TAMPA, Fla. — Fifty years ago, a plane crash nearly killed Mike McCord. On the same flight were McCord's friends, Gary Hart, Buddy Colt, and Bobby Shane.
Hart and Colt survived the crash, but Shane tragically passed away.
"Through the grace of God, I survived, OK, but it changed my life completely," McCord said.
Fifty years later, McCord is better known now as Austin Idol, a wrestling legend who helped establish Tampa as a hub for the sport.
But the tragic crash shifted McCord's perspective on life and planning for the future.
"What am I going to be doing 5 years from now? Forget that. I mean that, that ended that, and I'm glad it did because now I mean that's been a long time ago, but that's still my philosophy," McCord said.
After months of rehabilitation, McCord returned to wrestling under the name Austin Idol, becoming a recognizable figure in the wrestling business.
In 2025, he works as a manager with the National Wrestling Alliance, while also running a wrestling school in South Carolina.
"Really, this is just perfect for me. It's a great balance where I can still have plenty of me time and then still be involved in wrestling. So I'm a happy guy," McCord said.
But looking back on the crash, it taught McCord to live in the present and not take any day for granted.
"The cliche is yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is all that matters. So it's all about the now," McCord said.
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