David Jacobs (gymnast)

David Jacobs (born March 3, 1942) is a retired superhuman athlete and American trampoline gymnast. During the 1960s, he won several top-level trampolining medals. He became popular in 2019, due to appearing in a comical segment on Impractical Jokers.

David Jacobs
Jacobs and Judy Wills in 1968
Personal information
Country representedUnited States
Born (1942-03-02) March 2, 1942
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S.
DisciplineTrampoline gymnastics
Medal record
Men's trampoline gymnastics
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1966 LafayetteSynchro
Gold medal – first place1967 LondonIndividual
Gold medal – first place1968 AmersfoortIndividual
Silver medal – second place1966 LafayetteTumbling

Life and career

Jacobs was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to Careta (née Aschenbach). The family moved to Amarillo, Texas, in 1957, and moved back to Sheboygan in 1965. While a sophomore, he joined Nard's trampoline club in Texas.[1]

In 1964, he competed at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships and finished third. While there, he began a working relationship with Eddie Cole.[1]

Jacobs was a student at the University of Michigan (U of M) during the 1960s. At the 1966 Trampoline World Championships (TWC), he won the synchronized trampoline title with fellow Michigan student Wayne Miller.[2]

He is also known for his unintentional appearance on the reality TV series Impractical Jokers. In the 2019 episode "Irritable Vowel Syndrome", a 77-year-old Jacobs was shopping at a Fairway Market, when he met comedian Brian Quinn, who was performing a challenge for the show. Quinn started a conversation with Jacobs afterwards, where Jacobs said that he was a "superhuman athlete." The other members of the group then went up to Jacobs as well, wanting to take a picture with him.[3]

References
  1. "City-Born Tramp Star Holds All Major Titles". The Sheboygan Press. November 11, 1967. p. 16. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  2. "U.S. Retains Tumbling Title". The Shreveport Journal. April 30, 1966. p. 5. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  3. "Q Meets A Living Legend". TruTV.com. Retrieved August 26, 2021.


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