The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling are excited to announce that Episode 4 of Seven, their Etched In Stone - Stories of Wrestling Legends podcast featuring seven-time national champion Gray Simons is now available at etchedinstonepodcast.com.

Seven is the story of one of America’s great wrestling minds - a stellar athlete with two Olympic appearances - and a dynamic technical mind - delivering next-level techniques learned at Granby and tweaked for the college wrestling world.

After leaving the place he’d help establish as a national wrestling power, Gray Simons spent five seasons at Indiana State as the Sycaomres’ head coach prior to taking over his first “big school” - the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. While sports-crazy, Tennessee was still new to the wrestling game. Gray Simons and a talented recruiter named Steve Gaydosh wouldn’t just change Tennessee’s fortunes - they would turn Tennessee into a waking giant in college wrestling.

As programs started to fall around them, Tennessee held strong, as did its athletes, overcoming some severe adversity on their way to stardom. Gray Simons and company were building something special on Rocky Top.

Episode 4: Building Up Rocky Top

During his four years of collegiate competition at Lock Haven University, Simons entered seven national tournaments. He won all seven, and six times was voted outstanding wrestler of the event. Simons was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1978.

The five-episode series is narrated and produced by Hall of Fame wrestling writer, broadcaster and announcer Jason Bryant, who conducted extensive interviews with Simons and others who have been a part of his journey. Bryant previously hosted and produced the EIS podcasts featuring Distinguished Members Mark Churella and Lloyd Keaser. 

In addition to etchedinstonepodcast.com, Episode 2 will also be available through Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. 

In addition to Churella, Keaser and Simons, podcasts featuring Distinguished Members Lee Kemp, John Smith and Pat Smith are also available. The Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling will continue to develop future EIS podcasts on Distinguished Members. 

The EIS series provides wrestling fans an opportunity to hear legendary wrestlers sharing the trials and tribulations they encountered on the way to becoming one of wrestling’s best. Podcasts also include interviews with coaches, competitors, teammates and others who were part of the journey, giving additional insight on the legend. EIS podcasts are produced by former wrestlers and wrestling insiders, utilizing their knowledge and unique perspective to extract the stories that fans want to hear. 

Simons reigned supreme at 115 pounds in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and all four years was chosen the NAIA's finest, an unparalleled achievement. Three times he won the University Division title in the NCAA and as a junior and senior was voted the outstanding competitor. 

In the two years after his graduation, while stationed at the U.S. Military Academy, he continued to annex national championships in military, YMCA and AAU competition. He won the gold medal in the 1963 World Military Games. 

Simons twice represented his country in the Olympic Games, in 1960 and 1964. 

On the mat, he was known as a superb technician, with quickness, skill and perfect execution of an infinite variety of moves. His abilities helped spread nationwide the "Granby Series" of moves developed by his Hall of Fame high school coach in Norfolk, Virginia, Billy Martin. 

After the close of his competitive career, he served with distinction as a collegiate coach at Lock Haven, Indiana State, Tennessee and Old Dominion University, and never has suffered a losing season. Among his protégés were two NCAA champions and several All-Americans. 

The EIS series was created by 1976 NCAA wrestling champion Pat Christenson, who was honored as an Outstanding American by the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007.