Titus O'Neil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Titus O'Neil |
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O'Neil in 2022
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| Birth name | Thaddeus Michael Bullard |
| Born | April 29, 1977 Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
| Children | 3 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Rufus Patterson Titus O'Neil |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) |
| Billed weight | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Billed from | Live Oak, Florida |
| Trained by | Florida Championship Wrestling |
| Debut | November 12, 2009 |
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Football career |
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| Position: | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Live Oak (FL) Suwannee |
| College: | Florida |
| Undrafted: | 2001 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Thaddeus Michael Bullard (born April 29, 1977), better known by his ring name Titus O'Neil, is an American professional wrestler and former arena football player. He is currently signed to WWE as a Global Ambassador. WWE has called him "one of the most philanthropic superstars in WWE history." For his charity work, Bullard received the WWE Hall of Fame 2020 Warrior Award.
Before wrestling, Bullard played college football for the University of Florida and later played in the Arena Football League (AFL). He started his wrestling career in WWE's training program, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He later appeared on the TV show NXT.
In WWE, he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion with his partner Darren Young in a team called The Prime Time Players. He was also the very first WWE 24/7 Champion. In 2021, Bullard was honored with the Warrior Award and inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for his amazing charity work, especially in his hometown of Tampa, Florida. A public school in Tampa was also named after him that same year.
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Early life
Thaddeus Michael Bullard was born in Boynton Beach, Florida. He grew up in Live Oak, Florida, where he lived at the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranches. He went to Suwannee High School and was an amazing football player. In 1995, both USA Today and Parade magazine named him a high school All-American player.
Football career
Bullard received a scholarship to play football at the University of Florida for Coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators. He was part of the team from 1997 to 2000. During his time there, he played in 44 games. He was also elected student body vice president in 2000 and graduated the same year.
After college, Bullard played professional football in the Arena Football League from 2003 to 2007. He played for teams like the Carolina Cobras, Las Vegas Gladiators, Tampa Bay Storm, and Utah Blaze.
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Learning the Ropes (2009–2012)
In 2009, Bullard signed a contract with WWE and started training at Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which was WWE's school for new wrestlers. He first appeared on TV as Titus O'Neil in 2010. In FCW, he teamed up with Damien Sandow to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship.
O'Neil was also a contestant on the second season of WWE NXT. This show was a competition to find WWE's next big star. Although he was the first rookie eliminated, he returned for the show's finale.
He later came back for the fifth season of NXT, called NXT Redemption. During this season, he had a long rivalry with Darren Young. At one point, O'Neil became a "heel" (a bad guy in wrestling) and started a new storyline. He formed an alliance with his former rival, Darren Young, and they teamed up to face other wrestlers like Percy Watson and Alex Riley.
The Prime Time Players (2012–2014)
In April 2012, O'Neil and Darren Young were moved to WWE's main roster, debuting on SmackDown. Their team became known as The Prime Time Players. They quickly earned a chance to fight for the WWE Tag Team Championship but were unsuccessful at first.
They continued to chase the titles, competing against champions like Kofi Kingston & R-Truth and later Kane & Daniel Bryan. At the 2013 Royal Rumble, O'Neil competed in the Royal Rumble match.
In August 2013, The Prime Time Players became "faces" (good guys) and became very popular with the fans. They earned another shot at the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Shield at Night of Champions but did not win.
Slater-Gator (2014–2015)
In early 2014, O'Neil turned on Young, breaking up The Prime Time Players. He then formed a new tag team with Heath Slater called Slater-Gator. They competed together for about a year. O'Neil also participated in the 2015 Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated in just 4 seconds.
The Prime Time Players Reunion (2015–2016)
In February 2015, O'Neil saved Darren Young from an attack, and The Prime Time Players reunited. At the Money in the Bank event, O'Neil and Young defeated The New Day to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. This was their first major title in WWE.
They held the titles for two months before losing them back to The New Day at SummerSlam. In early 2016, O'Neil was suspended for 60 days for unprofessional conduct. He returned in May and began a feud with Rusev over the WWE United States Championship, but was unable to win the title.
Titus Worldwide (2016–2018)
In July 2016, O'Neil was drafted to the Raw brand. He started a new gimmick called "The Titus Brand," which later became "Titus Worldwide." He recruited other wrestlers like Apollo Crews, Akira Tozawa, and Dana Brooke to join his group.
Titus Worldwide had some success, including an upset victory over the tag team champions Cesaro and Sheamus. However, they were never able to win the Raw Tag Team Championships.
At the Greatest Royal Rumble event in 2018, O'Neil famously tripped while running to the ring and slid underneath it. The moment became a popular internet meme and even won a WWE Year-End Award for Funniest Moment of the Year. The Titus Worldwide group eventually disbanded in late 2018.
Global Ambassador (2019–present)
In 2019, O'Neil made history on Raw by becoming the first-ever 24/7 Champion. His reign was very short, as he lost the title less than a minute later.
In 2020, O'Neil challenged Bobby Lashley for the WWE United States Championship but was defeated. Since then, he has taken on a new role as a WWE Global Ambassador. He co-hosted WrestleMania 37 with Hulk Hogan. In 2021, he was honored with the Warrior Award at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. He has also appeared as a guest commentator at events like WrestleMania 39.
Other media
Titus O'Neil has appeared as a playable character in many WWE video games, starting with WWE 2K14. He has been featured in WWE 2K15, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, WWE 2K19, WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22, and WWE 2K23.
Charity work
Bullard is known for his extensive charity work in the Tampa Bay area. He has helped over 245 student-athletes get into college and has participated in reading programs for children. He also hosts an annual "Joy of Giving" event, giving toys to over 1,000 kids, and visits children with cancer in the hospital.
For his incredible community service, Bullard was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the 2020 recipient of the Warrior Award. In 2021, a school in Tampa was named after him to honor his positive impact on the community.
Personal life
Bullard has two sons, Thaddeus Jr. and Titus, and a daughter named Leah. He lives in Tampa, Florida. In 2015, he won the MEGA Dad Award for "Celebrity Dad of the Year." He is also good friends with fellow wrestler and actor Dave Bautista.
Championships and accomplishments
- Florida Championship Wrestling
- FCW Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Damien Sandow
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 82 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2013
- Rolling Stone
- Most Deserved Push (2015) As a member of The Prime Time Players
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award (2021)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2016) vs. Darren Young
- WWE
- WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time, inaugural)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Darren Young
- WWE Year-End Award for Funniest Moment of the Year (2018) – Tripping over at Greatest Royal Rumble
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2020 – Warrior Award)
See also
In Spanish: Titus O'Neil para niños
- Florida Gators football, 1990–99
- List of Omega Psi Phi brothers
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers
