Archive Article on the Gentle Giant, Chris Taylor

[21Guns]

For those who love history and archives, this on one of my heroes and idols, the late great gentle giant, Chris Taylor. RIP Chris. You are missed....

http://www.si.com/vault/1973/02/19/576485/all-things-come-to-him-who-weights

 

[PSUAllTheWay]

That's flipping awesome! Somewhere I have a picture of Chris and me that my Dad took at a wrestling camp when I was a kid. Have his autograph somewhere too.

 

[El-Jefe]

Good find. Funny typo in the opening paragraph -- Taylor might have come out of the womb over 45 lb.

 

[21Guns]

Wade Schalles said the only thing bigger than the man himself, was his heart. Truth.

 

[jammenz]

So who tied him? 87-0-1 with 70 pins at Iowa State in two years.

 

[androcles]

...further info on the story...

...after the match the next night I drove Chris to Collins Restaurant, owned by
Bethlehem Globe Times sports editor Jack Collins, for a post-match dinner of spaghetti and meatballs - starting off with a large antipasto...

...we got there first so I dropped Chtis off and headed back to Lehigh for some more of the wrestlers - when I got back Chris had eaten the entire antipasto by himself , thinking it was for him!...

 

[21Guns]

That's flipping awesome! Somewhere I have a picture of Chris and me that my Dad took at a wrestling camp when I was a kid. Have his autograph somewhere too.

I wish I could have met him.

 

[bbedford62]

I met him at a wrestling camp when I was in junior high. The 2 things that remember about him:

1. Was how big he was. He was huge. It was actually almost comical having him on the mat giving instructions to a bunch of young kids.

2. His sense of humor. He was a pretty funny guy. He had kind of a dry soft spoken sense a humor.


I am not sure how much he weighed at the time but one of my friends at the camp was also named Chris Taylor and he probably weighed less than 80lbs at the time. The local paper came out and took pictures of the 2 Chris Taylors and did a small article.

 

[Hedonist1]

Chris demonstrated a basic arm chop break down from top position and me on bottom at wrestling camp. I was a 70 pound youngster at the time and scared shitless.

 

[21Guns]

Gable tells a story of a day when he went with Chris in the room during Olympic training I think...he says he still has a rib that isn't in the right place from that day lmao.

 

[James P. Whitters III]

Chris will always be a very loved legend in Ames. Thank you for posting this. Les Anderson lived to tell Chris Taylor stories and could have the entire room laughing. It was hard for him to do it without tearing up as well. Gentle Giant!

 

[21Guns]

Chris will always be a very loved legend in Ames. Thank you for posting this. Les Anderson lived to tell Chris Taylor stories and could have the entire room laughing. It was hard for him to do it without tearing up as well. Gentle Giant!

You are welcome Sir and thank you for posting. Gentle Giant Forever, is right!