Why Football Coaches should have their players Wrestle

[rigger101]

I saw a story on Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons today on the NFL pre game show about the Atlanta Falcons great year and Roddy White being a - 2x SC State Champ & (First Round Pick). Said his family all wrestled in HS and were State Champs. Went to read about it on the net and made me think.

 

I've been around 4 different HS wrestling programs and know of other programs that do not allow their football players to wrestle or discourage them.

I don't understand this. I had the reverse as a FB player. WE had to go out for wrestling if we didn't play another sport.

The days of cutting weight are gone.

Most coaches want a strong grappler at the correct weight.

The TSSAA requires weight certification.

Heck most FB players can't makee through a wrestling practice when they do come out. They have to get into wrestling shape.

If you have lineman it's a given to have them on the mat.

 

Link to story

 

With list of names that may surprise you,

 

I watched Nick Reviez of UT Football came out his Soph yr in HS for wrestling and watched his fustration trying to transfer his FB skills to the mat. He had a learning curve but by end of the season he had placed 2nd in the region. Then became a 2X State Champ at 215lbs.

 

The Coaches Perspective

 

??? ???I draft wrestlers because they are tough, I have never had a problem with a wrestler.??? - Joe Gibbs, Hall of fame Football Coach

 

??? "I would have all of my Offensive Lineman wrestle if I could."- John Madden, Hall of Fame Football Coach

 

??? ???I love wrestlers, they are tough and they make great football players.??? Mike Stoops, National Championship Football Coach - University of Oklahoma.

 

??? ???Wrestlers make coaching football easy, they have balance, coordination, and as a coaching staff we know they??™re tough.??? - Tom Osborne - College Hall of Fame Football Coach - University of Nebraska

 

 

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"Well-respected by coaches and teammates for his tough, aggressive nature (comes from his prep wrestling background)"

- NFL Draft Scout on Alex Stepanovich

 

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"One of the messages Denney hopes to relay to the Valley high school coaches and athletes is that wrestling is the perfect complement to football. While football is in its offseason, wrestling provides the perfect opportunity for the athletes to remain active, while working on their agility and conditioning, Denney said.

 

Shawhan can attest to Denney??™s theory, also having an extensive gridiron background. Along with playing semi-pro football, Shawhan also has years of being an assistant football coach throughout the Rio Grande Valley (Mission High, Harlingen High, PSJA High, McAllen Memorial and McHi).

 

"In Texas, everyone knows that high school football is king," Denney said. "I??™m telling you, though, Texas is catching up in wrestling. And a lot of the football coaches are realizing how much wrestling can help their football team. And believe me, that??™s the truth. I know it firsthand. You have to remember when I started out I was a football coach in high school, and I would go to the wrestling team and get everyone that could to sign up for my football team."

 

- By Wade Baker,The McAllen Monitor MCAllen, Texas.

 

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"My football coach told me, 'You better get in wrestling or I'll beat you up,'"

-- Tim Lee, Texas High School All-American

 

Lee said that wrestling helps him on the football field because he knows he has to stay low.

 

"In wrestling, you've got to have self-discipline and self-motivation. As a lineman, it's the same thing ... me vs. you. He brings that mentality to the football field."

- Lee's High School Football Coach, Tim Howard

 

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"Some of Matt Roth??™s intensity can also be attributed to his successful run as a state-champion wrestler in high school. Many coaches, scouts and wrestlers-turned-football-players will laud wrestling for the leverage and quick hands it provides for football. Roth credits wrestling for the never-say-die attitude it gave him.

 

"It??™s the attitude. (Wrestling) helps you with your hips, your hands and your balance, but more than anything it helps you with your attitude," he said. "A lot of these kids that are basketball players, we eat those kids up. It??™s just our mentality - you??™re going to get the job done and you??™re going to punish them."

 

Roth said his dream partner on the wrestling mat would be Ravens LB Ray Lewis, himself an accomplished high school wrestler."

 

-- By Chris Neubauer, Pro Football Weekly

 

 

Crossover Skills:

 

??? Many of the positions and skills are absolutely transferable between both sports

??? Some of those skills include but are not limited to footwork, hand-eye coordination, mental toughness, explosive movements, and balance

??? Learning the ability too beat the man in front of you can not be ignored.

 

 

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A Look at The Numbers

 

??? 32 Professional Football Teams

??? 65 Man Rosters

??? 2080 Professional Football Players

??? 185 Wrestlers in the NFL

??? 11.24% of the NFL has a wrestling background

??? 5% of the Hall of Fame inductee??™s

 

 

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The Link Cannot Be Dismissed

 

??? The relationship between wrestling and football is real.

??? There are too many legends in both sports who have proved it.

??? Hall of fame football coaches and players espouse the benefits of wrestling for football players.

??? Football never made a wrestler a better wrestler BUT Wrestling made every football player a better football player!!!

 

 

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Influence of Wrestling in the NFL

 

??? 10 Hall of Fame Football Players

??? 43 Multiple Pro-Bowlers

??? 60 Individual State Championships

??? 13 NCAA Wrestling Championships

??? 3 Heisman Trophy Winners Wrestled

??? 14 1st Round Draft Picks Wrestled

??? 23 RB??™s / 20 LB??™s / 2 QB??™s / 66 Lineman / 6 DB??™s / 1 K / 54 NP

[MDCoach]

Great post!

Wrestling is as hard mentally and physically as anything athletics has to offer. I wrestled, was a head wrestling coach for the better part of a decade.

I never heard a single college coach look at it as a negative. They know the kid will be tough and used to body to body contact. During my tenure we sent 6 wrestlers to college to play football, 4 front 7 D guys, 2 O linemen, one free safety who would flat chip your teeth. In general the wrestlers that I worked with in both settings were "forged" (tough and dependable) not excuse makers. In closing, show me a wrestler that can't tackle???

Wrestling is a great thing for the mental and physical conditioning of football players.

[rigger101]

Great post!

Wrestling is as hard mentally and physically as anything athletics has to offer. I wrestled, was a head wrestling coach for the better part of a decade.

I never heard a single college coach look at it as a negative. They know the kid will be tough and used to body to body contact. During my tenure we sent 6 wrestlers to college to play football, 4 front 7 D guys, 2 O linemen, one free safety who would flat chip your teeth. In general the wrestlers that I worked with in both settings were "forged" (tough and dependable) not excuse makers. In closing, show me a wrestler that can't tackle???

Wrestling is a great thing for the mental and physical conditioning of football players.

 

When I was in the service and going through tough special training. I would always think. Hey it's easier than wrestling practice. /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

 

More of the same article.

 

 

Pros With Wrestling Background

 

??? Stephan Neal - The Football Player

 

??“ 28 years old, was originally

??“ Signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on July 23, 2001.

??“ The 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound offensive lineman has played in 34 career games with 31 starts.

??“ Recorded the longest current consecutive starts streak on the Patriots offensive line.

 

??? Stephan Neal - The Wrestler

 

??“ San Diego native

??“ Did not play football in college and instead was a championship wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield.

??“ He compiled a 156-10 record and won two NCAA Division I titles.

??“ In 1999, Neal won the Dan Hodge Award - known as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling - following a year in which he won the U.S. Freestyle Championship, the Pan-American Games title and the World Championships.

 

??? Ray Lewis - The Football Player

 

??“ Seven-time Pro Bowler

??“ 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year

??“ Super Bowl XXXV MVP

??“ Arguably the greatest LB and 1 of the best players in NFL history.

 

??? Ray Lewis- The Wrestler

 

??“ Florida native

??“ Florida State 4A Wrestling Champion - 189 lb. weight class

??“ Credits wrestling as the training ground for his prolific football career

 

 

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We received the following email from Dan Gaul regarding, arguably, U-E's most famous Football Player/Wrestler and I felt it was definitely worth sharing - Thank You Dan

 

From: "Dan Gaul"

To: jlupo@uewrestling.com

Subject: Website list of football players that wrestled

Date: Saturday, October 20, 2007

 

John,

 

That is an excellent list of wrestler/football athletes and makes a huge point that U-E football coaches have ignored for many years. Wrestling is a great way of preparing for football. The list looks like it may have been copied from another site or something so I will not get TOO excited about a glaring omission which is kind of embarrassing.

 

Is there a way to add ONE person to that list? Maybe put him at the TOP??? ..... I spent 2 years of my coaching career rolling around at practice with a future NFL player by the name of Isaiah ... 2nd place in NY State, 1996. His opponent in the finals, Morlon Greenwood IS on that list of NFL players.

[buc55]

What a great post. My son been wrestling since he was 6. Even though he is only a better than average wrestler. I have always said that he is a better lineman because of the fundamentals learned in wrestling.

[mcwrestler]

What a great post. Seems it always comes up every year. I believe that when a coach of football supports wrestling he in turn helps his football team.

 

Alcoa has not been known to have the best wrestling team in the state, but they have never had true help from the football team. A few coaches said they supported it but actions did not equal words. During my second year coaching Alcoa Middle school Gary Rankin entered as head coach, and his son entered into wrestling. This gave me an oppurtunity to get his opinion on wrestling. He ws very much in favor and believed that it helped players on the field and he has said he will support the high school team. I know he is encouraging players to go out and try it. That is what more coaches should do. Rankin is among the top coaches in state and he allows his son to participate, because he believes it will improve him as long snapper and on O Line. His main concern is weight loss but as long as loss is healthy there are no negative side effects. Its easy to beef back up to football weight. I can only hope that htis support helps both wrestling and football at Alcoa, not that a team that has won 5 in a row needs much help.

[rigger101]

His main concern is weight loss but as long as loss is healthy there are no negative side effects. Its easy to beef back up to football weight. I can only hope that htis support helps both wrestling and football at Alcoa, not that a team that has won 5 in a row needs much help.

 

 

I wouldn't think weight loss is a concern since most coaches I know would rather have a big strong stud at one of the middle to higher weight classes on the mat. If we are talking a few lbs then it's up to the grappler.

[nickknx865]

I once had a former coach tell me that he would have all of his o-linemen wrestle if he could, because that is all blocking is, technique, angles, and strength, all three of which are strong points of wrestling.

[rigger101]

I once had a former coach tell me that he would have all of his o-linemen wrestle if he could, because that is all blocking is, technique, angles, and strength, all three of which are strong points of wrestling.

 

Consider the East side of the Toyota East vs. West High School footbal game on Saturday:

 

Four lineman with wrestling ties.

1. Caleb Leonard - Knox Halls

2. Kevin Revis - Rhea County

3. Miquel Sanchez - Red bank

4. Tyler Eady - Smyrna (quit after 9th grade but was an 8th grade state champ and Team Tennessee)

[nickknx865]

Consider the East side of the Toyota East vs. West High School footbal game on Saturday:

 

Four lineman with wrestling ties.

1. Caleb Leonard - Knox Halls

2. Kevin Revis - Rhea County

3. Miquel Sanchez - Red bank

4. Tyler Eady - Smyrna (quit after 9th grade but was an 8th grade state champ and Team Tennessee)

 

 

That's pretty impressive. How did you know/find out that stuff?

[gallopingghost77]

I believe that the reason why some football coach's discourage their players from wrestling is because some wrestling coach's make those kids cut too much weight. I have known wrestling coach's who have kids cut 20-40 pounds. I understand that some kids, linemen, may have the weight to lose but alot of these kids do not.

 

The TSSAA does have a weight cerification program but this does not discourage the moron coach's from making kids cut alot of weight. In fact, what is happening, is that these kids are being encouraged to keep their weight down year round and they are discouraged kids from lifting weights.

[fblover]

I believe that the reason why some football coach's discourage their players from wrestling is because some wrestling coach's make those kids cut too much weight. I have known wrestling coach's who have kids cut 20-40 pounds. I understand that some kids, linemen, may have the weight to lose but alot of these kids do not.

 

The TSSAA does have a weight cerification program but this does not discourage the moron coach's from making kids cut alot of weight. In fact, what is happening, is that these kids are being encouraged to keep their weight down year round and they are discouraged kids from lifting weights.

 

this is the biggest reason that most coaches who discourage kids from wrestling do so. At the school I coach at we had a freshmen offensive linemen finish the season at 235 and is wrestling right now at about 210. I agree with the fact that there are numerous benefits to wrestling, but the nature of the sport itself doesn't lend itself to kids getting bigger and stronger. Football is a sport where certain positions need to carry a little extra weight. Not only do most kids lose weight during wrestling season, they lose the opportunity to lift consistently, which means not only do they lose 10-12 pounds they miss the chance to gain 10-12 pounds and gain strength. IMO, wrestling is good for some, but not others and it depends on what the individual child needs as to the benefits he will recieve from wrestling

[rcpatriot]

I believe that the reason why some football coach's discourage their players from wrestling is because some wrestling coach's make those kids cut too much weight. I have known wrestling coach's who have kids cut 20-40 pounds. I understand that some kids, linemen, may have the weight to lose but alot of these kids do not.

 

The TSSAA does have a weight cerification program but this does not discourage the moron coach's from making kids cut alot of weight. In fact, what is happening, is that these kids are being encouraged to keep their weight down year round and they are discouraged kids from lifting weights.

 

 

I'm sure that some of that still goes on today, but for the most part wrestling coaches aren't requiring football players to lose weight. What you are talking about is the past. Most of us coaches would love to have football players wrestle for us, but in fact the football coaches (not all, but most) are reluctant to promote wrestling because of the physicallity of it. I know it's hard to believe, but the football coaches are afraid that their players are going to get hurt.

Keeping their weight down year around, don't think so. Discourage wrestlers from lifting weights, some do but most don't. Flexibility in wrestling is critical. We don't discourage lifting weights, but we do discourage lifting weights for bulk as most football coaches require.