Carl Adams had been a wrestling coach for nearly 30 years. He was at Iowa State for six years and the University of Rhode Island for two years before he came to rebuild the Boston University wrestling program. Over the years, he coached hundreds of wrestlers. Thus, when he adds "est" to a wrestler, you pay attention.
"Earl Walker is the classiest kid I have ever coached," Adams, who also coached current BU Hall of Famer Tod Giles, said the inductee. "He is a true gentleman in every sense of the word. You would want your son to grow up like Earl Walker or have your daughter marry someone like Earl.
"He is a shining example of what a student-athlete should be. Academically, he was a great student and currently, he is working toward his PhD in Sport Psychology. Athletically, his record shows he was the best wrestler we ever had here. He was a hard worker and very focused on what needed to be done."
A national champion in high school, Earl originally matriculated at Brown University but transferred to BU after his freshman year.
During the next three years, he amassed an amazing 86-12-2 record for an .870 winning percentage. He also advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of his three seasons as a Terrier.
His first trip came in 1993, when, as a sophomore, he defeated the No. 1 seed and went on to finish in the Top 12 in the nation at 158 pounds, as he compiled a 26-5 record.
His junior year of 1994, he earned All-American status as he finished third in the NCAAs, marking the highest finish by a BU wrestler. He was 13-0 in dual match competition, 37-3 in all matches, and won the Mickey Cochrane Award as the University's Outstanding Male Athlete.
He capped off his career with a 23-4-2 record as a senior. During the course of the season, he was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation at 158 pounds. He was team captain, team MVP and featured as a Face In The Crowd in Sport Illustrated.
