For this #ThrowbackThursday, the #OffTheGrid team wants to share the time that Jesse Ventura reminisced about his childhood and early career with Graham Bensinger – get ready for high school, navy and wrestling memories that the Governor hasn’t shared previously.

Our first stop down memory lane for this #TBT is Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis

Welcome to Jesse Ventura’s alma mater!

The former Governor gives Graham Bensinger a tour of his high school, including his 1968 high school Hall of Fame plaque.

During his time in high school, Jesse was on the football team and they were undefeated.

He also received special recognition from Roosevelt High for serving his country.

Watch this clip to find out what he learned as a teenager from his parents here

Next stop after high school was the Navy.

After high school, Jesse Ventura went into the Navy. He enlisted in the UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) because he was an excellent swimmer in high school.  The UDT Navy Frogmen were eventually reclassified as the Navy SEALS.

Both of Jesse's parents served in WWII, and his father had 6 bronze battle stars, but his father was anti-war and wasn’t thrilled with Jesse's decision to join the armed forces. 

Jesse recalls that out of the 300 young men who signed up for UDT training, only 4 passed the screen test. Then when the 4 members of his group arrived at training, they joined approximately 120 guys, and out of those 120, only 30 wound up passing and becoming UDT Frogmen. 

Jesse Ventura also recalls the painful lesson he learned when asking for medical attention during Navy training - watch the clip here.

And then there was pro-wrestling . . .

When Jesse Ventura returned from the Vietnam War, he went to community college on the GI bill and became interested in acting. He also answered a classified ad looking for pro-wrestlers, and he quickly found pro-wrestling to be the best combination of theater and athleticism. He was hooked. 

After traveling to wrestling matches for two years, he put 128,000 miles on his new car.

What was the scariest moment in his career? In Eugene, Oregon a massive fight broke out in the stands. He had a truly close call with a wrestling fan who wasn’t a fan of Ventura’s villainous character. 

He also talks about a health scare that made him reconsider his career – and how he became the first heel announcer – watch Jesse get into the details here. 

Jesse also sets the record straight on what led to the downfall of his relationship with Hulk Hogan, why he doesn't trust Hogan, and his admiration for Vince McMahon. 

Did you know Jesse "The Body" Ventura is the only pro-wrestler who has a "retirement" plan from Wrestle Mania? Watch to find out why here. 

In case you missed it, Jesse Ventura also answers #OffTheGrid fan questions about his wrestling career in this clip:

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC its affiliates, or its employees.

More from Jesse Ventura's Off The Grid

Advertisement