Jeff Gaylord

**Jeffrey Scott Gaylord** (October 15, 1958 – March 15, 2023) was an American professional wrestler who competed in North American regional and independent promotions including Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling and the United States Wrestling Association during the late 1980s and 1990s, most notably as a frequent tag team partner of Jeff Jarrett.

## Football career

Gaylord was a discus thrower and football player during high school. In college, Jeff became a four-year letterman and was named All-Big Eight and All-American in the early 1980s. The NFL's Los Angeles Rams took notice of his success and drafted him in 1982. Released prior to the start of their season, he was picked up by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, competing in the Grey Cup.

He later played for the Boston Breakers and the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League and was named First Team All-American USFL nose tackle by the Pro Football Review in 1984. Jeff then suffered a major knee injury which effectively ended his football career.

## Professional wrestling career

Making his professional debut in 1985, he began wrestling in the Mid-South area for the Universal Wrestling Federation. After competing there for the next few years, in 1989, Gaylord would also appear on *WWF Wrestling Challenge* teaming with Tim Horner against The Fabulous Rougeaus, before returning to World Class Championship Wrestling, facing veterans such as Jimmy Jack Funk and Kerry Von Erich.

He worked in a mask as "The Hood" during the late 1980s, becoming a mainstay in the area and briefly feuding with Jeff Jarrett and Bill Dundee. However, Gaylord would soon team with Jarrett; on September 3, 1990, they defeated Brian Lee and Chuck Casey for the USWA Tag Team Championship. They would trade the tag team titles twice with Lee and Harris before finally losing the titles to Tony Anthony and Doug Gilbert on October 6. Participating in the USWA Heavyweight Championship tournament two days later, he defeated Doug Gilbert in the opening rounds before losing to "Dirty" Dick Slater in the semi-finals.

He also worked for the Global Wrestling Federation. One time during his tenure, he was involved in an altercation with Eddie Gilbert at a Dallas wrestling event in which Gaylord allegedly "sucker-punched" Gilbert during an argument in Gilbert's dressing room at the Dallas Sportatorium. The two began fighting, until it was broken up by Doug Gilbert who assaulted Gaylord with a Coke bottle. Although Gaylord had been speaking to Gilbert regarding the possibility of being booked in Gilbert's promotion, Gilbert claimed in a later shoot interview that Gaylord was paid $1,000 by a Northeastern promoter to assault him after Gilbert had failed to show up for an event. It was not long until Gaylord returned to Memphis for the USWA. Meanwhile, he spent several months in the Puerto Rico-based Americas Wrestling Federation, winning the AWF International Tag Team Championship with Sunny Beach.

Gaylord enjoyed a lengthy feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler during his time with USWA, with matches between the two eventually making their way to WWF house shows. On November 24, 1993, Gaylord would make an appearance for the WWF's *Survivor Series* pay-per-view as "The Black Knight", along with The Red Knight (Barry Horowitz) and The Blue Knight (Greg Valentine against the Hart family. During the match, he was pinned by Owen Hart, becoming the first man eliminated. Although originally scheduled to be captained by Jerry Lawler, Shawn Michaels was named as a last minute replacement due to Lawler's legal problems preventing him from appearing with the WWF.

Gaylord, six days after that appearance, teamed with Mike Anthony and defeated PG-13 for the USWA Tag Team Championship, although they would lose the titles a week later to The War Machines. He also competed for a November 28, 1994 taping of *WCW Saturday Night*, defeating Rip Rogers. He was one of the many wrestlers who competed for the USWA during its dying days, as on May 15, 1995, he lost to The Gambler by disqualification in his last appearance. After leaving the USWA, Gaylord wrestled for the American Wrestling Federation before retiring in 1998.

In October 2001, Gaylord robbed a bank in Aurora, Colorado of five thousand dollars. Then, in February, he robbed the same bank branch; this time his license plate number was written down and a high-speed chase resulted, which resulted in Gaylord being taken into custody. He pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery and was sentenced to two consecutive terms of seventy-eight months. In 2009, he once again attempted a bank robbery in Monument, Colorado. He was released from prison for that attempt on July 15, 2015.

## Death

Gaylord was likely homeless when on March 15, 2023, he was found dead at a bus stop in Englewood, Colorado. He was 64 years old and no cause of death was immediately available.