Robert "Bobby" Laxton, born in Duncan, OK in 1951, attended Lee High School in Huntsville, AL from 1966-69. He played football for Head Coach Keith Wilson for three years. After the 67-68 football season, Coach Wilson informed Bobby he would be going out for wrestling next week. Bobby wrestled in 11th grade, finishing 4th at the state championship, and in 12th grade, finishing in 2nd place. At Senior Awards Day prior to graduation, Bobby received the Scholar-Athlete Award. Bobby began Auburn University in 1969. He walked on in wrestling, and finished 4th in the Georgia Tech Invitational before leaving Auburn and spending one year at Calhoun Community College. Bobby served as Assistant Coach under Bill Saylor at Davis Hills Jr. High in 1971 while attending Calhoun. He returned to Auburn in 1971, and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Education degree. Bobby began his high school coaching career as Assistant Wrestling Coach to Cliff Sims at Huntsville High School for one year until accepting the Head Wrestling Coach position (as well as Assistant Football Coach) at Deshler High School. He served as Head Wrestling Coach at Deshler for 19 years, during which, he also coached football for 10 years, golf for six years, and baseball for one year. During Bobby's tenure, Deshler won three State Championships (1977, 1978, and 1983), and finished runner-up six times. He coached 30 individuals who won 48 individual State Championships, including two four-time winners. Bobby moved on to Huntsville High from 1994 until his retirement in 2011, where he served 16 years as an Assistant Football Coach and six years as a part-time Assistant Wrestling Coach to Ben Balentine, who was a State Champion wrestler at Deshler. Bobby's twin sons, Brad and Chad, were among the state champions he coached. Brad is a three-time State Champion and Head Wrestling Coach at Soddy Daisy in Chattanooga, TN. Brad's three sons, Pete, Jake, and Sam, wrestle in the Soddy Daisy Youth League. Chad is a four-time State Champion and former coach at Bradley County High in Cleveland, TN, where his teams won state championships. Chad's two sons, Cael and Arlo, wrestle varsity for Cleveland High, the current TN State Champions. Bobby was inducted to the Colbert County Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2010, for his contributions to Deshler High School Wrestling and Football programs. He is married to Jean Fisher Laxton.