Paul Orndorff, wrestling’s Mr. Wonderful and former Saints draft pick, dead at 71

Paul Orndorff, who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 12th round of the 1973 NFL Draft out of Tampa, has passed away in Fayetteville, Georgia. Orndorff was 71.

While Orndorff never played a down in the regular season for the Saints after failing his physical, he went on to make his name in professional wrestling as a physical force, starting with Mid-South Wrestling in 1976 where he won a national title before becoming a World Wrestling Federation star after spending a brief time in the World Football League with the Jacksonville Sharks.

Orndorff was both the good guy and the villain in wrestling and was affectionately known as “Mr. Wonderful,” a nickname given to him by his manager “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Orndorff went on to the World Wrestling Federation where he became a champion.

After retiring, Orndorff remained in the sport by training younger wrestlers. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and the National Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2009.

Orndorff, who reportedly suffered from dementia in recent times, was a native of Brandon, Florida.