Edward James Gantner Jr. (February 4, 1959 – December 31, 1990) was an American professional wrestler and American football player. Early life Edward James Ganter Jr. was born in Orlando, Florida, the youngest of four children. Ed was the only son with three older sisters. By the time he was three years old, his father would throw him a football hard enough to knock him down, only to get back up and throw it back. His mother and sisters never recall Gantner having a knack for football. He was considered a "puny little runt," all the way through junior high school. Gantner's life began to change around age twelve when his parents separated. His father moved out of the house, while his mother went back to school. His mother and sisters worked to keep the family afloat, and during this period he found solace in weight lifting, pumping iron for hours alone in his room, also finding solace in surfing. Professional football career Gantner's major football career started at Edgewater High School. Around his junior year, he began using steroids. Between his junior and senior years in high school, he gained 45 lbs. His newly found physique gained him confidence to point, where he talked incessantly about the weight he gained, how much he could lift, and the size of his biceps and neck. After graduating from high school, he received a college scholarship to play football for the University of Tennessee, but after less than a year, he became depressed and homesick. After returning home to Orlando, he took a hiatus, working as a bartender and a bouncer. In 1980, he returned to playing college football, this time for Central Florida, as a starter. He was also had the honor of being the first man from the college to go professional. He played pro football in the United States Football League, where he played for the Tampa Bay Bandits for one year, and for the Jacksonville Bulls for two years. Professional wrestling career Gantner made his debut for Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1985 as a heel, joining the House of Humperdink, led by Sir Oliver Humperdink. Within the group, he formed a tag team with Kareem Muhammed called the Shock Troops. They made their debut on TV jumping The Fabulous Ones, starting a program with them. They also unsuccessfully challenged The Road Warriors at Battle Of The Belts