In 1971, he became U.S. National Powerlifting Champion as well as World Powerlifting Champion at the inaugural Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) World Championships, defeating the young soon-to-be all-time greats Jim Williams and John Kuc in the super heavyweight division.
Being naturally lean and standing 5-foot-10-inches tall, he knew he had to put on a lot of weight to become a successful powerlifter, so he pushed his bodyweight quickly from 175 to approximately 290 pounds.
At his maximum body weight, he became a world-class super-heavyweight lifter in the early 1970s and got his nickname "Huge" for his bodyweight and appearance.
Within 6 months after his World Championship win, he suffered a knee injury which ended his lifting career.
[4] done in official competition[1] Besides being a world class powerlifter, Cassidy was a teacher and a jazz musician as well as a nationally known metal sculptor.