BRANDON SLAY - INDUCTEE #145
hall of fame fast fact:
Brandon Slay also was an outstanding football defensive lineman for Tascosa. He was named the Amarillo Globe-News Super Team Defensive Player of the Year in 1992.
Brandon Slay
Brandon Slay finished his high school wrestling career at Tascosa in 1993 as a three-time state champion. Slay wrestled at the University of Pennsylvania and finished twice as NCAA runner-up.
In April 2000, Slay earned a spot in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Dallas. Slay won the trials and was the first Texas wrestler to qualify for the Olympics.
At Sydney, Slay scored one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history in the second round: he won 4-3 against Russia’s Bouvaissa Saitey, the defending Olympic gold medalist. Slay then won two more matches to face Germany’s Alexander Leopold in the gold medal match. Slay lost 4-0 and took the silver.
Two weeks later, Leiopold failed his drug test and was stripped of his medal. Slay earned his gold on November 15, 2000 live, on NBC’s Today Show in New York City.
In ensuing years, he used his platform as a motivational and Christian speaker and helped others with his faith-based Greater Gold Foundation.
