George Steele

In the gritty world of professional wrestling, there's a special breed of athlete who embodies the very essence of rugged individualism. Men like George Steele, a behemoth of a man with a heart as tough as steel and a will to succeed that bordered on the fanatical.

Born William James Myers in 1937, Steele was a Michigan boy through and through, reared on the rough-and-tumble streets of Madison Heights. His early life was a blur of sports – football, ringen, leichtathletik, basketball – anything to get his blood pumping and his muscles flexing. And yet, it wasn't until he laced up a pair of wrestling boots that Steele discovered his true calling.

As "The Student," Steele burst onto the scene with a ferocity that left opponents trembling in their boots. His brawling style was as brutal as it was effective, like a force of nature unleashed upon the mat. The crowd loved him for it – this big, lummox of a man who gave as good as he got, never backing down from a fight.

Steele's signature moves were as much a part of his legend as his larger-than-life persona. Who could forget the Flying Hammerlock, a move so audacious it seemed to defy the laws of physics? Or the Splash, a gut-wrenching maneuver that left opponents gasping for air?

But Steele's greatest asset was his unyielding passion. He lived and breathed wrestling, pouring every ounce of energy into each match as if his very life depended on it. And in many ways, it did – for when he stepped into the ring, Steele became a force to be reckoned with, unstoppable and untamed.

In the end, it was that same unyielding passion that carried Steele through the trials and tribulations of a long and storied career. He may have left this mortal coil in 2017, but his legacy lives on – a testament to the enduring power of a man who lived life on his own terms, and never backed down from a fight.

Rest in peace, George "The Animal" Steele. Your memory will be forever etched in our collective psyche, a reminder that even in the most unlikely of places, greatness can be found in the unlikeliest of packages.