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Awards
Ed Peery
Distinguished Member
Class Of 1980 | | His goals as a collegiate wrestler were clear-cut and offered no alternatives. All Ed Peery had to do to keep pace with his father and brother was to win three national championships.
Although he won 51 of 52 matches at the University of Pittsburgh, under the coaching of his father, Rex, the championships did not come easily. In all three of his NCAA finals, Ed came from behind to win.
The most difficult was his third-and the family's ninth-in his senior year of 1957. He trailed Harmon Leslie of Oklahoma State, 7-4, in the last minute of the finals, only to rally with a takedown and time advantage to send the match into overtime.
When the extensions ended in a 2-2 draw, Ed Peery was voted national champion by the judges and wrestling owned a family legend without precedent in the world of sport.
Ed Peery was born a few hours before Rex won his third NCAA title for Oklahoma State. He was named for his father's great coach, Ed Gallagher.
After a 48-1 career and two state championships at Shaler High School in Glenshaw, Pa., he followed brother Hugh into the Pittsburgh lineup. For six straight years, coach Rex could find an NCAA champion at his own dinner table, Hugh in 1952-53-54, Ed in 1955-56-57. Adding a few open tournaments, Ed's over-all career numbered more than 100 victories.
For two decades, Ed was coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, guiding five Eastern team champions, a host of individual winners and nearly 200 dual meet victories. He was national coach of the year in 1969. He was a member of USA Wrestling's national teaching staff.
In recognition of his outstanding achievements as an athlete and coach, Edwin Clark Peery is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. |
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