Dave Schultz couldn't turn me

[lewboo 14]

With the Dave Schultz tournament going on this weekend, and my good friend Royce Alger telling his story about his first workout with Dave Schultz on Facebook, I thought it would be appropriate to tell my story of my first and ONLY workout with the great Dave Schultz. Dave was a great friend of mine, and we were teammates many times and were at training camps together many times, but I only got on the mat with him one time, for a total of just one minute. I would often roll around with bigger wrestlers in practice, but I was always afraid to wrestle Dave Schultz. Dave was the nicest guy in the world off the mat, but I knew that on the mat he was a different animal. I had seen enough of Dave Schultz in matches and in practice to know that on the mat he was as Stephen A Smith would say “A BAD MAN!!!”

I always felt like if I were to wrestle him, I would be unable to protect myself. It turns out I was correct!!! I remember one time at the 1984 Olympic training camp and Dave didn’t have a partner and he asked me if I wanted to roll around a little. I said “Dave, I am not ever going to wrestle with you until I am retired! I don’t want to get hurt!” One year later, I had temporarily retired, and I was at a world team practice and guys were switching partners, and Dave said to me “Lewboo, now that you are retired you want to roll with me?” I said “Not really but I will for a little bit.” Just as I got paired up with Dave, coach Jim Humphries, who was running the practice announced, “1 minute periods, par terre, world team member on top!” I thought, really, one minute underneath Dave Schultz, that doesn’t sound very fun! Well, it took about 15 seconds for Dave to get my right foot placed up over my left ear, bending my body in a very painful way! My knee, my hip, my back, my neck, and my shoulder were all being wrenched at the same time! Pain was shooting through my entire body, and I was trying to roll over onto my back as fast as I could! Unfortunately for me I couldn’t move! Somehow, my neck and head got twisted so that my mouth and nose were stuck in the mat, and I couldn’t breathe. Not only was my body in severe pain, but now I was also suffocating, and I couldn’t reach Dave with either of my hands to tap out. My body somehow got stuck in a position where I couldn’t roll over, and Dave kept cranking harder and harder to try and turn me. I was stuck in this position for about 45 seconds, in severe pain and suffocating, unable to turn over and just as I started to black out, coach Humphries saved my LIFE by blowing the whistle. Dave let me go, and I rolled over onto my back, sobbing uncontrollably, and hyperventilating trying to catch my breath. Dave looked at me and said, wow, I can’t believe you didn’t turn over, I was really cranking hard. I said I was trying as hard as I could to turn over, but I couldn’t. I cried like a baby for about 5 minutes straight after that, and I never wrestled with Dave Schultz again. I have told this story to many other wrestlers when they ask me about Dave, and I follow it up by saying yeah, Dave was pretty good on top, but he couldn’t turn me! Writing this brings tears to my eyes and I and the wrestling world miss Dave so much, he was such a great person and such a great wrestler.

[Alwayswrestling 192]

Thanks for the story always fun to read your stuff.

[2td3nf 536]

Wow, what a story. I was almost feeling the pain just reading it.

[jstock 125]

Lewboo - Can you copy and paste Royce A's story here also please ?

[BigBrog 43]

What a great story Lewboo.....thanks for sharing! I was laughing while reading while at the same time I had tears knowing the world is a worse place without Dave in it.

[gutfirst 219]

i think schultz knew exactly what he was doing.

[DuckFor2 176]

i think Shultz knew too...making you pay for refusing to work out w him in the past!

even though you were getting twisted up, that's hilarious to hear it like that...sorry.

great story.

[BigApple 84]

I've had the pleasure of Lewboo's story telling for many years. Another classic is him taking some Iowa wrestlers to a tournament, where I believe they enjoyed some adult beverages. Gable was not pleased when he heard about. Lewboo thought it should perhaps become the standard practice considering they won the tournament easily.

[quick__single 18]

That story is an absolute classic. I've read about him telling it and also had him tell me in person.

 

"Men, we came here for 2 reasons..." or something like that.

 

Hope he can tell that story here again!

[TBar1977 3,759]

Lewboo, I met Schultz one time. I did not in any way "know" him even though I knew who he was, but I greatly admired him.

 

Not sure if you are aware, but Schultz' story will be re told in a film later this year titled "Foxcatcher." That was the name of John DuPont's farm and all of his sports clubs (he had five different sports clubs, one of which was devoted to wrestling). The film is billed as being about Schultz, but I am guessing there will be a lot about John DuPont because the biggest actor in the film is Steve Carell playing DuPont, plus the film is titled with the name of his country estate.

 

Channing Tatum will play Mark Schultz and Mark Ruffalo will play Dave Schultz.

 

I hope this doesn't seem misplaced, but I thought you (and others) would want to know about the film.

[smittyfan 42]

That was priceless! Thank you sir.

[lewboo 14]

Kind of got away from here for a little while but here are some responses to some of your posts. Jstock, I am not very good at copying and pasting from Facebook, but I will share Royce's story in my words soon. Quick Single and Big Apple, two very good friends of mine, I will soon be posting several stories from the old days, including my "motivational speech" at UNI Open back in 1986.

[lewboo 14]

here is Royce Alger's post on Dave Schultz

 

One time,actualy the first time I worked out with Dave,,,I flew to Foxcatcher Farms, Boston,,the site of the world class wrestling room and home of the athletes and John Dupont. It was 1988 and I was fresh out of college,,,I went straight to the work out at 3 pm (From the plane),,he saw me and asked to go the next day,,,I said "OK",,,he said "great One Oclock!",,(First time we ever met),I knew work out was at 3pm,,thought he just wanted to spar with the "New Stud" alone,,,teach me new stuff,,,,,,I had just finished my sr year and hadnt lost collegiatly for 2 years(79 straight matches),,,Boy was I wrong,,,I showed up,,,it was just us two ,,in a dim wrestling room(Apocolipse now feel)I went to sit by him,,small talk and put on shoes,,,he got up and went to other side of room ,,at exactly 1pm he took center,,,Just us two,,,there was a swimmers clock on wall,,,big and bright,,,when it struck one pm,,,he slapped my hand and "jumped up" and front head locked me,,,I caught some of his choke with my fore-arm,,,but we were in a full lock-up,,,,he had a dangerous front head lock and I watched him put many to sleep!(Tblisi finals ,,chocked guy in finals for the pin,later that year),,,My head was turned so I could only see the clock,,,I was fighting for my life,,,it got to 1:10,,,and one eye went blind,,,no change,,then I was feeling numb on whole right side,,,,long story short,,,I awoke ,,,on my back,,,three glasses of gatorade and 2 wet towels and he was reviving me by throwing ice on me,,,the clock read 1:18,,,,I was out for a while,,,the training/ice dispenser was 4o yards away,,,he made 2 trips,,,I finally got up and told him I was done with our work out,,,dizzy to beat hell,,,,swore I would never (in my mind) wrestle him alone again,,,,he taught me about fear and never to go anything less than 100% at all tmes,,,,that deal served me later ,,when I was in tough situations,,,,I never faulted the man for this "choke-out",,,but was pissed at myself,,,,Never forget it,,,,never regretted it either...!

[ShortAmplitude 15]

Foxcatcher was outside Philly, not Boston....

[ShortAmplitude 15]

Foxcatcher was outside Philly, not Boston....

[gimpeltf 1,473]

Foxcatcher was outside Philly, not Boston....

 

It was also, outside Boston.

[Rogerthat 0]

Lewboo...As you know, I was Dave's workout partner at OU for three years (plus we worked out and traveled together on several international teams). Our wrestling room in those years was pretty amazing in the middle weights with Hump (Jim), Metzger, Israel Sheppard, Frank DeAngeles and young wrestlers coming up like Johnny Johnson, John Laviolett and Melvin Douglass, but my workouts with Dave always stood out. You knew your workout with Dave was going to be a major battle, but he added a unique twist to it. Because Dave really didn't like college style, he always wanted to go freestyle in practice and forget about college-style top and bottom. So, workout after workout, we went freestyle...It may have hurt him in a couple matches in college, but he was doing what he loved most and I think we both saw our freestyle improve to new levels as a result. I have so many great memories of my workouts each day with Dave, but I also have a few painful memories too :)

 

Roger Frizzell

[lewboo 14]

Roger Frizzell, I went to my first NCAA tournament in 1976 in Arizona, and if my memory serves me correctly we met there and worked out together. I believe that was my junior year and your sophomore year of high school. I have not missed an NCAA tournament since then, and up until 2009, I believe I wrestled someone somewhere at every single NCAA tournament, although a lot of those were late at night and not on a mat! Lot of mud wrestling, a patch of grass, hotel lobbies, hallways, hardwood dance floors. Hope to see you in Oklahoma City!

[DuckFor2 176]

it's great these types of stories on here. i'm just curious, that's a real interesting twist hearing Dave wanted to wrestle freestyle in practice so often. Why don't we do it more often? perhaps in all of our college rooms we should start to do this, improve our standing in the world.... we used to throw some in our HS practices to change it up a little. sounds like a good idea to me.

 

Lewboo...As you know, I was Dave's workout partner at OU for three years (plus we worked out and traveled together on several international teams). Our wrestling room in those years was pretty amazing in the middle weights with Hump (Jim), Metzger, Israel Sheppard, Frank DeAngeles and young wrestlers coming up like Johnny Johnson, John Laviolett and Melvin Douglass, but my workouts with Dave always stood out. You knew your workout with Dave was going to be a major battle, but he added a unique twist to it. Because Dave really didn't like college style, he always wanted to go freestyle in practice and forget about college-style top and bottom. So, workout after workout, we went freestyle...It may have hurt him in a couple matches in college, but he was doing what he loved most and I think we both saw our freestyle improve to new levels as a result. I have so many great memories of my workouts each day with Dave, but I also have a few painful memories too :)

 

Roger Frizzell

[BigApple 84]

Stan Abel was interviewed by Lisa Little Smith a couple of days after Dave was murdered. I arranged the interview as he was in Az at time. Stan said two stories immediately came to mind.

 

One day Dave came back to OU and was going to workout. Stan said no, you are going to run practice. Stan said Dave showed all of the things he taught that were commonly used by OU wrestlers. He mentioned that Dave, Mark, and Andre were more freestyle oriented, but that he made them drill just like the rest of the team. After Dave ended practice and had showed everything perefectly, he turned to Stan and said you didn't think I was psying attention when I was here.

 

The other one was in the finals match against Ricky Stewart, Stan told him to quit walking into him or he'd get pinned. Dave waived him off walked into Stewart who hit him with a fireman's carry and pinned him. Stan said he made a vow never to bring it up. A few weeks later in the athletic dining hall, Stan and Dave were sitting across from each other. Dave looked at Stan and said I should hsve listened to you. Stan said you bet you should have!

 

Lewboo, i met Bob Stoops for the first time about 3 weeks ago at an old timers OU athletic luncheon. Told him you were a common friend. Bob, said you claim him? I said yes. Then i told him about him saying you mowed the lawn at the Hawkeye House in the summer of 1984. He said that was a true story. He'll be at the NCAAs.

 

Look forward to more of your stories. The only guy who can compete with you in story telling is Stan Abel.

[BigApple 84]

Stan Abel was interviewed by Lisa Little Smith a couple of days after Dave was murdered. I arranged the interview as he was in Az at time. Stan said two stories immediately came to mind.

 

One day Dave came back to OU and was going to workout. Stan said no, you are going to run practice. Stan said Dave showed all of the things he taught that were commonly used by OU wrestlers. He mentioned that Dave, Mark, and Andre were more freestyle oriented, but that he made them drill just like the rest of the team. After Dave ended practice and had showed everything perefectly, he turned to Stan and said you didn't think I was psying attention when I was here.

 

The other one was in the finals match against Ricky Stewart, Stan told him to quit walking into him or he'd get pinned. Dave waived him off walked into Stewart who hit him with a fireman's carry and pinned him. Stan said he made a vow never to bring it up. A few weeks later in the athletic dining hall, Stan and Dave were sitting across from each other. Dave looked at Stan and said I should hsve listened to you. Stan said you bet you should have!

 

Lewboo, i met Bob Stoops for the first time about 3 weeks ago at an old timers OU athletic luncheon. Told him you were a common friend. Bob, said you claim him? I said yes. Then i told him about him saying you mowed the lawn at the Hawkeye House in the summer of 1984. He said that was a true story. He'll be at the NCAAs.

 

Look forward to more of your stories. The only guy who can compete with you in story telling is Stan Abel.

[sockobuw 49]

it's great these types of stories on here. i'm just curious, that's a real interesting twist hearing Dave wanted to wrestle freestyle in practice so often. Why don't we do it more often? perhaps in all of our college rooms we should start to do this, improve our standing in the world.... we used to throw some in our HS practices to change it up a little. sounds like a good idea to me.

 

Lewboo...As you know, I was Dave's workout partner at OU for three years (plus we worked out and traveled together on several international teams). Our wrestling room in those years was pretty amazing in the middle weights with Hump (Jim), Metzger, Israel Sheppard, Frank DeAngeles and young wrestlers coming up like Johnny Johnson, John Laviolett and Melvin Douglass, but my workouts with Dave always stood out. You knew your workout with Dave was going to be a major battle, but he added a unique twist to it. Because Dave really didn't like college style, he always wanted to go freestyle in practice and forget about college-style top and bottom. So, workout after workout, we went freestyle...It may have hurt him in a couple matches in college, but he was doing what he loved most and I think we both saw our freestyle improve to new levels as a result. I have so many great memories of my workouts each day with Dave, but I also have a few painful memories too :)

 

Roger Frizzell

 

 

college coaches don't get paid to have world team members. it's a tough sell for them because their livelihood depends on folkstyle results.

[TwosackJon 1]

The most favorite thing I have ever read about lewboo = "If you threw Randy Lewis in the middle of Lake Michigan he wouldn't get wet."