Belloved Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler and record six-time NCAA champion grappler Carlton Haselrig have passed on Wednesday.
The Tribune-Democrat reports that he fall down in his Johnstown, Pennsylvania home Wednesday morning and was confirmed deceased around an hour later. Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees told reporters that he will conduct a post-mortem on him, however the Coroner believed his death to be of natural causes. Haselrig was 54 years of age when he died.
Who is Carlton Haselrig ?
Haselrig played in the NFL as a watchman for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990 to 1995, making the Pro Bowl in 1992. He is additionally a former member of National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Haselrig won a record six NCAA wrestling titles as a heavyweight for the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. He won three Division II titles from 1987-89 and exploited a standard that permitted lower-division champions to take an interest in the Division I titles too.
He took advantage of those chances, guaranteeing the heavyweight title at Division I for three straight years.
He was a neighborhood sports legend in Johnstown, where he won a state wrestling title in 1984 regardless of being the one and only member from the Greater Johnstown High School wrestling crew, which didn’t have a varsity wrestling program, as indicated by the Tribune-Democrat.
He came back to his old neighborhood after his NFL profession, where he died encompassed by his family.
“We are crushed by the loss of our better half, father, sibling, uncle, nephew, cousin and companion,” his wife Michelle Haselrig revealed to The Tribune-Democrat. “He was my buddy, my closest companion, my beginning and end.”
Condolences
Our area lost a true sports icon today. The great Carlton Haselrig passed away at 54. @MtnCatAthletics 6-time champ and @steelers All-Pro. Pat Pecora his long-time coach and friend called his story fit for a movie. Full story on @WJACTV : https://t.co/Mp6Lc7VbAI pic.twitter.com/bRIM64VDmM
— Ryan Stanko (@RStanko_WJAC) July 22, 2020
Rest In Peace Carlton Haselrig.
He was a state champ in PA…despite his HS not having a team..
Freestyle & Greco Junior Word Champ
Won SIX NCAA wrestling titles D1 & D2
Went on to become a Pro Bowl / All Pro NFL player (Steelers & Jets)
Incredible. Legendary career. pic.twitter.com/9d2Ernrg3M
— Joe Cummings (@CoachJoe845) July 22, 2020
Tyson Murdock wrote “I need an explanation from Flo. How is it that it’s taken a man to pass away before I’ve even heard of Carlton Haselrig? His accomplishments sound almost unbelievable to me. I’ve never seen anything like it in Wrestling the short time I’ve been following the sport?? 6 Natty’s??”
