Haselrig's story: 'Who's going to believe that?'

By Eric Knopsnyder
The Tribune-Democrat
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - When Carlton Haselrig was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in spring 2016, Pitt-Johnstown coach Pat Pecora conveyed the improbability of the Greater Johnstown High School graduate's career path.

“Imagine I was going to produce a movie,” Pecora said during the induction ceremony in Stillwater, Oklahoma, “and some guy came up to me and said, ‘Hey, let’s make a movie about a young man who goes to a high school that doesn’t have a wrestling team and wins a state title.’ ‘Wow, that’s a pretty good movie!’ ‘Hey, wait, let’s have him go to the local college and win a national title! No, let’s have him win SIX national titles! No, it’s not over yet. Let’s have him go and play for the local football team that is the Super Bowl champions and become an All-Pro football player even though he didn’t play football in college!’ Who’s going to believe that?”

Throw in a fall from grace, a prison term and a return to society that includes coaching jobs at his alma mater and the Carlton Haselrig story probably is stranger than fiction.

He started to realize in his teenage years that he had a athletic talents that few could match.

Read Full Story

Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations