People make mistakes; kids make mistakes, coaches make mistakes. Our job is not to judge one another, our job is to help one another. The longtime radio announcer for Penn State wrestling, Byers has been around the program since the beginning of the Sanderson era. I think he was raised with great values, perspective, and purpose. His father is a very impressive person and I think [Cael] just has a burning desire to be great. But I think his willingness to continue to learn and adapt and try to improve is a big part of his success.
He channeled his creative skills into artistry for relaxation. It might be through a talk or something he does.
There are very few people who can truly live in the moment and keep the big picture solidly in focus the way he can. Sanderson ultimately redshirted his true freshman year During his redshirt freshman year, Sanderson put up a perfect record and went on to win his first Big 12 title and his first NCAA title at Only five other wrestlers have earned multiple Dan Hodge trophies and no one other than Cael Sanderson has won three. Cael currently holds the longest win-streak across all NCAA divisions and is considered the most accomplished collegiate wrestler in the history of the sport.
Sanderson was also the US National Champion between What was next up for Cael to prove his ability to the world? The Olympics in Athens, Greece. This is where the stars aligned and everything went right for Cael Sanderson as he went during the Summer Games and claimed his first ever gold medal in the Olympics.
He had Casey Cunningham to work out with every day and Coach Cael, because he was big enough to roll with those guys. Ed really took to the coaching staff and the challenge of getting himself good enough to compete with Casey and Cael.
It got the best out of him, having someone who could whip him for a while. He was already signed at Penn State. Will they be competitive? Will they fight me back? He was really convincing. Oh geez. Tension between the new regime and former national finalist Bubba Jenkins mounted over the next eight months to the point where Jenkins left the program in December of I would say I definitely felt that sense.
I kept a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I wanted to stay ahead of the curve as much as I could. Everyone knew David Taylor was coming in, along with some of the other kids Cael had recruited at Iowa State. Not everyone fits the mold. A lot of guys did: Ed Ruth, Quentin Wright, they had plenty of guys who made the transition.
He was consistent. Vallimont: Cael came in and cracked down on some rules and a curfew. He had coaches come to make sure you were in class. The main thing I can remember is that under the former coaching staff, Bubba had a little more freedom.
He would sometimes show up late to a lift. Jenkins: I was very grateful that Penn State signed Cael Sanderson, because I thought I was going to redshirt and then get two years under him.
The game was going to be in trouble once I got that redshirt year. I knew I needed to hit reset physically and mentally to get back to the podium. I made some personal moves to make sure that if I needed to redshirt, I would in fact redshirt for the first half of the season. I had extra credits, so I calculated my ineligibility and eligibility to still perform in January for the Big Ten season, so I could at least have that half a year to get healthy and get back to being that wrestler I came to Penn State as.
I forced my redshirt year and possibly my departure from Penn State when Cael realized I was ineligible for the first half of the season and that we had different demeanors. He found that with Arizona State, and obviously, that worked out for him. Molinaro: One day, I was in the locker room getting ready to get on the bus to go to the Journeyman Duals, and Bubba walked downstairs.
The funny part is that he was signing on my face, which made it kind of awkward. We had an understanding to agree to disagree. I was understanding of why. It was strategic. He only wanted the best for his wrestling program.
I just wish we had better communication between us. Jenkins: I sat down with Curley, because they had promised me once I became an All-American they could never take away my scholarship and Cael was talking about taking my scholarship and releasing me completely. I did them for me. Jenkins: Winning nationals was the epitome of my senior year and my only focus. It had nothing to do with David Taylor.
It was about the Goliath behind him. That was the drive that I took with me on every weight, lap, sit-up, shot…. What you saw there was such a strength advantage.
It was one match. Bubba had everything on the line. Nothing really happened, and [Taylor] got one shot in, and to lock up a cradle from that position is freaky. The move itself was jarring how impressive it was.
It was a one-move match. Case in point, Bubba beat David Taylor, who was undefeated. That just shows how good Bubba was and that he was someone you wanted to make it work with. I am truly past that and am a whole new man. I appreciate the things he did for me. The suicide cradle I hit to pin David Taylor in the finals was something I had seen in the wrestling room while Cael was there.
I was very immature and angry at the system of college wrestling that there was nothing I could do to put my career back into my hands other than force my ineligibility. But the book that I have is absolutely amazing, because the ending is me on top of that podium. People can say what they want about the moves I made, but they can shut their asses up. First of all, I graduated.
Second of all, I was a national champion. It happens. Although national titles have become the norm since then, most around the program remain amazed at how far it has come. Within a decade, Penn State wrestling has evolved from a confounding underperformer to the undisputed leader of the pack and a precedent for greatness.
Cipriano: The moment I knew Penn State was going to win a national championship sooner rather than later was when I saw David Taylor, Ed Ruth, and Quentin Wright all competing in a dual together for the first time. Lubert: More than 60 percent of the kids, he inherited. They were recruited by other coaches, and he helped them reach their goals. He took them to the next level, where they were able to achieve a national championship.
And then he runs seven more, you know, unbelievable. Just unbelievable. We knew we had a chance to win, but I had to go to a wedding. My wife and I were following along the whole time during the reception and got everyone fired up, giving updates and cheering them on.
Just talking about it now gives me chills. I can remember the same sensation I felt that day. Goal setting, hard work, determination, focus, love of challenges, love of competition, confidence, being coachable, mental toughness, discipline, creativity, team work and accountability.
Wrestling is a physical, contact sport. You learn that sometimes you just get poked in the eye. Physical and mental toughness go hand in hand. You learn that a little pain or struggle is part of the process of doing great things. Recent Posts. Breaking: Craig Jones Vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. Stuck In S-Mount? ADCC: Aging gracefully? This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.
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