28 Facts About Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd helped the Chargers to four AFL championship games in five years, winning the championship with the team in 1963.

Ernie Ladd had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers.

Ernie Ladd took up professional wrestling during the AFL offseason, and after a knee injury ended his football career turned to it full-time in 1969.

Ernie Ladd feuded with many popular wrestlers of the time, including Wahoo McDaniel, Andre the Giant, Bobo Brazil, Dusty Rhodes, and Mr Wrestling, before retiring from the ring in 1986.

Ernie Ladd was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1981, the Grambling State University Hall of Fame in 1989, and the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995.

Ernie Ladd was born in Rayville, Louisiana, and raised in Orange, Texas, where he was a high school football and basketball star.

Ernie Ladd subsequently attended Grambling State University on a basketball scholarship.

Ernie Ladd was the nephew of Grambling and Houston Oilers teammate Garland Boyette.

Ernie Ladd was drafted in the fourth round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Ernie Ladd was taken by the American Football League's San Diego Chargers with their 15th pick in the 1961 AFL draft.

Ernie Ladd played in four AFL championship games, helping the Chargers win the American Football League title in 1963 with teammate Earl Faison, both members of the original Fearsome Foursome.

Ernie Ladd stated he and teammate Earl Faison would play out their contract options, opting to take a 10 percent cut in salary in exchange for becoming free agents at the end of the season.

Ernie Ladd refused to re-sign with the Chargers and suggested he might instead turn to professional wrestling full-time.

When knee problems cut his football career short, Ernie Ladd turned to the more financially lucrative business of wrestling full-time in 1969.

Ernie Ladd riled crowds with his arrogant and colorful demeanor during interviews, especially with his derogatory nicknames for opponents such as Wahoo McDaniel, and Mr Wrestling.

Ernie Ladd controversially employed a taped thumb, claiming the support was needed due to an old football injury.

Ernie Ladd wrestled for a number of different professional associations, including the World Wide Wrestling Federation numerous times form 1968 to 1981.

In certain areas, Ernie Ladd's wrestling nickname was "The King", and he would wear an ornate crown.

Ernie Ladd served as a manager to Afa and Sika, The Wild Samoans.

Ernie Ladd had a decent run as part of a tag team with "Bad" Leroy Brown in the early 1980s.

Ernie Ladd assisted Watts as a booker behind the scenes and had a large part in the development of Sylvester Ritter as the area's top draw.

Ernie Ladd retired from wrestling in 1986 due to recurring knee problems.

Ernie Ladd then returned to the WWF as a color commentator, calling the 20-man battle royal at Wrestlemania 2 and then earning a trial run doing commentary for various shows, including the April 1986 show at Madison Square Garden.

Ernie Ladd was used as a fill-in for matches on syndicated programming such as WWF Championship Wrestling.

Ernie Ladd wrestled one more match on January 3,1988, at a WWF house show in Long Island, New York in a 20 man battle royal won by Bam Bam Bigelow.

Ernie Ladd was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994 and the WWF Hall of Fame class of 1995, becoming the first inductee in both halls.

Ernie Ladd was a friend of WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross.

Ernie Ladd was a basketball coach for young kids in Franklin, Louisiana.