'Mean Gene' Okerlund signs autographs for Sailors and fans at the ATRC auditorium.

As Naval Support Facility Dahlgren’s Cannonball Lanes becomes a popular meeting place for Sailors and civilians it’s a logistical given that, while folks will enjoy a meal from Mean Gene’s Burgers, many won’t think much about the restaurant chain or how it came to be. But for some, just unwrapping the burger will bring a smile to their face as they see a smiling ‘‘Mean” Gene Okerlund looking back at them.

The mustachioed wrestling announcer-turned fast-food entrepreneur has spent nearly 40 years in the colorful world of professional wrestling. Surrounded by muscle-bound men and women with flamboyant personalities and dramatic, exciting story lines, Okerlund is the voice and face many remember from when professional wrestling became mainstream, courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly the World Wrestling Federation). It was rare that Hulk Hogan, decked out in a tight yellow shirt and red tights, or Jesse ‘‘the Body” Ventura in his feather boa, would be caught dead in an interview if it wasn’t ‘‘Mean Gene” holding the microphone.

‘‘Most people don’t know it was Jesse that gave me the nickname,” said Okerlund during a recent visit to NSF Dahlgren, where he conducted a grand opening of his namesake franchise, ‘‘Mean Gene’s Burgers”.

‘‘Jesse was a name dropper,” he said, ‘‘and he’d always tell me he’d been partying with the Rolling Stones or someone. One day he said he had been partying with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He said, ‘I’ll bet you don’t even know who Tom Petty is, do you?’ I said, ‘Of course I do, he’s a racecar driver.’ Ventura’s response was, ‘Ooh, you’re mean, Gene,’ and the nickname stuck.”

Okerlund, a native of Minnesota and a graduate of the University of Nebraska, began his career in radio, and in April of 1971 took a job with Vern Gagne’s wrestling promotion, the American Wrestling Association. ‘‘I was in TV sales,” said Okerlund, ‘‘and one day an announcer phoned in sick, so they asked me to take his place.”

Once the advent of cable television came along, the WWE and its patriarch, Vince McMahon, began beaming its product to millions around the world, and Mean Gene went along for the ride. In addition to being a part of many storylines and conducting countless interviews, Okerlund even sang the National Anthem at Wrestlemania I.

Okerlund referees burger eating contest at the Cannonball bowling lanes.

Okerlund recounts the most exciting match he ever covered at Wrestlemania III. Ricky ‘‘the Dragon” Steamboat and ‘‘Macho Man” Randy Savage competed in a match that had 34 false finishes.

‘‘It was the most excitement, the best executed match I’ve ever seen,” said Okerlund. He also had the pleasure of meeting many celebrities, including Danny DeVito, Diane Keaton, Billy Joel, and most memorably, Andy Warhol. ‘‘I asked him a question that was about 30 seconds long and he responded, ‘Yes.’ I kept waiting for the rest of the answer.”

Mean Gene’s Burgers came about when Okerlund noticed that his backyard barbecues were becoming popular with neighbors. He said he traveled over 200 days a year, ‘‘and when I was home, I enjoyed a barbecue. I suddenly noticed the entire neighborhood was coming over to eat, and I thought, there must be something to this.” Okerlund hooked up with Hot Stuff Foods and opened his first store at Duke University in Raleigh, N.C. The chain now boasts 117 outlets worldwide, 10 of which serve Navy bases including Okinawa, Yokosuka, Guam, and Diego Garcia.

When asked about the disturbing trend of early deaths by professional wrestlers, Okerlund didn’t evade the question.

‘‘In the old days, young wrestlers only got paid when they worked,” said Okerlund. ‘‘If they were injured, they had to find a way to work.” Many, he said, became addicted to pain and other medications. But those addictions, he said, are not exclusive to the wrestling community.

‘‘Look at Rush Limbaugh and Brett Favre,” he pointed out.

But the WWE is working hard to put an end to the problem. ‘‘Now, when talent doesn’t work because they’re hurt, they get paid while they’re recovering.” He also said McMahon is covering the costs for those who feel they need a rehabilitation program since many insurance providers don’t cover these services.

In addition to stints with the AWA and WWE, Okerlund was also a key player in the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, a promotion owned by Turner Broadcasting Services mogul Ted Turner. He contributed greatly to story lines as well as announcing, and even sat in on the meeting when Turner decided to launch the ‘‘Nitro” TV program. He is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, and has worked with generations of wrestlers. ‘‘I worked with Duane Johnson (known as ‘‘The Rock”), and I worked with his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Chief Peter Maivia.” Asked about wrestling’s popularity, Okerlund said, ‘‘It’s cyclical. There is another Stone Cold (Steve Austin) or another Rock out there. Another personality will come along and there will be another surge in popularity.”

Okerlund fondly recalls many of the famous personalities of wrestling. When asked about Andre the Giant, Okerlund said, ‘‘A true giant in life, a wonderful man.” He called ‘‘The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes ‘‘the consummate wrestling hero.” When asked about McMahon, Okerlund said, ‘‘He is genuine. He was the creating and branding of the WWE. He is involved in each and every character in this giant play on the TV stage.” Okerlund said McMahon is responsible for creating characters like the Macho Man and Honkytonk Man, and that he did a great deal to make wrestlers stars, such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Mick Foley.

While at Dahlgren, Okerlund visited ATRC and met with approximately 50 students, who he regaled with stories before signing autographs. He then traveled to Cannonball Lanes, where he conducted a wrestling trivia contest, followed by a burger eating contest.

In addition to his restaurant chain, Okerlund works with WWE and is developing the new ‘‘On Demand 24⁄7” series on classic wrestlers and past matches. Okerlund, who received a kidney transplant in 2004, keeps a hectic schedule.

‘‘Even with the surgery, I don’t think there was a hiccup in my schedule,” he said. ‘‘Modern medicine is truly remarkable. Look at Alonzo Mourning (of the NBA) or Superstar Billy Graham (a retired wrestler),” both of whom received transplants and are still going strong.

Okerlund is currently actively involved with the University of Minnesota organ donation program.