Ernie Ladd lost his battle with cancer last night.
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770311008
Drafted into the now defunct AFL out of Grambling State. Left pro football for pro wrestling, became one of the first black heel wrestlers. Had big runs all over the country, but really shined in Mid South Championship Wrestling where he was also the booker for a time. Big feuds with Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Ray Candy, and Junkyard Dog among others.
RIP, Big Cat.
An interview from a while back.
OK, it’s not an interview. But that’s exactly the way I remember him, too.
When I was watching football in his heyday, he was always Ernie “Big Daddy” Ladd. When and why was he named “Big Cat?”
Think he got the “Big Cat” nickname early in his wrestling days. He was huge…6’9", over 300 pounds…but moved well for his size, especially for that time frame.
My mom was a cheerleader for SD back in the early days, and IIRC what she told me, it was Ernie, along with Jack Kemp who went out of bounds on one play and knocked her on her butt.
How sad for him to come to such a painful end. I’m truly glad his suffering is over now, but my heart goes out to his family in their loss.
More on the nickname question. Just saw an email attributed to Bill Watts that says when Ladd was at Grambling, his nickname was “Big Red”. Also says Ladd was recruited to play basketball, but legendary coach Eddie Robinson lured him onto the football team.
I just assumed that he appropriated the “Big Cat” moniker from the other “Big Cat” of that era, boxer Cleveland Williams.