Military Olympians

Teammates lining up endorsements for Byers

BEIJING, China—The way T.C. Dantzler has it mapped out, Dremiel Byers will be doing commercials for McDonald's, Waffle House and Hamburger Helper before Labor Day.

In Dantzler's world as make-believe agent for his Greco-Roman wrestling teammate, his client soon will be cashing checks as an Olympic gold-medal spokesman.

"His favorite meal is Hamburger Helper," Dantzler said. "He likes McDonald's when we're overseas and he likes the Waffle House when we're at home.

"I told him to go ahead and get the endorsements for after he wins."

Byers might lose his way at times, in terms of a typical Olympic athlete's diet, but he's more focused on a persistent hunger to win gold in Beijing at 264.5 pounds.

In 2000, rival, friend and one-time training partner Rulon Gardner qualified for the Sydney Olympics and won gold against Russian legend Alexsander Karelin. In 2002, Byers won the world championship—only to be blocked from Athens by Gardner.

When Gardner retired after earning a bronze in Athens, Byers continued to grind through elite-level training and competition before helping lead the U.S. to a stunning 2007 world team championship by a single point against Russia in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Byers had to win his final match for world bronze in 2007 to help the U.S. cinch up the team championship.

"I watched and learned," said Byers, a 33-year-old Army staff sergeant. "Now, it's my time."

Byers always possessed the ability. And he always owned the energy.

When he won the 2002 world title, he crawled around the mat in Moscow on hands and knees barking before twirling a towel as the song "Tutti Frutti" played on an intercom and cheerleaders followed his lead.

"I was a little nervous," U.S. coach Steve Fraser said. "It was in Russia and I thought it might look a little too much, you know, but the whole Russian arena got into it and stood up and cheered right along with him.

"It was unbelievable."

Byers has confidence.

When asked during a Monday press conference to outline "what he's good at," Byers didn't hesitate.

"Winning," Byers said. "Getting my hand raised and getting our song played. That's the focus."

Leaving Beijing without a gold would ruin all of Dantzler's legwork.

Dantzler figures Waffle House will be the first deal, given that a favorite stop near the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo., usually has Byers' normal order cooking when they see him coming to the door.

Dantzler already has the prickly business details sorted out.

"I want half," he said.