Gamecock great, former pro wrestler Del Wilkes dies
Del Wilkes, South Carolina football All-American and former professional wrestler, has died. He was 59.
Wilkes’ cause of death was a heart attack, according to a report from longtime wrestling writer Mike Mooneyham for the Charleston Post & Courier.
No Gamecock reached such heights in two different pursuits as Wilkes. The Columbia native and Irmo High School graduate paved the way for the offense for the 1984 Black Magic team and then went on to a lucrative career as The Patriot, a star in WCW and WWE, as well as in Japan.
“When I was a kid, there were two things — football and pro wrestling — that occupied my every waking thought,” Wilkes once said.
The WWE confirmed his passing, saying: “A Superstar quickly on the rise, The Patriot proudly donned the red, white and blue of America in the midst of a rivalry with The Hart Foundation, leading to a memorable match against Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at In Your House: Ground Zero just two months after his WWE debut.”
Wilkes played for the Gamecocks in 1980-1981 and then again in 1983-1984, playing for coaches Jim Carlen and Joe Morrison. He is one of four consensus All-Americans in USC history, joining George Rogers (1980), Melvin Ingram (2011) and Jadeveon Clowney (2012).
He earned the All-American honor and was USC’s most decorated player in 1984, when the Gamecocks finished 10-2 for what was then the best season in school history.
“At the start of the season I was just happy to be the starter,” Wilkes told The State in 1984 as the Gamecocks were preparing for a Gator Bowl matchup with Oklahoma State. “I have no idea how I wound up making those All-America teams.
“I know people say they dreamed of making All-America as a kid, but I never did because I never expected anything like that to happen. It was too far-fetched for me to dream about. Obviously, being on a 10-1 team helped. We were probably the talk of college football this season because nobody expected us to do what we did. We got a lot of ink, and I guess I benefited from it.”
In wrestling, he trained in Columbia under the late women’s wrestling legend and Hall of Famer Lillian Ellison, also known as The Fabulous Moolah. Wilkes told The State he paid $1,500 in 1987 to train to be a wrestler after a career in professional football didn’t work out. He had tryouts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons but did not make an NFL roster.
Wilkes began wrestling as “The Trooper.” He later became “The Patriot,” a flag-waving, masked character created to take advantage of Americans’ nationalism after the end of the first Gulf War. Wilkes was a bigger hit in Japan than he was in the United States.
“He certainly helped me win the Heisman trophy,” Gamecock running back great George Rogers said in a TV interview about Wilkes in the summer of 1997 just as the wrestler’s WWE career was taking off.
“It was with pure intentions of having a great career. And I did,” said Wilkes, who made as much as $250,000 a year wrestling.
Wilkes’ life had some dark times. He battled an addiction to pain-killing drugs in the 1990s and spent time in jail; once, he was arrested in Sumter for forging prescriptions and his car was impounded.
He was also open about his usage of steroids. Though South Carolina was at the center of a steroid scandal in 1988 after the publication of a Sports Illustrated article, Wilkes believes steroid use was just as common among the Gamecocks’ opponents as it was at USC.
“You could go into any gym back then and get anything you wanted,” he told The State in 2004. “It was like buying a cellphone. There was nothing to it.”
Wilkes returned to Williams-Brice Stadium in recent years, joining recognition ceremonies of various anniversaries of the 1984 season. He also took part more recently in the alumni flag football event that accompanies the Gamecocks’ spring games.
“Saddened by the loss of Del Wilkes,” South Carolina tight ends coach Erik Kimrey posted to Twitter on Thursday. “One of four consensus All Americans in USC history. A man who gained wisdom through experience and through it ... blessed those around him. Praying for his family. He is most certainly ... home.”
The news of his passing circulated Thursday and Friday on social media, with numerous contemporaries in the pro wrestling industry commenting on Wilkes.
John Layfield, who wrestled as JBL, said: “Such sad news, always loved being around Del. One of the good guys.”
Longtime WCW and WWE wrestler Williams Regal tweeted: “I’m saddened to hear of the passing of The Patriot Del Wilkes. A great wrestler and a favorite opponent in WCW. My deepest condolences to his family.”
The NWA tweeted: “The National Wrestling Alliance would like to send condolences to the family and friends of Del ‘The Patriot’ Wilkes. An extraordinary athlete and man, his contributions to our industry in and out of the ring will always be remembered. #RIPDelWilkes”
“As a pro wrestler from Columbia, SC and fellow Gamecock, this news is devastating,” wrestler John Skyler posted to Twitter. “Del was always a pleasant guy to be around when our paths would cross.”
Said former WCW and WWE wrestler Marc Mero on Twitter: “Very sad to hear the passing of the Patriot Del Wilkes. Nothing but fond memories working with him in WCW. My thoughts are with his family and numerous fans. Thank you for the memories.”
This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 5:42 PM.
