John Smith has become the crown jewel of wrestling's "first family." Growing up in Del City, Oklahoma, church and wrestling were the centers of attention for the family of 12. The four boys all competed on the mat. Smith's competitive spirit was prevalent by the age of three and his illustrious career began two years later. He compiled a record of 105 wins against five losses and captured two state titles at Del City High School. Smith graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1988 as a three-time All-American and NCAA champion in 1987 and 1988. He finished his career at OSU as the best Cowboy winner ever with a 154-7-2 mark, including a 90-match winning streak. Smith is the only American wrestler to win six career world titles, let alone six consecutive. His streak started in 1987 with his first world title and continued with his triumph at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He then captured World Freestyle Championships in 1989, 1990 and 1991. He capped his career with his gold medal performance at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Smith returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1992 and led the Cowboys to a NCAA title in 1994. Smith's return to the Olympic stage came in a different capacity, after being named as coach for the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. In taking the 1990 world title, Smith was awarded FILA's "Master of Technique" award as the best technical wrestler in the world. In 1988, Amateur Wrestling News and USA Wrestling's Man of the Year in 1989 named him Man of the Year. In 1992, Smith became the first American to receive FILA's Wrestler of the Year award for 1991. He was also the first North American wrestler to receive the Amateur Athletic Foundation's World Trophy as the top athlete from his respective region of the world for 1992. Smith was honored as the 1990 James E. Sullivan Award winner, given to the nation's top amateur athlete. In 1997, Smith was inducted as a Distinguished Member in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.