Gaylord also made a one-time appearance in the World Wrestling Federation as The Black Knight at the 1993 Survivor Series.

[4] Gaylord played high school football at Shawnee Mission South in Overland Park, Kansas before embarking on a college career at the University of Missouri.

After being cut by the Rams in camp later that summer, Gaylord spent part of the 1982 season with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts playing just four games before being released.

In 1983, he was signed as a free agent by the Boston Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL) and played in 14 games during the 1983 season becoming the team's starting nose tackle.

[5] During the summer, he also feuded with The Russian Team facing Ivan and Nikita Koloff and Korstia Korchenko in a 6-man tag team match with Ken Massey and Perry Jackson as well as with Perry Jackson and Brett Wayne Sawyer against Korchenko and The Blade Runners on June 8.

[9] Wrestling for World Class Championship Wrestling as the masked wrestler "The Hood" during the late 1980s,[10] he would become a mainstay in the area and briefly feuded with Jeff Jarrett and Bill Dundee later teaming with "Stunning" Steve Austin, Gary Young and Skandor Akbar in an 8-man Texas Tornado match losing to Jeff Jarrett, Bill Dundee, Eric Embry and Percy Pringle in early 1990.

Participating in the USWA Heavyweight Championship Tournament two days later, he defeated Doug Gilbert in the opening rounds before losing to "Dirty" Dick Slater in the semi-finals on October 8.

[12] Defeating Matt Borne and King Cobra in January 1991, Gaylord briefly appeared in the Global Wrestling Federation.

He participated in the GWF World Television Championship Tournament losing to Rasta the Voodoo Man in June 1991.

After losing to Bill Dundee and The Spirit of America on November 18, Gaylord was absent from the promotion for several weeks before returning to face Jerry Lawler, fighting him several times during an event on December 28, 1991.

[17] Defeating The Candyman on January 6, he spent several months in the Puerto Rico-based Americas Wrestling Federation winning the AWF International Tag Team titles with Sunny Beach before returning later that year teaming with Mr. Hughes to defeat Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett on September 21 and against Tony Williams and Robert Gibson on October 5.

Returning to singles competition, he also defeated Tony Falk and Randy Rhodes before losing to Bill Dundee on October 26, 1992.

Losing to The Moondogs in a tag team match with The Star Rider, he also lost to Tony DeNucci by disqualification on December 14.

Losing to Tom Prichard later that month, he later feuded with The Rock-N-Roll Phantom defeating him and The Nightstalker several times in April.

Entering the USWA Tag Team Championship Tournament several days later, he and Anthony again lost to The Moondogs on October 25.