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This is the story about a little guy, Bobby Weaver, who made it big in a so-called big man's world. Weaver won three PIAA Class AAA titles at Penn State's Rec Hall wrestling for Easton High at 98 pounds in 1975 and 1976 and at 105 in 1977.

After winning a national prep title for Blair Academy of New Jersey in 1978, Weaver enrolled at Lehigh University where he eventually lost to Syracuse's Gene Mills in the EIWA titles, his sophomore year, at 118. Then, he won back-to-back EIWA titles at 118 and finished third in one of three NCAA appearances.

Weaver, because of his size, was better suited for international freestyle competition because it had a 105.5-pound class.

As a result, he won World Cup gold medals at Toledo in 1980 and 1984 and what followed in the summer of 1984 was the highlight of his career, winning a gold medal for the U.S. in he LA Olympic Games. Only a few Americans with Pennsylvania schoolboy backgrounds, including Nate Carr (bronze medal in 1988 at 149.5), Stan Dziedzic (bronze in 1976 at 163) and Kurt Angle (gold in 1996 at 220) has earned Olympic freestyle medals.

"Bobby was a pretty good technician," said Thad Turner, who coached Weaver at Lehigh. He also had a big heart. He had a rough time as a youngster. He lost his dad, who was electrocuted in a work-related accident and he had a brother who was killed in an auto accident. Bobby also has another older brother, Curt, who lives in New Jersey.

Weaver, who earned a World freestyle silver medal in 1979, has stayed active in wrestling both as a summer camp director and clinician, and as a youth volunteer coach.

"He was in the banking field," Turner said, "but I think he missed being around kids. Now he's employed by the Phillipsburg, N.J. Middle School."

Weaver, who also finished second in the Tbilisi Tournament, a prestigious USSR freestyle event, said he got started in the sport at a very young age.

"I remember when he wrestled for St. Anthony's Youth Center, which was the premier program in the Lehigh Valley at that time," Turner, a former Philipsburg-Osceola High and Lehigh wrestler (two-time EIWA champ and one-time NCAA runner-up) said. "He also played midget football with my oldest boy."

"I didn't have lots of early success," said Weaver. "I just wanted to be part of something. My mom (Jackie) did a great job raising her children. I know my family embraced me."

Weaver's head coach at Easton was Bob Zarbatany, who was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1982, four years before Weaver. "I wrestled 88 pounds (an exhibition weight class) my freshman year in high school," Weaver recalled, "and went 6-2. I was 82-1 my last three years for an overall record of 87-3. I had something like 56 pins overall. Yea, I loved the cradle."

Weaver attributed his scholastic success to team-mate, Henry Callie, who made three trips to the state meet, finishing second at 105 in 1976 to Jim Zenz of Saucon Valley. It was Zenz who beat Weaver in the '75 PIAA Northeast Regional semifinals, causing Roy to finish third in that tournament. "I have to credit Henry," Weaver said. "We both qualified for states. He really pushed me in practice."

Brad Weaver, Bobbie’s brother who lost his life in the auto accident mentioned earlier, lost in the 1971 PIAA finals to Tyrone's Gib Fink at 103 pounds. "We were close," Weaver said.

Weaver said he likes to bridge the gap between grade school youngsters and junior high and between junior high and senior high wrestlers through his age-group instruction.

"I also get involved in various summer camps in Long Island, NY, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina and the Poconos."

"I probably weighed 113 when I wrestled at 118 in college," Weaver said. "In college, I was just happy to be competing. When you weigh only 113 it's like pulling a load. Come tournament time, it was tough wrestling four bouts in two days. I was giving up lots of weight, size and strength. Against a guy like Mills, his size finally took over. He was probably coming down from 135, which is what I weigh now. I was glad to go 6-1 my junior year at nationals. I lost to Randy Willingham of Oklahoma State in the quarter finals."

Weaver competed at the senior freestyle level between 1976 and 1984 and hit the jackpot in 1980 when he won a spot on the Olympic team. That was also the year the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Summer Games.

Four years later, Weaver won a spot on the 1984 team, only this time, the Soviet and Eastern Bloc teams stayed home.

"I took 1981 off," Weaver said, "and I had a knee injury in 1982. I've traveled all over Europe. I competed in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Russia to mention a few. I beat the Russian in the World Cup so I don't feel as though my gold medal effort was tainted. I always managed to beat any Russian who had beaten me somewhere along the way.

Yes, the highlight came for Weaver, who placed fifth in the '83 World Championships and first in three National AAU meets (1978, 1979 and 1980) when he won gold, one of seven American freestylers to win titles in the XXIII Olympiad.

Weaver had a bye and then disposed of three opponents, all in the first period. He pinned Taliashi Irie of Japan in 2:58 of the title match. Weaver reacted by running laps around the three mats in the Anaheim venue, first on the platform, then at floor level. Then, grabbing his infant son, Bobby Jr., he took another victory lap as the crowd went wild, a scene that became popular on many national TV news programs.

Bobby Jr. is 14 and an Easton eighth grade wrestler Wife Lon and Bobby also have two daughters, Tiffany and Jessica

"My son likes the physical and mental part that's associated with wrestling," Bobby said. Having my wife and son on the West Coast for the Olympics and winning were great. I've been to Cuba, and I've seen how other people live. It make you appreciate what we have here in the US."

After returning from the West Coast, Weaver drew a big salute from the Lehigh Valley, especially the people in Easton, in the form of a huge parade. In the parade was Larry Holmes, the former heavyweight boxing champ from Easton.

Other freestyle winners for Uncle Sam's 1984 freestyle team were Randy Lewis at 136 .5, the late Dave Schultz at 163, brother Mark Schultz at 180.5, Ed Banach at 198, Lou Banach at 220, and Bruce Baumgartner at heavyweight. Silver medals went to Barris Davis at 125.5 and Andy Rein at 149.5.

"That was probably the springboard for what the US is doing now at the international level," Weaver said looking back 14 years.

Weaver, who also beat wrestlers from China and West Germany in 1984, said he learned a lot from US coach Dan Gable and Billy Rosado, former Arizona State wrestler and World bronze medallist at 105.5.

"Gable just breathes wrestling all the time," Weaver said. "He varied practice sessions to make it fun. You can't just keep pushing. He knows how to get the most out of every wrestler. He is also a great technician."

Yes, Weaver put a lot into his favorite sport and now he's putting a lot back into it. A big tip of the cap to a little guy who reached the pinnacle of his sport in 1984, a mere seven years after he received the Outstanding Wrestler trophy in the 1977 PIAA tournament.

Doug McDonald retired from the Centre Daily Times in State College in August of 1995, after covering sports for 38 years. His honors as a contributor include member of the District 6 Hall of Fame, Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame, PA Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, Two-time Amateur Wrestling News Writer of the Year, 25 year NWCA Service Award and National Wrestling Media Association (print journalist) recipient.