From Tom Fraser: "I wanted to pass on the attached brief account of Roy Washington's life, written in 2000.  You may remember that Roy was the best wrestler at Monroe.  He went on to wrestle in college and became a three-time national champion who was inducted into the Nebraska wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000.  He also changed his name to Dhafir Muhammad when he converted to islam, which may explain why he is on your missing list. Unfortunately he died at 56 in 2003."

Attached biography: 

Picture this. You are a freshman at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. You have come here on a wrestling scholarship that you have worked so hard for. You weigh 145 pounds and are wrestling the former national collegiate champion in the national tournament. Everything is “on the line.” You are winning by a score of 7-2 in the third and final period. The thought of becoming the national champion is racing through your mind like a tornado through a village. What will you do? How will you celebrate? You put your opponent in your favorite pinning hold, but as you execute it, you accidently step out of bounds. The referee calls you both back to the center of the mat. Dripping with sweat and gasping for air, you are too tired to continue. There seems to be nothing you can do as your opponent scores 6 points. You lose 8-7. You put your head down and look at the sweat glistening on the mat. Tough match. Tough loss. For Dhafir Muhammad, formerly known as Roy Washington, this is not a figment of the imagination. This was his first loss in the sport he so desperately loved. A lesson that he only needed to learn once. 

Growing up certainly was not easy for Dhafir, an African-American. He was born on a farm in Georgia in 1946. He was what one might call a migrant worker. Dhafir still has vivid mental pictures of packing up his belongings, jumping into the back of a pick up truck with his family, and heading toward yet another farm. “The kind of work we did on these farms was not easy,” he recalls. Dhafir did not mind picking cotton as well as the other endless farming tasks. He worked all over in North and South Carolina. By the time he was ready to attend high school, he was settled in Rochester, New York. This is where he found himself really excelling in sports and met his first love - wrestling. 

The words, “Ready........Wrestle,” were as exciting to Dhafir as anything in life. On the mat, he was completely and totally free. Nothing else seemed to matter. The problem was that the competition on the east coast was slim to none. He easily took control over his opponents, winning state tournaments. By the time he was a junior, the competition was not even slim, it was none. Simply put, Dhafir could not be beat. The coaches were so surprised at his talents that they matched him up against college wrestlers. Even still, this man’s love of the sport and tenacious work ethic afforded him no defeats. That is when some of the coaches knew he had to go on. Knowing that they were dealing with a talented individual, they got together and paid for Dhafir to compete in a National tournament in the Midwest. (The Midwest, at that time - and still today, is a powerhouse in wrestling). Dhafir, still a senior in high school, can remember the look of dismay on some of the coaches faces as he beat a former national collegiate champion. 

After the tournament, Dhafir was approached by Don Benning, the wrestling coach for the UNO. He was then asked where he was going to attend college. This was the first time Dhafir had really thought about college. Working hard on the farm, though, made him realize the importance of an education. “The impossibility of me going to college, just became possible,” said Dhafir, as he was offered a scholarship from Coach Benning.

So, in 1966, Dhafir and his brother Melvin (another wrestling legend) packed up their bags and headed toward Omaha, Nebraska. Coach Benning helped them get settled in. Dhafir, his brother, and a couple of others lived together in a house in North Omaha at 25th and Ohio street. This is where he began his wrestling dynasty. 

The first day of practice, he was introduced to his team. Dhafir recalls the team as being a mix of different races and nationalities. More importantly, though, Dhafir recalls them as being a family. In his own words, “We spent countless hours together practicing and competing with each other, how could we have not been close.” He continues, “We all had the same goal in mind - and that was to win.” Coach Benning knew that it took teamwork to develop a winning team, even in this individualized sport. Not only did Coach Benning encourage these types of close knit relationships, he was also a much needed father figure to a lot of his wrestlers. Coach Benning was a blessing to a lot of the athletes that have passed through the doors of UNO. “It was great timing to have such a great coach as well as a great leader during the race riots in North Omaha,” said Dhafir. 

Dhafir remembers the race riots in North Omaha as a time in which the African-American people “had to wake up.” Although he did not condone the activity nor participate in it, he did understand. His strict Muslim teachings were second to none in life. He, following the teachings of Elijah Muhammad (hence his name change), believed in a full and complete freedom. The Muslim people preached a justice under the law applied equally to all, regardless of creed, class, or color. When speaking of the riots, Dhafir stated, “We wanted an equal membership in society, an equal opportunity.”

The wrestling team at UNO, however, did not lose focus. They considered themselves a close knit family, regardless of race. During the four years that Dhafir was there, the team only lost three dual matches; and for Dhafir - - he remained undefeated his last three years of college. One of his three National Championship plaques is proudly being displayed at the Black History Museum, here in Omaha. 

Today, Dhafir runs his own company called, Dhafir & Son Home Paint and Maintenance. His office is located at 1813 N. 34th Street, right here in Omaha, Ne. You can reach him by phone at (402) 990-4706. Dhafir provides top notch quality at an affordable price. “A lot of people in North Omaha still have problems getting loans from the local banks,” he stated. “That is why I try and reduce my rates - so all the people in the community may benefit.” When discussing about the North Omaha community, Dhafir said, “It is so nice to drive by a house or building that has been refinished - it makes our entire community look so much better.” He continues, “It is a sense of pride.” In fact, Dhafir has recently done some work for the Simple Simon day care on Ames Street. From looking at his work, it is obvious to conclude that Dhafir applies the same work ethic to his work as he did to wrestling. So if you are looking for quality work at a more than reasonable price, give Dhafir a call - he will be more than happy to “tackle” your project.