# The Patriot (wrestler)
**The Patriot** was the ring persona of Delbert Alexander "Del" Wilkes Jr. (December 21, 1961 – June 30, 2021), an American professional wrestler who competed in the 1990s under a star-spangled mask for the [American Wrestling Association](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-wrestling-association), the Global Wrestling Federation, All Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation.[1](https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/the-patriot) • [2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/the-patriot.html) He was also known earlier in his career as **The Trooper**, a police-officer character in the AWA.[3](https://www.luchawiki.org/index.php/The_Patriot)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1961, Columbia, South Carolina; June 30, 2021, aged 59[1](https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/the-patriot) |
| Ring names | Del Wilkes (debut, 1988), The Trooper (1989–1991), The Patriot (1991–1997)[3](https://www.luchawiki.org/index.php/The_Patriot) |
| Size | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm), billed at 275 lbs (125 kg)[1](https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/the-patriot) |
| Signature titles | AWA World Tag Team Champion (with D.J. Peterson); 2x GWF North American Heavyweight Champion; first-ever GWF Television Champion; 2x WCW World Tag Team Champion (with Marcus Bagwell); AJPW All Asia Tag Team Champion (with The Eagle)[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) |
| WWF highlight | Feud with Bret Hart in 1997, including a WWF Championship match at Ground Zero: In Your House[5](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/01/del-wilkes-the-patriot-passes-away/) |
| Recognition | PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1991); No. 55 in the PWI 500 (1991)[1](https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/the-patriot) |
| Retirement | Forced out by a back injury; later worked 16 years as a car salesman in Columbia, South Carolina[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) • [6](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/07/wwe-statement-on-the-patriot-del-wilkes-passing-away/) |
## Football career and training
Wilkes was a standout offensive lineman at the [University of South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-south-carolina), becoming a consensus All-American; in 1984 he was selected as an All-American starter by organizations including the American Football Coaches Association, and he was one of only four consensus All-Americans in [South Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-carolina) football history.[5](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/01/del-wilkes-the-patriot-passes-away/) After failing to make the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1985 and the [Atlanta Falcons](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-falcons) in 1986, he turned to wrestling despite holding a college degree in criminal justice.[7](https://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/patriot.html)
He trained under [The Fabulous Moolah](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-fabulous-moolah) at her school in Columbia, where he met [Wahoo McDaniel](https://www.edgepedia.org/wahoo-mcdaniel), who arranged an introduction to [Verne Gagne](https://www.edgepedia.org/verne-gagne)'s American Wrestling Association; he later trained further in Minnesota with former Olympian Brad Rheingans.[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/)
## The Trooper in the AWA
In Verne Gagne's AWA, Wilkes wrestled as [The Trooper](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-trooper), a police officer who wrote his defeated opponents a ticket after matches.[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/) • [4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) Teaming with D.J. Peterson, he won the AWA World Tag Team Championship, and the pair were the final holders of that title when the company folded in 1991.[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/)
## The Patriot in the GWF and Japan
After the AWA closed, Wilkes joined the Dallas-based Global Wrestling Federation in 1991, where booker Joe Pedicino, Bill Eadie, and Boni Blackstone created the Patriot character for him: a masked wrestler in American-flag colors.[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/) • [3](https://www.luchawiki.org/index.php/The_Patriot) The gimmick fit him for the rest of his career. On June 29, 1991 he defeated Buddy Landell in a tournament final to become the first-ever GWF Television Champion, and on August 23, 1991 he defeated Al Perez to win the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship, a title he held twice.[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html)
The character also made him an international draw. He toured Japan with [All Japan Pro Wrestling](https://www.edgepedia.org/all-japan-pro-wrestling), teaming with "The Eagle," Jackie Fulton; together they won the All Asia Tag Team Championship by defeating Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and [Kenta Kobashi](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenta-kobashi).[5](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/01/del-wilkes-the-patriot-passes-away/)
## WCW: Stars and Stripes
In 1994 Wilkes signed with [World Championship Wrestling](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-championship-wrestling) and formed the tag team Stars and Stripes with Marcus Alexander Bagwell (later known as [Buff Bagwell](https://www.edgepedia.org/buff-bagwell)).[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/) The team traded the [WCW World Tag Team Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/wcw-world-tag-team-championship) with Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma, winning the titles on September 25, 1994 and again on November 16, 1994, before losing them to Harlem Heat's Booker T and Stevie Ray on December 8, 1994.[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) Wilkes left WCW in 1995, leaving Bagwell without a partner.[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html)
## WWF run and the Bret Hart feud
Wilkes debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in the summer of 1997 as The Patriot, arriving just as the anti-American Hart Foundation was a prominent fixture on the program.[5](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/01/del-wilkes-the-patriot-passes-away/) On the July 28, 1997 episode of Raw he defeated [Bret Hart](https://www.edgepedia.org/bret-hart), and he also scored wins over the British Bulldog, Vader, and [Owen Hart](https://www.edgepedia.org/owen-hart).[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) The feud peaked at Ground Zero: In Your House on September 7, 1997, where Hart retained the WWF Championship against him; Wilkes later called the Hart feud the highlight of his entire career.[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) • [8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/)
The rivalry's heat depended on geography. Wilkes recalled working Seattle one night and Vancouver the next, turning from babyface to heel simply by crossing the border, and needing a police escort back to his hotel in Canada.[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/) He was scheduled to team with Vader, Goldust, and Marc Mero as part of Team USA at Survivor Series 1997, but a torn triceps weeks before the event forced his replacement by Steve Blackman; his final WWF match came on an episode of Shotgun Saturday Night, and he was gone from the company by 1998.[5](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/01/del-wilkes-the-patriot-passes-away/)
## Later life
A back injury ended his wrestling career.[4](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html) He overcame the addiction and became outspoken about it in interviews and talk-show appearances.[8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/) For the 16 years before his death he worked as a car salesman in Columbia, South Carolina, while making occasional wrestling-related signings and appearances.[6](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/07/wwe-statement-on-the-patriot-del-wilkes-passing-away/) He died on June 30, 2021, at age 59, after a severe heart attack.[1](https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/the-patriot) • [8](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/)
## The name after Wilkes
The Patriot identity outlived its originator. Tom Brandi donned the mask as The Patriot at a February 2000 event at the Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri military base, and has continued to use the gimmick at independent shows in the Northeast with similar mask and attire.[9](https://www.authorsden.com/SampleWorksPDF/31691.pdf) • [10](https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/The_Patriot_%28wrestler%29?theme=dark) Several databases therefore list two wrestlers under the name: Wilkes, the 1990s original, and Brandi, the later independent-circuit holder of the character.[11](https://www.3-count.com/wrestlers/the-patriot/)
## References
1. [The Patriot: Profile, Career Stats, Titles & Gimmicks, Pro Wrestlers Database](https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/the-patriot)
2. [The Patriot, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/the-patriot.html)
3. [The Patriot, Luchawiki](https://www.luchawiki.org/index.php/The_Patriot)
4. [The Patriot profile, Online World of Wrestling](https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles_old/p/patriot.html)
5. [Del Wilkes, AKA The Patriot, Passes Away at 59, Last Word On Pro Wrestling](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/01/del-wilkes-the-patriot-passes-away/)
6. [WWE Statement On "The Patriot" Del Wilkes Passing Away, Wrestling Inc.](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/07/wwe-statement-on-the-patriot-del-wilkes-passing-away/)
7. [The Patriot biography with USA Today article by Jon Swartz, Accelerator's Wrestling Bios](https://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/patriot.html)
8. [Exclusive Interview: Del Wilkes – Living the Life of a Patriot, Last Word On Pro Wrestling](https://lastwordonsports.com/prowrestling/2021/07/04/exclusive-interview-del-wilkes-patriot/)
9. [Sample chapter on booking legacy characters, AuthorsDen](https://www.authorsden.com/SampleWorksPDF/31691.pdf)
10. [The Patriot (wrestler), American Football Database](https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/The_Patriot_%28wrestler%29?theme=dark)
11. [The Patriot Profile, 3-Count](https://www.3-count.com/wrestlers/the-patriot/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Professional wrestlers and stables › American wrestlers › Rock 'n' wrestling era wrestlers › NWA and WCW wrestlers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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