Iowa @ Minnesota

[imnofish]

One of my high school teammates, Jim Witzleb, wrestled Heavyweight for Iowa, back in the early 70s.  His freshman year, he was third in Midlands...   cruising along great, until he met Olympian Chris Taylor in the semis.  It didn't last long.  Jim was a big guy, but Taylor was a mountain (also about 420, I think).  

Uhh, it is no fun wrestling a guy who is 6'6" 400+.  It was like wrestling a tall tree stump.   I would not have done it, except as an 18 year old I lacked the courage to refuse. 

Erland van Lidth was about Chris Taylor's size in college, he shrunk to puny 340 for Olympics.

It is certainly appropriate that NCAA capped weight at 285.  Among other reasons, Chris Taylor died at age 29, Erland van Lidth at 34, both of heart failure.  You have to admire a 400+ pounder attempting to play sports, but morbid obesity is nothing to celebrate.   I distinctly remember how the announcers for the Olympics kept saying  Chris Taylor, "moved well for a big man."    I didn't see it, they should have focused on helping him survive.

Yes, it has been a good thing to limit the maximum weight, in terms of health.  Weight-related problems aren't easy to deal with and you can't help but feel compassion for those whose lives are threatened by them.