WWE: 10 Things You Need To Know About Jake "The Snake" Roberts

10. Jake Embodied His Character Completely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlB2-LDTb-c As a kid, I got a lot of my ideas about the world from watching wrestling. While it may not have been the most credible source, it sure was colourful. Jake "The Snake" Roberts was billed from Stone Mountain, Georgia. So that was all I needed to know about Stone Mountain. Based on Jake Roberts, it was a place I never wanted to go. Just the words "Stone Mountain" evoked visions of a cold, dark place. And Jake was a cold, dark man who could be both terrifying and entrancing. He wasn't the stereotypical mountain man character, with ratty attire and backwoods grammar. Jake took the sinister route. He had a full mustache and long dark hair, but was always well groomed. He wore long tights to the ring, adorned with snakes (which was relatively avant-garde for the time). His civilian clothes were always stylish €“ a dark, modern dress shirt and sometimes a well-cut trench coat. He wasn't a wilderness man, but a calculating one. Aware of every detail, and calmly poised to strike at any moment. Jake was scary because he was smart. Instead of breeding caricatures like Hillbilly Jim and The Honky Tonk Man, Stone Mountain bred realistic fear in the form of Jake Roberts. Jake Roberts looked, moved, spoke €“ and wrestled €“ like the snake from Stone Mountain. He was awesome.