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WRESTLING AND FOOTBALL SIMILARITIES
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
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
Pros With Wrestling Background
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
2X Florida State 4A Wrestling Champion - 189 lb. weight class
Credits wrestling as the training ground for his prolific football career.
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 55 career games with 52 starts (As of 2007 season).
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.
CURRENT & FORMER NFL PLAYERS WHO WERE WRESTLERS
Carlton Haselrig*, Pittsburgh Steelers, 3x NCAA Champ
Jim Nance, FB, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ
Lorenzo Neal, FB, Tennessee Titans - NCAA Champ
Stephen Neal, OL, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ - Did NOT play college football.
Rob Essink, Seattle Seahawks – NCAA DII Champ
Ray Lewis*, Baltimore Ravens – 2x FL State Champ
Charlie Getty, RG, Kansas City Chiefs – 2x NCAA All-American
John Ward, OL, New York Jets – NCAA All-American
Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens, 3x KS State Champ
Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers – PA State Champ
Leo Nomellini*, T, San Francisco 49’ers – Big 10 Champ
Warren Sapp*, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FL State Champ
Mark Schlereth*, OL, Washington Redskins - Alaska State Champ
Irv Pankey, Los Angeles Rams – 2x MD State Champ
Cory Schlesinger, LB, Detroit Lions - NE State Champ
Mike Trgovac, DC, Carolina Panthers – OH State Champ
Tim Krumrie*, DL, Cincinnati Bengals – WI State Champ
Steve Sefter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles, 2x PA State Champ & NCAA All-American
Bill Szott, OL, Washington Redskins – NJ State Champ
Dave Szott, Kansas City Chiefs – NJ State Champ
Woody Thompson, RB, Atlanta Falcons – PA State Champ
Frank Garcia, C, St. Louis Rams – 2x AZ State Champ
William George, Chicago Bears – 2x PA State Champ
Walter Barnes, DL, Washington Redskins - SEC Champ
Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Champ
Phil Bryant, Philadelphia Eagles – 2x National Prep Champ
Bob Golic*, DT, Cleveland Browns – OH State Champ
Leo Wisniewski, NT, Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts - PA State Champ
Steve Wisniewski, G, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders - CA State Champ
Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers – 3x MD State Champ
Curley Culp*, DL, Kansas City Chiefs – NCAA Champ
Tony Siragusa*, DT, Baltimore Ravens – NJ State Champ
Fred Smerlas*, Buffalo Bills - MA State Champ
Nick Lecky, C, - KS State Champ (in 2004 NFL Draft)
Eric Rhett, RB, Cleveland Browns – FL State Champ
Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - 2x SC State Champ (First Round Pick)
Nick Leckey - TX State Champ
Lincoln "Drew" Hodgdon, C, Houston Texans - CA State Champ
Fred Weary, C, Houston Texans - AL State Champ
Coy Wire, SS, Buffalo Bills - PA State Champ
Kevin Sampson - NJ State Champ
Adam Seward, ILB, Carolina Panthers - NV State Champ
Eric Ghiaciuc, C, Cincinatti Bengals - MI State Champ
Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - 2x SC State Champ (First Round Pick)
Marques Harris - CO State Champ
Tim Anderson - OH State Champ
Tim Burrough - OK State Champ
Antoineo Harris - IL State Champ
Matt Roth - IA State Champ
Scott Wells - TN State Champ
Patrick "Bucky" Babcock - IL State Champ
Andrew Tidwell-Neal - MN State Champ
Brad Benson, New York Giants – PA State Champ
Jeff Bostic*, C, Washington Redskins – SC State Champ
Jonathan Condo, LS, Dallas Cowboys - PA State Champ, Dapper Dan Champ
Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys – IA State Champ
Jay Hilgenberg*, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Runner-Up
Ralph Cindrich, Houston Oilers – PA State Runner-Up
Kevin Breedlove - SC State Finalist
Benjamin Claxton - GA State Finalist
Doug France*, LT, Los Angeles Rams – OH State Runner-Up
Gregory Walker - State Finalist
Leon Robinson - GA State Runner-Up
Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills – PA State Runner-Up
Tom Cousineau*, LB, Cleveland Browns – 3rd State
Andrew "Tyler" Lenda - District Champ
Alex Lewis - District Champ
Josh Minkins - District Runner-up
Shane Olivea
Alex Stepanovich
Jonathan Condo
Zachary Wilson
Chris Laskowski
Luis Castillo, DT, San Diego Chargers (First Round Pick)
Nick Hardwick
Trevor Johnson
Clinton "C.J." Brooks, Jr.
Tai Tupai
Joey Hildbold
Cody Johnson
Rodney Michael
Larry Turner
Tony Pape
Mike Patterson, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (First Round Pick)
David Pollack
Claude Harriott
Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins (#2 Pick)
Rodney Leisle
Nick Newton
Sean Tufts
Brian Save
Kevin Atkins
Tim Euhus
Renaldo Works
Morgan Pears
Art Baker, RB, Buffalo Bills
Rhonde Barber, SS, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants
Eric Bateman, OL, New York Jets
Harris Benton
Greg Boone, RB, Oakland Raiders
Tedy Bruschi*, ILB, New England Patriots
Bob Bruenig*, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Tom Covert*, OT, Chicago Bears
Chris Cooley, WR, Washington Redskins
Roger Craig*, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
Damien Covington, LB, Buffalo Bills
Larry Czonka**, RB, Miami Dolphins
Rob Davis, ST, Green Bay Packers
Dan Dierdorff**, OT, St. Louis Cardinals
Donnie Edwards, OLB, San Diego Chargers
Jim Everett, QB, New Orleans Saints
DeMarco Farr, St. Louis Rams
Patrick Flannery, OL, Houston Oilers
Ed Flanagan, C, Detroit Lions
Terrell Fletcher, RB, San Diego Chargers
Bill Fralic*, G, Atlanta Falcons
John Gilmore, TE, Chicago Bears
Kevin Glover*, C, Detroit Lions
La’Roi Glover*, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Mike Goff, G, Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Golic, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
Darien Gordon, PR/CB, Denver Broncos
Scottie Graham, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Tim Green, DE, Atlanta Falcons
Morlon Greenwood, OLB, Miami Dolphins
Archie Griffin, HB, Cincinnati Bengals
Nick Griesen, LB, New York Giants
Randy Grossman, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
John Hannah**, G, New England Patriots
John Hartunian
Ron Heller, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Orlando Huff, MLB, Seattle Seahawks
Corey Hulsy, G, Oakland Raiders
Bo Jackson*, RB, Oakland Raiders
Mario Johnson, DT, New England Patriots
Dahanie Jones, LB, New York Giants
Henry Jordan**, DT, Green Bay Packers
Dave Joyner, OL, Green Bay Packers
John Jurkovich*, DT, Cleveland Browns
Alex Karras, Detroit Lions
Ernie Ladd, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
Jess Lewis, LB, Houston Oilers
Ronnie Lott**, DB, San Francisco 49’ers
Kirk Lowdermilk*, OL, Minnesota Vikings
Sean Mahan, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Malczyk, LS, New York Giants
Joel Mackavicka, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Steve Martin, DT, Houston Texans
Mickey Marvin, RG, Oakland Raiders
Napolean McCallum, RB, Oakland Raiders
Randle McDaniel*, G, Minnesota Vikings
Mark McDonald, SS, Arizona Cardinals
Chris McIntosh, T, Seattle Seahawks
Bryant McKinnie, T. Minnesota Vikings
Future Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel was a wrestler before he was named to 12 NFL Pro Bowls.
Greg Meisner, DL, Los Angeles Rams
Matt Millen*, LB, Oakland Raiders
Ronald Moore, RB, Cleveland Browns
James Mungro, HB, Indianapolis Colts
Jeremy Newberry, C, San Francisco 49’ers
Jonathan Ogden*, OT, Baltimore Ravens
David Patten, WR, New England Patriots
Scott Peters, G, New York Giants
Bob Pickens, OL, Chicago Bears
Jim Plunkett*, QB, Oakland Raiders
Dave Porter, T, Green Bay Packers
Rocky Rasley, G, Detroit Lions
Mike Reid, Cincinnati Bengals
Willie Roaf*, OT, New Orleans Saints
Bruce Smith**, DE, Washington Redskins
Brad St. Louis, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Matt Suhey, RB, Chicago Bears
Jim Thorpe**, HB, New York Giants
Kyle Turley*, T, St. Louis Rams
Ryan Turnbull, RB, Cleveland Browns
Tommy Vardell, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
Adam Vinatieri*, K, New England Patriots
Fred Weary, DB, St. Louis Rams
Charles White*, HB, Los Angeles Rams
Randy White*, DT, Dallas Cowboys
Cory Widmer, LB, New York Giants
Ricky Williams*, RB, Miami Dolphins
Greg Wojochowski, St. Louis Rams
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