two things Bob...
why did it take you so long to turn pro??..you may have explained this in the past but I missed it....was it a longer process back then?..or did you have trouble with not being able to attain the physique needed due to your genetics, so you had to work much longer and harder than your peers?
Also..how do you think you would have done had you been competing in the 70's instead?...before the time of the more extreme supplementation out there? do you think your physique was better suited to that time and how do you think you would have done competition-wise?
I climbed the ranks pretty fast, winning about 20+ teen shows, placing 2nd to Shawn Ray at the Teen Nationals, won the Jr. Nationals overall in 1987, placed 5th in my National debut the same year HW...
Placed runner up to Johnnie Morant at the 1989 USA, and two more top 5 at the 89 Nationals/ N. American...placed 5th in the 1990 Nationals (drug tested)....clean. Took 6th in the infamous 1991 Nationals...
Then it all started to go downhill....as I wasnt winning, but close....I started to make changes to my program...training, gear, cardio, etc...more specifically, my last 48 hr. prep....and with every change came worse results....the smarter I got, the worse I looked. Something to be said for ignorance being bliss...
when I got picked for the American Gladiators, I figured I would go in that direction, since it was a very natural fit for me, being a athlete in many sports for many years... when that canceled the following year, I got a call from the WBF/ McMahon..they were going to offer two amateurs a chance to compete as pros...Paul DeMayo...and Me. When that closed shop before ever getting going...I went back to my quest to turn pro...
As the years rolled along, I started to focus on running my personal training gym, while still competing, and still missing the mark...
In 1998 I blew out my L-4/ L-5 disc...bad. I had surgery/ fusion in July of that year. Figured my quest was finally over as there were no guarantees of a full recovery, especially nerve wise.
Got with George Farah in 1999, he assured my with my genetics and his expertise of diet/ prep....that I would turn pro....guaranteed. Busted my as we had 11 weeks to the 99 Nats...had to re-qualify...went down to TX for the last Q before the Natinals...won the TX, went on to place 2nd to King in the HW ( as I was already down in weight from being out of action from surgery, etc....I was 225 on the button)
Went on the win the USA SHW and Overall at 233 lbs.
THAT was MY Olympia...whatever happened after that as a pro would always take a back seat to 13 years of effort and obtaining my goal...