Chris Taylor's impact on the national scene was huge, in several respects. At 6-5 and 450 pounds, he was one of the largest athletes ever to compete in college. After transferring to Iowa State from a junior college, Taylor won two NCAA titles at heavyweight, posting a record of 87-0-1. He was 44-0 with 40 pins his final season, 1973. He was one of the most-talked about athletes of the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. He made the wrestling team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, winning a bronze medal in freestyle with a 5-1 record. His only loss came by a very controversial 3-2 score to legendary Soviet Union matman Alexander Medved, owner of ten World/Olympic titles. He is the subject of a book entitled "The Gentle Giant." A native of Michigan , Chris died in 1979
