Sports
George Steele
1937–2017 · professional wrestler, teacher, actor
Detroit-born wrestler and Madison Heights schoolteacher whose 'George the Animal Steele' character, born out of the local Detroit wrestling scene, became a national WWE star.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Cocoa Beach, Florida
aged 79- Birth name
- William James Myers
- Also known as
- George "The Animal" Steele
- Detroit years
- 1937–1970s
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Born William Myers in Detroit and raised in the nearby suburb of Madison Heights, he played football at Michigan State before a knee injury ended that path, and he settled into teaching and coaching at Madison High School in his hometown suburb, later entering the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame for that work. To supplement his teacher's salary he began wrestling in the Detroit-area independent scene in the mid-1960s, at first masked to protect his identity, before the wild, tongue-wagging 'George the Animal Steele' character he developed carried him to the national WWE stage and later a role in Tim Burton's film Ed Wood. He held the Detroit version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship early in his career, a title tied directly to the city's own wrestling promotion.
Highlights
- Born in Detroit, raised and taught school in Madison Heights
- Inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame
- Began wrestling in Detroit's independent scene in the mid-1960s, initially masked
- Held the Detroit version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, 2005
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 1960s–1970s
Madison High School
Status being checked
The Madison Heights school where he taught, coached football and wrestling, and earned a place in the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame.