At a program where intensity is not just encouraged, but expected, Barry Davis distinguished himself at the highest level.

A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Davis won three state championships for Prairie High School and compiled a record of 102-6-1, capturing the attention of legendary University of Iowa Coach Dan Gable who invited him to continue his career as a Hawkeye.

Davis quickly proved himself, earning All-America honors and a Big Ten Conference championship as a freshman. A year later, he stood atop the podium as an NCAA champion. By the time he graduated, he had won four Big Ten titles and three NCAA crowns and was Iowa's winningest wrestler ever with a career record of 162-9-1. His records for most wins in a career and wins in a season (46 in 1982) still stand.

The teams he competed on at Iowa were equally dominant, winning Big Ten championships and NCAA team titles in each of Davis' four years. He is one of only nine wrestlers in history to win four Big Ten titles and one of only two to win the prestigious Big Ten Athlete of the Year. At the 1985 NCAA tournament, Davis was named the Outstanding Wrestler.

While many athletes dream of Olympic glory after college, Davis lived his dream while still attending the University of Iowa. He redshirted during the 1984 season so that he could attempt to make the U.S. national team that would compete in the Olympic Games. It paid off. In the Los Angeles Olympics, Davis won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at 125.5 pounds. He followed that with two more silver medals in the 1986 and 1987 World Championships, and a berth on the 1988 Olympic Team.

In 13 years as head coach at the University of Wisconsin, Davis has compiled an overall record of 141-96-9 and coached 18 wrestlers to All-American honors and two to NCAA titles.

For his intense and relentless pursuit of excellence in the sport of wrestling, Barry Davis is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.