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 |
| Retired | April 6, 2021 |
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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), known as Titus O'Neil, is an American professional wrestler who has retired from in-ring competition. He was also a former arena football player. Today, he serves as the Global Ambassador for WWE.
WWE calls him "one of the most giving superstars in WWE history." Bullard received the WWE Hall of Fame 2020 Warrior Award for his amazing charity work. He played college football for the University of Florida and later in the Arena Football League (AFL). In WWE, he was a WWE Tag Team Champion with Darren Young as part of The Prime Time Players. He was also the first-ever WWE 24/7 Champion. In 2021, a public school in Tampa, Florida, was named after him to honor his contributions to the school system.
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Early Life and School
Bullard was born in Boynton Beach, Florida. He grew up in Live Oak, Florida, where he went to Suwannee High School. He was a fantastic high school football player for the Suwannee Bulldogs. In 1995, he was named a high school All-American by USA Today and Parade magazine.
Football Career
Bullard earned a scholarship to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He played for the Florida Gators football team from 1997 to 2000. He was on the team that won the national championship in 1996, though he didn't play that year. He played in 44 games over the next four seasons.
In April 2000, he was elected student body vice president. He graduated in August 2000. After college, Bullard played 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
Starting in WWE (2009–2012)
Bullard signed a deal with WWE in 2009. He began training in their special development area, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He made his TV debut on January 16, 2010, as Titus O'Neil. On December 3, he teamed with Damien Sandow to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship. They lost the title on March 25, 2011.
O'Neil then joined the second season of WWE NXT. His mentor was Zack Ryder. He was the first person eliminated from that season. He returned for the fifth season, NXT Redemption, with Hornswoggle as his mentor. He had a rivalry with Darren Young. Later, O'Neil teamed up with Darren Young.
The Prime Time Players (2012–2014)
On April 18, 2012, O'Neil and Darren Young moved to the main WWE roster. They were known as The Prime Time Players. They started with a winning streak. At the No Way Out event, they won a match to become top challengers for the WWE Tag Team Championship. They challenged for the title several times but didn't win it yet.
At Survivor Series, O'Neil was part of a big tag team match. In March 2013, O'Neil briefly played a new character, "Rufus 'Pancake' Patterson," who was Darren Young's "uncle." In August 2013, The Prime Time Players became fan favorites. This happened after Darren Young publicly shared his personal news. They challenged The Shield for the WWE Tag Team Championship but lost.
New Teams and Reunion (2014–2016)
On January 31, 2014, O'Neil attacked Darren Young, breaking up The Prime Time Players. O'Neil then started a losing streak. In July, O'Neil formed a new team with Heath Slater, called Slater-Gator. They had some wins but also many losses.
On February 16, 2015, O'Neil saved Darren Young from an attack, and The Prime Time Players reunited. At Money in the Bank, O'Neil and Young defeated The New Day to win the WWE Tag Team Championship! This was their first title win in WWE. They successfully defended their title once. However, they lost the championship back to The New Day at SummerSlam.
In February 2016, O'Neil had a playful interaction with WWE owner Vince McMahon. This led to O'Neil being suspended for 60 days. He returned in May 2016 and challenged Rusev for the United States Championship but lost.
Titus Worldwide (2016–2018)
In July 2016, O'Neil was drafted to the Raw show. He started a new character called "The Titus Brand." In April 2017, he recruited Apollo Crews and later Akira Tozawa to his group, which he renamed "Titus Worldwide." They became fan favorites. Dana Brooke also joined the group.
On January 8, 2018, O'Neil and Crews got a big win against Cesaro and Sheamus. They challenged Cesaro and Sheamus for the Raw Tag Team Championships twice but couldn't win the titles. O'Neil also took part in the 50-man WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event. While running to the ring, he famously tripped and slid under the ring! This moment became very popular online. In September 2018, Dana Brooke left the group. In October, Apollo Crews started competing alone, which meant Titus Worldwide had ended.
Global Ambassador Role (2019–Present)
O'Neil continued to compete in big matches like the 2019 Royal Rumble and the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. On May 20, 2019, O'Neil made history by becoming the first-ever 24/7 Champion. However, his reign lasted less than a minute!
In his final match in WWE, he challenged Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship but lost. He later co-hosted WrestleMania 37 with Hulk Hogan. On April 6, 2021, O'Neil received the Warrior Award. After receiving this award, he quietly retired from wrestling in the ring. He still appears on WWE shows, sometimes as a commentator.
Other Media
Titus O'Neil has been a playable character in many WWE video games. He appeared in WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, WWE 2K19, WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22, and WWE 2K23.
Charity Work and Community Hero
Bullard is very active in charity work with many groups in the Tampa Bay area. He has helped over 245 student athletes in Tampa Bay get into college. He leads volunteers in reading to children and inspires people to help others. He also takes part in United Way's Walking School Bus program, walking with children to school to make sure they arrive on time and get a healthy breakfast.
Every year, Bullard hosts a "Joy of Giving" event. At this event, he gives out toys to more than 1,000 children. He also visits children with cancer in the hospital. In 2012, Bullard was named the 261st Lightning Community Hero. This program gives money to non-profit groups in the Tampa Bay area.
Because of all his amazing charity work, Bullard was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020 with the Warrior Award. In the summer of 2021, a school in Tampa was named after him to honor his contributions.
Personal Life
Bullard is married and has two sons, Thaddeus Jr. ("TJ") and Titus, and a daughter named Leah. He lives in Tampa, Florida, and is a devoted Christian. In 2015, he won the MEGA Dad Award for "Celebrity Dad of the Year." He is also good friends with fellow wrestler 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 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Darren Young
- WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time, inaugural)
- 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
