Was born on 21 May 1952 in the rough south side ghetto area of Chicago. He is the second to youngest of twelve children (he has four sisters and seven brothers) and grew up in the housing projects of Chicago. His father left when he was 5, and his mother raised the family on $87 a month welfare in a three-room apartment.
His brothers encouraged him to build up his body in order to survive in the area, and he has commented, "If you think I'm big, you should see my brothers!" His mother is a religious woman, who has had a strong influence on him. He says, "Any man who don't love his momma can't be no friend of mine." He was an average student in school. "Most of the time", he says, "I stared out the windows, just daydreaming. I didn't study much because I have a photographic memory". Apart from one spell between 5th and 7th grades when he went a little astray -- playing hooky, cursing, acting tough, being disrespectful -- he was a well- behaved child. (He worried about how his mother would feel if he ended up in jail, and stayed out of trouble!)
He attended Dunbar Vocational High School. He was a football star, studied martial arts, and was three times city wrestling champion! He won a scholarship to play football at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, but was thrown out after a year.
He was twice named America's Toughest Bouncer!!!
Previous occupations include gym teacher, military policeman, bouncer and bodyguard.
Once worked as a bouncer and a bodyguard to Steve McQueen , Muhammad Ali & Diana Ross.
Diagnosed with cancer in 1995 at age 43. Beating the disease in 2001 at age 49.
Doesn't drink alcoholic beverages.
Voted by a BBC-run poll the fourth most influential American in history, behind Homer Simpson, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King
Almost ruined the main event of the first Wrestlemania, because when he arrived, security would not let his entourage into the building. Was ready to skip the show until Hogan personally talked him out of leaving.
Personal quotes
(love this one -saint)
"When I was growing up, my family was so poor we couldn't afford to pay attention."
"As a kid, I got three meals a day. Oatmeal, miss-a-meal and no meal."
Posts: 226 | From: London, England | Registered: Apr 2004 | Site Updates: 0
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I don't know if I am right but it makes me think of it with the wrestlemania part.
Posts: 5319 | From: KANSAS | Registered: Sep 2003 | Site Updates: 2
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