In the day and a half I spent with him, this seemed typical of Stan. Life has given him more than his share of troubles, but he's a cheerful person and a genuine pro in his actions and demeanor. I found it a pleasure to photograph him.

Make no mistake about it: Stan is massive. Give him a few years, and I suspect he may well achieve one of his main ambitions, placing somewhere in the top five of the Mr. Olympia. In addition to having this ambition, he's also a very intelligent guy. A few years back, he graduated from Morris Brown College, where he was a member of Omega Psi Phi, with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Then Lee Haney, who knows talent when he sees it, took Stan under his wing at Animal Kingdom Gym in Atlanta and taught him a great deal about the gym and bodybuilding businesses.

At present Stan is manager of Gold's Gym on Buford Way in Atlanta. In addition to working there and training clients, he continues working out himself, with his eye on some day being in the Mr. Olympia contest. His workout style is strenuous and demanding, and many a training partner hasn't been able to "hang" with him.