In 2013, Daniel Dennis lived out of a black 1986 Ford F-150 he reportedly bought on Craigslist for $500. The former NCAA All-American had no intention of wrestling competitively again.
On Sunday, he clinched a berth on the U.S. Olympic team.
Dennis, a 29-year-old who came out of a two-year retirement in 2015, beat former University of Iowa teammate Tony Ramos in the U.S. Olympic Trials finals of the freestyle 57kg division.
The triumph fittingly came at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at Iowa City, where Dennis made his name as a two-time All-American.