By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park wrestling legend Melvin Douglas was back in his old stomping grounds on Saturday, taking in the Highland Park Invitational while on a pre-holiday trip from his home in Arizona to visit family and friends.
Topeka wrestling legend Melvin Douglas was back in Topeka on Saturday, watching the Highland Park Invitational at his alma mater. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And for Douglas, the former high school and NCAA champ and two-time United States Olympian, it felt good to be home.
"I was like, 'Wow, much hasn't changed,' and I came in and I looked and I saw that my picture's still up,'' Douglas chuckled as he eyed his Highland Park Wall of Honor display in the gym.''
This past summer Douglas was picked No. 4 on TopSports.news' list of the Top100 Athletes in Shawnee County History after winning three state high school wrestling championships for Highland Park (1979, '80 and '81), capturing a pair of NCAA titles for Oklahoma and making the United States Olympic team in 1996 and 2000.
Highland Park grad Melvin Douglas was a state high school wrestling champ, an NCAA champ and a two-time Olympian. [File photo[
But these days the 61-year-old Douglas is enjoying life away from the mat.
"I drive a semi, a flatbed 18-wheeler,'' Douglas said. "I like it. I get to stay in town and I traveled so much in my life that I hate traveling now. I like staying home and I'm home every day.
"The only bad thing about it is I get up real early, I'm at work at 4 a.m., but I'm also off early.''
Following his competitive career Douglas also did some coaching, but these days he is content to mainly keep track of the sport he loves from afar.
"I was coaching, but I got to the point to where if somebody comes to me and asks me to help them, then I help them,'' Douglas said. "But that's about it.
"I had my time and I'm enjoying the later parts of my life. I tell everybody I'm in the fourth quarter of life and I'm going to enjoy it. I'm just taking care of my grandkids and I spend time with them and sit back and watch wrestling. I still watch (USA Wrestling) and keep my eye on it.''
When Douglas looks back at his career, except for not bringing home an Olympic medal, there's nothing else missing from his resume.
"That was the only thing that I missed,'' he said. "Everything else I've won, just not that Olympic medal, but I told them when I retired, 'I had a good run.' ''
Douglas said he continues to be very proud of his Topeka roots.
"I did what I could for Topeka,'' he said. "Whenever I won or got any glory I always let them know where I was from.
"And to come back to something like this and seeing these guys doing it again, it takes me back and I remember when I was down there doing that. It's fun watching these guys.''
When today's competitors ask Douglas for advice they can use in their careers, he's very clear.
"Kids always ask me what I thought about wrestling and what they need to know and I always tell them, 'Believe in yourself. When somebody asks you if you're any good, tell them yes, because it starts with you,' '' Douglas said.
"If you say, 'I'm OK,' that's all you're going to be, but if you say, 'I'm good,' then you have the potential to be great. Don't ever put yourself down and that goes for life.''
