Dan Hodge Trophy | Mike Chapman

In 1995, Mike created the Dan Hodge Trophy which goes each year to the top college wrestler in the nation. Mike’s goal was to create a trophy for wrestling that would rival the Heisman trophy in football. He named the trophy after the legendary Sooner, known for his pinning prowess. “One of the main goals was to put more emphasis back on the pin,” said Mike.

At a 2019 Penn State wrestling dual meet, four winners of The Dan Hodge Trophy posed with their trophies. They are (from left) Bo Nickal, Zain Retherford, David Taylor and Kerry McCoy. Retherford and Taylor are among just six wrestlers who have won more than one trophy since its inception in 1995. (Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletic Department)

Criteria for the award includes a wrestler’s record, number of pins, dominance on the mat, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart.

The trophy is presented by ASICS, and co-sponsored by WIN Magazine and Culture House, a company owned by Mike and Bev that promotes the sport of wrestling and various eras of history. The award is generally presented at the season-ending banquet of the winning wrestler’s school and again at half time of a football game the following fall. It is estimated that over 1 million fans have seen the trophy presented at the football games since 1995.

All-Time Dan Hodge Trophy Winners
Year | Name | School

For more details on each individual winner, visit WIN Magazine’s Hodge Trophy site.