"Kids and parents need to understand just how much Wrestling enhances a football prospects resume, rankings and recruitment by D1 coaches.
College coaches especially D1 coaches really like big lineman who have a wrestling background.
I think as a sport we really do a poor job of communicating that fact to our big kids across the state at a young age." CT poster Durdon
"Just wanted to try to take a look at Adam," Vrabel explained of the signing of Coon when the coach spoke with the media on Thursday. "I followed his wrestling career for a while. Something we looked at and, again, I was a part of as a player taking a former wrestler and they developed into an offensive lineman with Stephen Neal."
Vrabel played with the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and Neal played for them from 2002 to 2010. Just like Coon, Neal played high school football but never in college, concentrating and flourishing in wrestling.
"Wrestlers, especially at that elite level, have unbelievable balance, core strength, things that I think would translate well to an offensive lineman," Vrabel said.
Coon, having claimed Greco-Roman and freestyle championships and medals throughout a decorated college and Team U.S.A. tenure, notably was a two-time NCAA finalist (2015, 2018), a 2018 Senior world silver medalist, two-time Senior World Team member and a 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up.
https://www.nfl.com/news/can-titans-ol-adam-coon-be-the-next-stephen-neal