"He was an excellent athlete who was a tenacious competitor. He was also a quick learner who could assimilate techniques to his own style of wrestling," then-head coach Carl Adams said of Tod Giles.
It is appropriate then that Giles, who was the first BU All-American coached by Adams, became Adams' first Hall of Fame inductee.
Giles actually concluded his eligibility in 1984. After winning his first New England Championship as a freshman at the University of Rhode Island, Giles transferred to Boston University. He was a three-time New England champion and compiled and overall record of 86-5 while competing for the Terriers. He culminated his career as a senior in 1983-84 when he posted a 39-2 record to set a school mark for most wins in a season. He won his third consecutive New England championship and went on to finish eighth at 190 pounds and earn All-America honors at the NCAA tournament.
As a team, the Terriers were 26-18 during Giles' career and won the New England Conference Tournament each of his three years.
In the spring of 1984, just credits shy of graduation, he enlisted in the Marines where he continued to excel on the mat. He was a four-time All-Marine wrestler, was a freestyle champion at the World Military Games, and was a nine-time place winner at the U.S. National Championships. In addition he was an alternate on the United States' 1988 and 1996 Olympic Greco-Roman Teams.
Finally, in 1991, Giles returned to BU to complete his credits for his degree while serving as an assistant coach under Adams. In 1994, he received his bachelor's degree and went on to become the head coach at West Point.
"He was always driven to achieve high goals," said Adams. "He always wanted to be the best at what he did."
