I’ve always been considered a grinder.

I like to put my head down and go to work.

What can I say, I’m from Boston. That’s what we do.

We’re tough.

Resilient.

Blue-collar mindset and attitude.

But for the first time in my life, that mindset was failing me.

During my first couple of years wrestling at Kent State – especially my freshman year – it wasn’t going well. I was getting beat up on the mat constantly.

I lost track of how many times I got pinned during my first season, and it wasn’t something I was used to.

I was practicing, training, and working out constantly. I thought I was doing everything I was supposed to. Why wasn’t I this resulting in success?

After stressing myself out and having the weight of the world on my shoulders, I finally took a much-needed breath after my third season.

The pressure I was putting on myself wasn’t doing me any favors, and I needed to relax. Once I made the mental adjustment to slow everything down, it was a game changer.

And I was going to use my newfound mentality to be a better wrestler, teammate, and overall student-athlete.

I originally wanted to be a plumber when I grew up. I went to a tech school when I was in high school, and plumbing was the field I chose.

I enjoyed it for a brief period, but as I got more exposure to the profession, I knew it wasn’t for me.

I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty. I did plenty of plumbing work, construction jobs, and various other manual labor, but none of it was ever fulfilling to me.

Going to college to wrestle was always something I had in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted to do.

Was I talented enough to wrestle collegiately, especially for a Division I team?

I discovered the answer to that question when I got recruited by Kent State and committed to being a college wrestler there.

Somehow, someway, we found each other, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

The way my first two seasons went, I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to a third season.

Like I said before, I was taking my lumps on the mat. I had a losing record my first two seasons, and it wasn’t a fun experience for me.

Not living up to expectations was a tough pill for me to swallow. I was working hard and doing everything I thought I should be doing to improve, but the results weren’t showing.

I took a redshirt during my third season, and it was the best thing for me. 

I still competed in open tournaments and everything, but I stopped taking myself so seriously.

I was suffocating myself with all the failures and pins I was taking, so I finally decided to free myself from all of that.

I was making my disappointments out to be life-or-death situations, and that immense pressure I was putting on myself was hurting me instead of helping me.

Once I started having fun with wrestling again, I grew an improved appreciation for the sport.

It’s no coincidence, then, that the results followed.

I had a breakout year in my fourth season and qualified for nationals. The adjustments I made, which were mostly mental, paid off in a major way.

My happy-go-lucky attitude made all the difference in my success on the mat, and I was hungry for more.

Last year, I had another great season, but it ended in heartbreak.

I came up just short of making nationals again.

That was my fifth season, potentially the final season of my career at Kent State, so I had quite a bit to process after not achieving my goal.

Do I come back for a sixth year?

Do I graduate and pursue other opportunities?

If I graduate, will I regret not coming back to try and win a national title?

After asking myself these questions for about three weeks straight – and more than a few sleepless nights – I decided to come back for my sixth and final season at Kent State.

Obviously, a significant motivating factor for me to return was because I had unfinished business.

I’m going to do everything in my power to win a national title in the 22-23 season. But there’s more to it than that. 

I’ve been at Kent State for six years now. My teammates like to remind me how old I am — though I much prefer being referred to as a seasoned vet.

Regardless, I feel a great joy and responsibility in mentoring the younger guys on the team.

Listen, Division I wrestling is tough. Division I sports in general are tough.

For every victory that builds you up, a crushing defeat is waiting to tear you back down. That’s just the reality of what we signed up for.

No one knows this better than me, and I learned this lesson the hard way.

So, I truly enjoy being a leader for these guys to give them advice and help this program grow.

Kent State saved me from fixing leaks for the rest of my life, so I’ll always be grateful to this school and wrestling program and give back in any way that I can.

It’s also paved a path for me once I graduate, as I plan to take the skills I learned here and transition them into the MMA cage.

Only time will tell if I win my national title in March, and how my MMA career will turn out, but of all the things I’ve learned at Kent State, I’m not going to let these goals consume me.

Instead, I’ll let these aspirations fuel me, and I’ll give it my best with a smile on my face. 

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