High school: West Jefferson Height 2.01 m Role American football player | Name Randy Thornton College: Houston Weight 147 kg | |
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Date of birth: (1964-12-23) December 23, 1964 (age 51) Place of birth: New Orleans, Louisiana, US Positions Defensive back, Defensive end, Safety, Linebacker | ||
Randy Thornton (born December 23, 1964) is an American former football player and professional wrestler. He is also known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Big Swoll.
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Football career
Thornton attended the University of Houston, where he played for the Houston Cougars as a defensive back and free safety between 1984 and 1987.
From 1988 to 1990, he played for the Denver Broncos as a linebacker. In 1990, he was sidelined with a knee injury.[1][2][3] In 1990, he was courted by the New York Giants.[4] He left the Broncos in the same year.[5]
In the 1993 CFL season, he played for the Sacramento Gold Miners as a defensive end.
Early career
Thornton trained as a wrestler under Brad Rheingans.
On May 3, 1991, he debuted in the American Wrestling Association, where he lost to Frank Andersson. That same month, he toured New Japan Pro Wrestling and fought in a "Different Style Fight" against Shinya Hashimoto, which he lost in the second round.
World Championship Wrestling (1999)
In 1999, Thornton, under the ring name Swoll, debuted in World Championship Wrestling as a member of Master P's No Limit Soldiers. The Soldiers immediately began a feud with The West Texas Rednecks due to the Rednecks' hatred of rap music. On June 13, 1999 at The Great American Bash, Swoll assisted fellow Soldiers Konnan and Rey Misterio, Jr. in defeating the Rednecks' Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum, Jr.. On the June 24 episode of Thunder, Swoll made his in-ring debut as he and B.A. defeated Disorderly Conduct (Mean Mike and Tough Tom). At Bash at the Beach, the Soldiers (Swoll, Konnan, B.A. and Misterio, Jr.) defeated the Rednecks (Hennig, Duncum, Jr. Barry Windham and Kendall Windham) in an elimination tag team match. After defeating a few other teams over the next few weeks, Swoll and B.A. lost to the Windhams on the August 3 episode of Saturday Night, thus ending both Swoll's undefeated streak and the feud between the Soldiers and the Rednecks. On the August 17 episode of Saturday Night, Swoll competed in his final match for WCW as he and B.A. defeated Hugh Morrus and Jerry Flynn via disqualification. Thornton retired from professional wrestling immediately afterwards..
Retirement
After retiring from wrestling, Thornton began working for the American Center For Character and Cultural Education. He is a born again Christian and also speaks for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.