three NCAA titles by fall. 

 

The depths of Hodge's success went deeper than just college wrestling. He enjoyed an 18-year run as a professional wrestler and accrued a 17-0 record as a boxer in the 1950s. This included winning the golden gloves, which had never been accomplished by someone that had won a wrestling championship. In 2005, Hodge was honored by Oklahoma lawmakers as an Oklahoma Sports Hero and was invited to the House of Representatives floor to crush an apple with his bare hand, something he had become famous for over the years.

Throughout the later years of his life, Hodge continued to inspire the younger generations. 

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We continue to honor the legacy of a true wrestling icon.