Animal [Hardcover]

A stand-out character in an entertainment industry where persona is everything, George “The Animal” Steele shares how he balanced his real life as Jim Myers, a highly respected high school teacher and coach, with the green tongued, hairy backed, turnbuckle eating wrestling icon he was in the ring. The memoir delves into the golden era of wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s and his entry into the World Wrestling Federation where he earned a spot in professional wrestling history despite only speaking in animal-like grunts. In reality, the educated man that overcame his struggles with dyslexia and Crohn’s Disease was a father and an inspiration to many of his students and players, and the dichotomous personalities that marked this much-loved man’s life are explored in his own words. The book is filled with nostalgic and humorous anecdotes about the whirlwind life of wrestling alongside such notables as Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino, both in and out of the ring.

George “The Animal” Steeleis Jim Myers, a retired professional wrestler, high school teacher, and high school football and wrestling coach. He is an inductee of the Professional Wrestlers Hall of Fame, the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame, and the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame as well as the Michigan High School Football Association Coaches Hall of Fame. He lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Jim Evansis a sportswriter and columnist for theDaily Tribuneof Oakland County, Michigan andMacomb Daily. He lives in Rochester Hills, Michigan.Cowboy Bill Wattsis a former professional wrestler and promoter who worked with and developed some of the biggest names in wrestling history. He is the author ofThe Cowboy and the Cross. He lives in Bixby, Oklahoma.