Name Eddie Jr. Role Olympic athlete | Height 1.72 m Martial art Boxing | |
People also search for Tadeusz Walasek, Ion Monea, Yevgeny Feofanov | ||
Edward "Eddie" Crook Jr. (April 19, 1929 – July 25, 2005) won a gold medal for the United States as a boxing teammate of Muhammad Ali in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Crook was also a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
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Amateur career
Boxing out of Detroit, Crook was an Olympic Gold medalist for the United States at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, in the 165 pound class. Crook defeated Tadeusz Walasek of Poland in the Gold medal match by 3-2 decision. Reportedly he was the only Army boxer to ever win an Olympic Gold Medal. He had no professional career.
Life After Boxing
After winning his gold medal, Crook served two tours in the Vietnam War as a command sergeant major in the U.S. Army. He received two Purple Hearts, a Silver Star, and a Bronze Star and was a boxing coach at Fort Benning, Georgia]. Crook was quarterback of the Berlin Bears, earning All-Army honors and named "Most Valuable Player." He then served as ROTC Instructor at Alcorn State in Mississippi.
Death
Crook died on July 25, 2005 of natural causes in Montgomery, Alabama. He was 76.