When He Wrestled, He Held The Heavyweight Championship
It’s common knowledge that William Howard Taft was one of the heaviest men to hold the presidency, but this isn’t the case. Taft was a Yale College wrestling fanatic who was once crowned the school’s intramural heavyweight champion.
When it comes to wrestling, Taft attributes his success to his family. As a child, the 27th president had four brothers. Wrestling and fighting among siblings can’t be avoided, as everyone who has them will attest. When he was a youngster, Taft learned to wrestle and defend himself, and those skills served him well in college.