Former OSU Wreslter Inducted Into Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
One of Oklahoma State’s most memorable wrestlers was honored by his home state over the weekend.
On Saturday, former OSU wrestler Daniel Cormier was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Cormier was a dominant wrestler in high school.
At Northside High School, Cormier won three state wrestling championships. After his success in high school, he attended Colby Community College in Kansas.
He also dominated there, winning two NJCAA national championships while going 61-0 in two years. Following his undefeated career at Colby Community College, Cormier made his way to Stillwater, where he would be a force for the Cowboys.
READ MORE: Analyzing Oklahoma State's Toughest Opponents in the New-Look Big 12
At OSU, Cormier went 52-10 across the 2000 and 2001 seasons. With 36 bonus-point wins, Cormier was good enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships in both years.
In 2001, he earned All-America honors for his performance as he finished national runner-up at 184 pounds. In both seasons, Cormier played a significant role in OSU winning Big 12 championships.
After wrestling for two years under John Smith, Cormier went into freestyle wrestling and represented the United States on a few occasions. Cormier won gold medals at the Pan American Championships in 2002 and the Pan American Games in 2003.
Following his wrestling career, Cormier took up mixed martial arts and eventually joined the UFC in 2013. Cormier would end his MMA career with 22 wins in 26 fights. He now works with ESPN as part of its mixed martial arts coverage.
As Cormier is in another Hall of Fame, he recognized the importance of his home state in his career.
Boy, it’s good to be a kid from Louisiana,” Cormier said.
READ MORE: Why Oklahoma State's Defensive Line will Outperform Expectations in 2024
Want to join the discussion? Like AllPokes on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.