After watching the 1999 documentary Beyond the Mat, few would have bet on Jake “The Snake” Roberts living to see 50, considering the tragic fate of so many professional wrestlers. Yet despite a childhood filled with abuse, decades of addiction, and the lowest of lows, Roberts endured—and in the process, became one of the most influential figures in wrestling history.
A Childhood to Escape
Roberts’ story begins with pain. His father, Aurelian “Grizzly” Smith, was a traveling wrestler but also an abusive alcoholic. Jake and his siblings—future wrestlers Sam Houston and Rockin’ Robin—grew up under an atmosphere of torment. Grizzly physically and emotionally abused his children and constantly told Jake he would never succeed in wrestling.
Jake responded with defiance. Wrestling would not only become his profession, but also the way he proved his father wrong.
The Birth of the Snake
By the time Roberts arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984, just an hour from his childhood home of Gainesville and Whitesboro, he had already developed the two trademarks that defined his career: the Snake persona and the DDT.
The DDT was born by accident in Mid-South Wrestling around 1983. Roberts had Len Denton (the Grappler) in a front facelock when he slipped backward, driving Denton’s head into the mat. The crowd reacted in shock, and Roberts realized he had stumbled upon something special. He perfected it, named it the DDT, and soon heard fans chanting for it at WWF shows—a rare example of an organic move chant in the 1980s.
His “Snake” gimmick was equally inspired. Taking cues from NFL quarterback Ken “The Snake” Stabler, Roberts began incorporating slithering mannerisms, his slow, deliberate speech, and eventually the iconic canvas bag carrying a massive python. Damien, Lucifer, Revelations—each snake became an extension of Jake’s aura.
Jake Roberts in WCCW
In WCCW, Roberts came into his own. At first aligned with Paul Ellering’s Legion of Doom, he soon found himself paired with charismatic heel Gino Hernandez, feuding with the hometown heroes, the von Erichs, and Chris Adams.
In September 1984, Roberts was at the center of one of WCCW’s most shocking angles. During a tag match, Adams betrayed Kevin von Erich and aligned himself with Roberts and Hernandez. For Dallas fans, this heel turn was earth-shattering—comparable to Hulk Hogan joining the nWo over a decade later.
Roberts went on to capture the WCCW Television Championship and the Six-Man Tag Team Titles with Hernandez and Adams, even pinning Kerry von Erich in the process. To rise so close to home, just miles away from the abusive household where his father belittled him, must have been especially meaningful for Roberts.
Life in the Dallas Territory
During his WCCW run, Roberts shared the ring with nearly every top name in the territory: Hernandez, Adams, the von Erich brothers, the Fabulous Freebirds, Iceman Parsons, and Billy Jack Haynes. On television and house shows, he was booked dominantly, rarely losing. He remained undefeated against midcard talents such as Buck Zumhofe, Art Crews, Jules Strongbow, and George Weingeroff.
But the Dallas scene was also a breeding ground for chaos. Roberts dated Missy Hyatt, who would go on to become a WCW host and manager, and witnessed the reckless lifestyles of the von Erich family firsthand. He was present during the final days of Gino Hernandez, whose 1986 death from a cocaine overdose—or possible foul play—remains shrouded in mystery. These experiences exposed Roberts to the darker side of the wrestling business, fueling the addictions that haunted him for years.
Leaving Dallas, Heading for the WWF
By late 1985, Roberts recognized he could never surpass the von Erichs in their own backyard. He returned briefly to Bill Watts’ Mid-South before debuting in the World Wrestling Federation in early 1986.
The WWF stage was tailor-made for Roberts. His measured promos—quiet, sinister, and intelligent—stood in stark contrast to the screaming and shouting of his peers. Instead of bellowing into the camera, Roberts whispered, forcing fans to lean in and listen.
His feuds became instant classics:
- DDT’ing Ricky Steamboat onto concrete in 1986.
- Allowing Damien to bite Randy Savage live on television in 1991.
- Nearly stealing the spotlight from Hulk Hogan before their planned feud was scrapped out of fear Roberts’ popularity might rival Hogan’s.
Roberts was versatile enough to play both heel and tweener, and his persona always carried credibility. Fans believed in Jake Roberts.
Collapse and Redemption
But outside the ring, Roberts was spiraling. Addiction to drugs and alcohol consumed him through the ’90s. His appearance in Beyond the Mat painted a bleak picture: a man estranged from his family, living in motels, chasing his next high. For many, the documentary was a devastating confirmation of how badly wrestling chewed up its stars.
Against all odds, Roberts found salvation. With the help of Diamond Dallas Page, Roberts entered DDP’s home, cleaned up his life, and rebuilt his health. Their journey was chronicled in The Resurrection of Jake the Snake (2015), turning Roberts into one of wrestling’s most inspiring redemption stories.
In 2014, Jake Roberts was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, standing on stage clean, sober, and proud. For fans who had once written him off, it was a moment of pure vindication.
Jake Roberts’ Influence
Jake Roberts’ contributions to wrestling remain monumental:
- The DDT became one of wrestling’s most imitated moves, used today in countless variations from Jon Moxley’s Paradigm Shift to the tornado DDT.
- His promo style influenced generations of talkers, from Raven and Jake’s own protégé Bray Wyatt to modern stars who prefer storytelling over shouting.
- His Snake persona remains one of the most iconic gimmicks of all time, remembered alongside the likes of The Undertaker and Ric Flair.
- His psychological style of wrestling showed that a performer didn’t need flash or size to dominate—only timing, believability, and character.
In 2020, Roberts returned to national television in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), serving as manager and mouthpiece for Lance Archer. Decades after his peak, Roberts still commanded the microphone with the same chilling presence that made him famous.
Final Word
From a childhood of abuse to the spotlight of WCCW, from innovating the DDT to captivating fans in WWF, from the depths of addiction to redemption through DDP Yoga, Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ story is one of wrestling’s greatest sagas.
He may not have become a world champion, but championships were never what defined him. Jake Roberts was an innovator, a master psychologist, and a survivor. He proved his father wrong a thousand times over, leaving behind a legacy far greater than Grizzly Smith could have ever imagined.
