Ellis Coleman has had success as an Olympic wrestler. He has worked hard to get to where he is at in his career. The 28-year-old is known for his move the “Flying Squirrel.” The move involves him somersaulting over his opponent before his takedown.

Coleman developed the nickname “Flying Squirrel” by some people. In 2012 he made a purchase simply because of his nickname.

Ellis Coleman wrestling career

Coleman had a lot of success in high school as a wrestler. The Chicago native only lost one time during his senior year. He finished with a 49-1 record in his final year of high school. In 2011, Coleman started to gain recognition when a YouTube video of him was posted during the World Junior Championships. That’s when his “Flying Squirrel” move was introduced to the world. That move was ranked third on the ESPN 2011 Best of the Best Highlights.

That one move quickly made Coleman famous across the world. He would appear on different sports shows, and he even received multiple offers to begin a professional career, but he wanted to focus on pursuing his Olympic dream.

Coleman is a five-time Greco-Roman US Open champion. He won the championship in 2013 and from 2016 to 2019. Growing up in Chicago, Coleman was surrounded by violence in his neighborhood. He was nearly expelled from high school as a sophomore and ended up graduating in 2009. Coleman battled through adversity and did not let his circumstances prevent him from going after his dream.

The purchase of a flying squirrel

Coleman already established the nickname because of his wrestling move. But that was not enough for him. He decided to purchase an actual pet flying squirrel. Coleman bought the squirrel before he went off to the 2012 Olympics, and it cost him $500. According to Game On, Coleman went into detail on why he made the purchase.

“Some company came into the mall we were at in Colorado Springs, and they were selling them,” Coleman said in an article. “And I had to buy one. I keep him in a cage. He just hops around all the time.” Coleman might have taken his nickname a little too seriously, but it was something that he wanted to do.

Meet Ellis Coleman’s pet flying squirrel

Coleman named the squirrel Rocky, and he could not take the squirrel with him to the Olympics, so he had the family of his chiropractor take care of the squirrel until he returned. It’s not that often you see someone with a pet flying squirrel.

Coleman had a conversation with the Chicago Tribune about his pet. Here is what he had to say regarding his pet. “When he has fully bonded, I can put him in my pocket and pretty much take him wherever I want to go,” Coleman said. “I’m trying to bond with him and get on a higher level with him, but right now he bites me all the time.” It is unknown if Coleman still has the pet or not right now, but he decided to purchase an animal because of his nickname caught a lot of people by surprise.