I had some great moments throughout my Penn State wrestling career, but none more memorable than a Big Ten match vs. the University of Michigan during my junior season—the match I’ll never forget. Coming into this match, I was having an average wrestling career at Penn State. I won some matches, but I had also taken some tough losses. I had wrestled my opponent the previous year and lost significantly by a tech fall decision. Despite my prior loss to him, I believed I could win the match with the support of my coaches, teammates and the thousands of cheering Penn State fans in Rec Hall. I did just that, and won the match by numerous points. I remember all my matches, but this particular bout profoundly impacted the rest of my Penn State wrestling career. It taught me what it meant to be a Penn State wrestler.
Penn State wrestling was not about working hard, all wrestlers work hard; Penn State was about working harder. The match taught me that Penn Staters never give up regardless of the circumstances. I learned that I was not just wrestling for myself and my team, but I was wrestling for the entire Penn State family which started over 100 years ago. Quite simply this match taught me the most important lesson of my wrestling career—it taught me the Penn State way.
