Earl McCready

Who was Earl McCready?

Earl Gray McCready was an amateur wrestler who competed in the U.S. for Oklahoma State University in folkstyle, and as a Canadian freestyle sport wrestler who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.

He was born in Landsdowne, Ontario and died in Seattle, United States.

In 1928 he finished sixth in the Olympic Freestyle Heavyweight Tournament.

At the 1930 Empire Games he won the gold medal in the heavyweight class.

McCready attracted the attention of Oklahoma State wrestling coaches when he defeated their heavyweight at a 1926 tournament in Canada. McCready came to the Stillwater, Oklahoma college, where he played football and wrestled. In three years of wrestling varsity, the 5'11", 238-pound McCready was 25-0, with all but three of his victories by pin.

As an Oklahoma State Cowboy, McCready won three NCAA heavyweight titles, becoming the first three-time NCAA champion at any weight. He was also the first foreign-born NCAA wrestling champ. He is one of only two collegiate wrestlers with three NCAA titles to win all three of his finals matches by pin. McCready still owns the record fastest fall in an NCAA final, pinning Ralph Freese of the University of Kansas in just nineteen seconds at the very first NCAA wrestling championship in 1928.