Employee Profile

I’m not done yet.

If you’ve ever discounted the intelligence of athletes, or doubted the finesse and fitness of professional wrestlers, a five minute conversation with Dr. Daniel Fritz, aka “Mr. Excellent”, will give your opinion a one-two punch. 

Meet Dr. Daniel Charles Fritz. Scholar. Athlete. And, Professional Wrestler. 

First, meet Dr. Fritz, the scholar: Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Virginia State University, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Reynolds who teaches Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra. Dr. Fritz holds not one, but two bachelor degrees, one in Architectural Engineering, the other in Pure Mathematics. His master’s degree is in Applied Mathematics. His doctorate is in Education. 

Then meet Daniel Fritz, the world class athlete, national competitor, record setting track runner, semi-pro footballer, track coach, martial arts master with five black belts with national and international titles, and founder of Ten Tigers of Taekwondo and Self Defense.

And then meet Danny Fritz or Mr. Excellent, as he is known is the world of Professional Wrestling.

Dr. Fritz, Daniel, Danny, Mr. Excellent has excelled in whatever he’s put his mind to. He has struggled, persevered, struggled some more, and won. He’s met and exceeded his goals, has a list of accomplishments a mile long (see the list below), and still, at the age of 59 says emphatically, “I’m not done yet.”

One of this gentleman’s most striking characteristics is that with all his national and international titles and awards, with his degrees, with his accomplishments, and with the famous people he’s met, he exhibits not one ounce of pretension or condescension. His smile is open and genuine, his kindness and caring are evident. “Just call me “Danny,” he says, “all my friends call me Danny.”  And you can be sure Danny has a lot of friends. He's that kind of person.

Danny was born and raised in Philadelphia. His Aunt Trudy became his Mom when she adopted him at birth. He was her only child, and she was a single mom. The rest of his family was absent. “Mom was there for everything growing up,” Danny says, “for every track meet, every event, rain, snow, late night, it didn’t matter, she was always there. She put me into lots of different things to build my confidence and self-esteem. Track, football, scouts, camps, I had a lot of activities.” At eight years old Danny won his first karate competition and his future in martial arts, in competition, and in winning, was set.

Pictured here: Danny on the left with Jesse Owens center. 

But life was no cakewalk. Bullying, peer pressure, family absence and criticism, limited resources . . . all the “stuff” life dealt Danny growing up worked like a supercharged energy drink to fuel his desire to win, to learn, and to accomplish his goals. Whenever he was confronted with a challenge, he dug in, and worked to master it. 

Danny found his calling in math while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Engineering. “I wanted to draw buildings, but there were all those math courses.” He was overwhelmed, but worked the math like a punching bag. In the midst of his struggle he realized being a math teacher was his destiny. God, he said, had a plan for him. But it wasn’t until he started teaching math, and pursing his master’s degree, that the subject and his calling became his own. His struggle ultimately became his win.

At the same time as he was doing time with math, on the “athletic” side of his life, Danny had another set of challenges. “I always wanted to get into professional wrestling,” he said, “I watched it [wrestling] growing up and knew it was something I wanted to do. Something I could do.” 

So Danny did what he does best: he worked the challenge like an opponent. He attended two of the top wrestling schools in the country and learned his craft. With his track, football and martial arts background, he was prepared to confront the rigorous training head on. He met and worked with top wrestlers, he travelled up and down the east coast for matches, and Mr. Excellent made a name for himself. He became known for his high-flying moves and his finesse. His fans loved him, and love him still. 

Keep in mind, Danny was never in a position to pursue just one of these areas at a time. While he was earning his academic degrees he was also earning his chops in martial arts and wrestling. And, as most athlete scholars must do, he was also working a job to fund his dreams. 

Now, at age 59, Danny’s mantra is: I’m not done yet. And he certainly isn’t. He is actively pursuing his shot at the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) stage, and another doctorate, this one in math. There is no “downtime” for Danny. His days are filled with teaching and helping students, whether it’s in the classroom, on the track, or the mats of the martial arts studio. He has succeeded, and wants all of his students to do the same. 

“Imagine being able to do what you want at both ends of your career," said Reynolds Dean of Science, Technology, and Engineering Ray Burton, "a professional wrestler AND a well-renowned mathematician? When Dr. Fritz -Danny - sent me this [Slam] article, I read it and immediately asked if I could share it with the team and the college. Up to now, I had only seen Danny in the classroom eliciting so many of those coveted “light bulb” moments all teachers seek from their students.  His story is both compelling and an example to so many of our students.  Don’t let your dreams be restricted and when you reach high, reach as high as you can.  

Danny brings a love of learning to students in what are considered some of the most difficult, high-level mathematics courses in the community college system.  He is very invested in his students’ success.  I and the whole STEM Team are very proud to have him as a colleague.”

Keep this in mind: if you ever get tired or down, or feel like giving up on those hard to reach goals, here’s hoping you’ll think back on this article and keep Danny’s story in focus, and maybe even say to yourself, “I’m not done yet either.” 

Dr. Daniel C. Fritz Long List

YouTube Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmFNWPwniQw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqPtj_o0Nxo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IF46PVQuvQ

Wrestling

IWA U.S. Heavy Weight Champion (2 times)    

International Wrestling Alliance (based out of North Carolina)

NDW U.S Heavy Weight Champion (3 times)  

New Dimensions Championship wrestling

ACW U.S. Television Champion (2 times)        

Alternative Championship Wrestling

WWP Heavy Weight Champion and United State Heavy Weight Champion

World Wrestling Promotions (Based out of North Carolina)

Martial Arts

These competitions were all at the black belt level: 

Taekwondo North Carolina State Champion (3 times Forms Champions) in the Ultra Division

Taekwondo North Carolina State Champion ( 2 time Fighting Champion) in the Ultra Division

Bronze medalist in the fighting competition (Ultra Division) U.S. Taekwondo National Championship  (1998, Cincinnati, Ohio)

Silver medalist in forms competition (Ultra Division) U.S. Taekwondo National Championships  ( 2006,  New Orleans, LA)

Taekwondo Kyonggi International Forms Champion (2002) Gold Medalist in Seoul Korea

Taekwondo Kyonggi International Silver medalist in fighting competition in Seoul Korea

Kung Fu and Karate Kata/Forms Grand Champion 

Presently preparing for matches in professional wrestling to try and get to the WWE, Ring of Honor (and also preparing to compete in Mixed Martial Arts and also to get to Karate Combat League).

Credentials

2nd Degree Black Belt in Jidokwan Taekwondo (WTF, with Kukkiwon certification)

3rd Degree Black Belt in Mudokwan Taekwondo

2th Degree Black Belt in Hapkido

3th Degree Black belt in Shotokan Karate

Master instructor in Hung –Gar (5 animal ) Sil Lum Kung Fu

Education

Bachelor of Science Degree in Architectural Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University

Bachelor of Science in Degree Pure mathematics From Winston Salem State University

Masters of Science Degree in Applied Mathematics-from North Carolina A&T State University

Doctorate Degree in Education from Virginia State University