Courtesy of John Harrison
Tony wrestled at Penn State from 1990-1995. He came to Penn State without a wrestling scholarship and worked extremely hard, eventually winning a starting position and a wrestling scholarship for his junior and senior years and being chosen as a team captain.
He was no slouch in the classroom either. He was named to the Dean’s List nine out of the ten semesters he was a student at Penn State. During his career he was inducted into Spiritus Lionus (an athletic & academic fraternity developed by student athletes) and the Golden Key National Honor society and invited to become a member of Tau Beta Pi. In 1995, Tony won a scholarship from the prestigious Merrill Lynch Heisman Scholarship Program, was named the Big Ten Male Academic Athlete of the Year and was chosen to receive the Ernest B. McCoy Award!
Tony, what have you been doing since you graduated from Penn State?
I was under contract with the United States Nuclear Navy my junior and senior years at Penn State. When I graduated, I came to Orlando to teach at the Nuclear Power School. We teach Naval officers and enlisted personnel who will operate nuclear reactors on submarines and surface ships. I taught math to enlisted personnel for about 1 1/2 years. I then taught electrical engineering to Naval Officers who will eventually be the head engineers running nuclear power plants on submarines and surface ships.
I am currently in the process of becoming the Chief Information Officer for the Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, South Carolina. I will be a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer by December 1998. I also work with the Amway corporation and Britt Worldwide and operate a large Network Marketing business around the country.
What are your best memories from the years you spent as a Penn State wrestler?
One of my best memories as a Penn State wrestler was when we won a National Team Championship at the duals in Nebraska in 1993. That whole weekend is something we will never forget. It was truly amazing how we pulled together as a team and accomplished such an awesome task.
Another great memory for me was the quarterfinals of the Penn State Open in 1994 when I upset the number one ranked 158 pounder in the country. Also, the overall support that Penn State wrestlers get from Sandy Meyer in academics, Dan Monthley in the training office, the coaching staff, Chip Harrison and the strength coaches, and last but not least, the wonderful Penn State Wrestling Club all provided great memories that will last me a lifetime.
How has the Penn State wrestling experience impacted your life/career?
The Penn State wrestling experience forged me into the individual I am today. I came to Penn State without a scholarship and worked my guts out to eventually become a scholarship athlete my junior and senior years as well as a team captain. That journey forced me to develop the discipline, heart, passion and perserverance that will allow me to be successful at whatever I do in life. The skills I developed (and I am not talking about wrestling techniques) as a Penn State wrestler are priceless.
Do you still follow wrestling? How has collegiate wrestling changed since you were a wrestler at Penn State?
Yes, I still follow wrestling. I’m sure certain techniques have changed slightly but I know one thing for sure: the passion, discipline, and work ethic that it takes to be the best of the best will never change, and Penn State has got it.
Tony, what advice do you have for collegiate wrestlers today?
Set your goals (both academically and athletically) as high as you can dream and then be willing to pay any price to obtain them while still maintaining your integrity and core values.
Thanks Tony!
