*JIM “Bo”NANCE, Syracuse ’65 was one of six EIWA three-time heavyweight winners and a two-time NCAA champion in his second favorite sport. He lost only one bout (43-1) in three seasons with the Orangemen. As a sophomore in the finals, he beat one of America’s best-ever freestyle heavyweights, Larry Kristoff, 3rd,2nd,3rd,2nd,2nd at the World Championships from 1965-70. They both placed ahead of Oklahoma State’s top seed Joe James (NCAA 2,3,1). In 1964, Nance was seeded 1st but lost 2-1 in the quarterfinals on a controversial fleeing the mat call; the dismayed Orangemen then refused to wrestle-back. As a senior Nance re-gained both his top seed and the title, defeating Oklahoma State’s Russ Winer.
At 6’1” 260 pounds, Bo was a 1st-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1965 (Round 2 by the Bears). He later led the AFL in rushing twice and in 1966 carried 299 times for 17 TDs and 1,458 yards, the only AFL rusher ever over 1,400. Jim was the AFL’s MVP that year and is still the Pats’ all-time leading rusher with 60 career TDs. In ’72 he was traded to the Eagles but declined the offer, finishing his 10-yr career with the NY Jets and Houston Texans. He died at age 49 in 1992 after extensive health problems.
