Want to be a better Football player?
Start Wrestling!
Notice any similarities between these football and wrestling photos? If not, don't worry. Just watch the videos, listen to the podcasts, and read the below articles to learn how you can become a better Lineman, RB, WR, LB, or DB. More than any other sport, wrestling teaches how to control not only your own body but your opponent's as well, and those skills will enhance your ability to block, tackle, evade tackles, and beat a defender (e.g., running routes).
- ARTICLE & VIDEO: about Stanford Nose Tackle Harrison Phillips and how wrestling made him a unique and highly recruited NFL prospect (video halfway down the page). https://bit.ly/37Sfss7
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- VIDEO: discusses how OU’s All-American Center Creed Humphrey’s wrestling background made him a sought-after NFL prospect. https://bit.ly/3nWZEtG
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- VIDEO: SI story about University of Alabama and now NY Giant's Defensive Lineman (DE/DT/NT), Dalvin Tomlinson. Listen from 1:15 through 2:20 to hear Tomlinson discuss how wrestling made him a better football player. Sports Illustrated Highlights Dalvin Tomlinson - YouTube
- VIDEO: In this video, Pro Bowl Wide Receiver (Atlanta Falcons), Roddy White, discusses how wrestling made him a better football player. Roddy White partners with USA Wrestling, visits Olympic Training Center - YouTube
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- VIDEO: Starts with the Univ of Washington Head Coach discussing why he recruits wrestlers and ends with a story on how wrestling made FSU LB, Reggie Northrup, a NFL prospect and eventual NFL player. The Football and Wrestling Connection - YouTube
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- VIDEO: NFL Commentator/Coach Jay Grueden discussing how Green Bay Packer’s DE Mike Green’s wrestling background makes him a force on the football field. Wrestling helps Football - YouTube
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- VIDEO: Buffalo Bills Head Coach, Sean McDermott, discussing why football players should wrestle. Buffalo Bills Sean McDermott: "Wrestling helped shape my life" - YouTube
- ARTICLE and PODCAST; about Stephen Neal, an offensive lineman who earned 3 Super Bowl Rings over 10 seasons with the Patriots, despite never playing college football. Learn how his time as a NCAA D1 wrestler made that possible. You don't need to listen to the entire 1 hour and 4 minute recording; just listen from 37:00 to 47:00 and 57:40 through 1:04. https://bit.ly/3ptlW6I
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- ARTICLE: SI article about the Univ of Iowa’s Offensive Line – one made up of all former wrestlers – and how their wrestling backgrounds make them a formidable force. Included in that line was Tristan Wirf, who currently plays for the TB Bucaneers. https://bit.ly/38Fbgv1
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- ARTICLE: SB Nation article about Ram's DT and 2 x NFL Defensive Player of the Year and how his wrestling background played a role in that success. https://bit.ly/37PpAC3
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- ARTICLE: ESPN article article about how Mike Zimmer, Head coach of the Minnesota Vikings purposely drafts former wrestlers. Zimmer, a former wrestler himself admitted the sport was the toughest thing he ever did and that fact followed him into coaching. The article discusses two such draft picks, former Ohio State Center, Pat Elflein, and Iowa Defensive Tackle, Jaleel Johnson who were drafted by the Vikings in 2017; both were state-level wrestlers in high school. https://es.pn/2MrNlbq
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- ARTICLE: Hudl.com article about the wrestling-football connection. https://bit.ly/3rvmwCX
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- ARTICLE: Stack.com article on why football players should wrestle. https://bit.ly/3mTCZwY
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- ARTICLE: All Sports WNY article about Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott and how wrestling shaped his life and why he purposely looks for football players who were former wrestlers. https://bit.ly/3rzJPKT
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- ARTICLE: USA Wrestling.com story featuring Tim Krumrie, a former NFL Pro Bowl Nose Tackle who also went served 15 years as a Defensive Line Coach in the NFL. In the article, Krumrie discusses how wrestling made him and others that he coached better football players. The article also discusses the prevalence of former wrestlers within the league. https://go.teamusa.org/3rziFDZ
- ARTICLE: KC Tribune story about Chief's Guard Nick Allegretti utilizing a wrestling warm-up to prepare for the 2020 AFC Championship. Allegretti was a State Medalist in HS. https://bit.ly/2LaGnqy
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“I would have all my Offensive Lineman wrestle if I could.”
~ John Madden, HoF Coach
“I love wresters, they are tough and they make great football players.”
~Mike Stoops, OU Coach
“Wresters make coaching football easy. They have balance, coordination, and as a coaching staff we know they’re tough”
~ Tom Osborne, College HoF Coach (University of Nebraska)
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NFL Pro Bowlers who wrestled: Rhonde Barber (SS), Tiki Barber (RB), Ronnie Lott (DB), Ricky Williams (RB), Bo Jackson (RB), Ray Lewis (LB), Bruce Smith (DE), Warren Sapp (DT), & many others.
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INTERESTED?
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Contact Coach Gawronski at swansborowrestling@outlook.com