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The Vision Quest Podcast
A podcast about life, sports, and life in sports! Enjoy!
The Vision Quest Podcast
#91 Eric Barnett: The Mat Chronicles - Crafting Excellence
Step onto the mat with Eric Barnett as he gives us an unflinching look at his journey from high school champion to collegiate wrestling powerhouse. In our conversation, Eric lays bare the trials and triumphs of adapting to the unmatched intensity of college-level competition, where every match is a lesson in endurance and every practice a battle to refine his craft. From mastering the bottom game to squaring off against the titans of the Big Ten, his story is a masterclass in perseverance and the relentless pursuit of greatness.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic turned the wrestling world on its head, but champions like Eric seized this unprecedented moment to sharpen his skills in the quiet sanctum of the mat room. As the roar of the crowd faded into silence, these athletes found solace in perfecting their technique, proving that resilience and adaptability are as crucial to a wrestler's arsenal as strength and speed. This chapter of Eric's saga illuminates the silver lining of these trying times and the indomitable spirit of the wrestling community.
Leaning into the future, we delve into Eric's holistic vision of wrestling and life beyond the NCAA. With an eye toward nurturing the next generation of wrestlers through his 'Complete Wrestler' program, he's shaping a legacy that transcends titles and trophies. And as we peer into the potential career pathways in coaching and the insurance industry, Eric's narrative serves as a blueprint for building a life rich with purpose, passion, and the grit that only a wrestler knows. Join us to be inspired by a tale of transformation, tenacity, and the heart of a champion.
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Thank you, guitar solo. Thank you All right man, we're live.
Speaker 3:Heck, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So we're a little behind. I pulled a Teague Fenwick. We're kind of talking a little bit, but just want everybody to know we are joined by great eric barnett, the wisconsin homegrown badger it's good to be here, yeah it's awesome to have you in the house man I think you're the third athlete I've had in the house nice otherwise I have zach here all the time, wisconsin grappler, but uh, yeah.
Speaker 2:So, dude mean, it's great to have you here, it's great to be able to talk to you again. I know we had you on once before so we kind of at that point we dove into like the beginning, you know, like things that you were doing before, but we'll dab a little bit into some of that kind of building into just your four-year career plus the things that we just talked about, the outside projects you have going on now. So let's kind of jump into that. You know, with high school wrestling and I think I asked another athlete this the other day when you were going from high school and you were, I mean, watching you at the Bianchis and stuff up at Kingaroo and you guys always going hard right. So the tempo you guys had, that transition kind of going to college, was that tough, kind of going from a regular high school practice to a college practice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, the pace of it was definitely different, the expectation was definitely different. And then getting my butt kicked is a little bit harder. It makes the practices a little bit longer than in high school. High school I was usually always holding my own Right, getting to that college room right away and, you know, couldn't get out from bottom and stuff like that. Yeah, definitely made the practices a lot harder.
Speaker 2:Well, and I want to touch on that a little bit Cause I talked to Gennarich about that. You know your, your style of wrestling, evolved a lot. You going into college I was like I don't know how this crackdown stuff's gonna work. You know, kind of going into it and I obviously watched you as in as you evolved. You saw things not working out well as far as in a couple matches here and there, but then we noticed the difference. You were starting to put your bottom game.
Speaker 1:Especially is when I talked to chris about.
Speaker 2:I was like man. He was like snapping out, like after a second year of being in college, like he's putting the work in. So we obviously knew that you were willing to put in whatever it took to make these either all-american status or getting on the podium, whatever it took right, right. So with with some of the things that you learned that you were able to like, was it leaps and bounds beyond what high school was the knowledge that a you're getting from some of the athletes, but your coaching staff as well? Is that a huge detriment to the things that that brought you up?
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure. I mean being able to get those feels every single day in the room to, like, you know, dudes are throwing different things at you and obviously one of my main partners was Seth gross you never know what he's going to do and being able to get that feel, you know, day in, day out, learning from those things and asking a lot of questions and playing around positions and stuff like that was huge to be able to kind of progress in those positions, especially with bottom. I was always scared to shoot my freshman year Cause I was like, well, if I get taken down after I shoot, I ain't getting out, like I wasn't getting out from any dudes. So, um, that was like the main focus when COVID shut everything down, yeah, and I was training on my own and getting in, you know, whatever room I could find and allow us in. Yeah, like main focus was bottom being creative.
Speaker 3:Um, you know, it's not super orthodox stuff that I do from bottom. I think that's why it works Right. I think that's why it works right. Sometimes it's doing random, you know fat man rolls and stuff like that and just hitting stuff, you know, out of nowhere. And being creative from bottom too and not so you know, solid in the position or anything, and that's you know part of why I'm dangerous too. I can pin dudes from bottom and it's happened.
Speaker 2:We watched it happen, you know. So that was kind of the fun part about just to, you know. So that that was kind of the fun part about just a. You know, everybody, like you said from high school that naysayers that, oh, he's not going to do this.
Speaker 2:But I, as an athlete, you know, when I was young, I changed, you know. So I was like I had my doubts, but at the same time, though, too, I was like he's going into a completely different environment, you know he's he's going to learn from some guys that know what's going on and be able to pick some stuff up now did I know that you were going to be the guy that was willing to listen to that you know kind of thing. So that first year was kind of everybody's kind of feeling it out like it because we were watching, you know, especially fox valley right, we're watching because we're excited to see one of our guys in the big 10. So was that a little scary going to the big 10, though I mean, that's a we're talking about tough conference man yeah, I mean it's the premier conference of wrestling, right.
Speaker 3:I mean big 10, day in, day out, especially, you know, january one hits and big 10 season starts and it's, you know, next two and a half months of wrestling. I mean, I've last year I remember I went in the streak five matches straight of top 10 guys in the country and it was just absolutely insane. Wow, like that it's just crazy, like you're not getting that in any other conference.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I mean it was kind of scary in a way, knowing you had to perform week in, week out, like you don't have any, like quote unquote, easy matches, right, right, you're not running in there and you're like, yeah, I know I'm gonna pin this dude a minute or whatever it is so kind of expound on that talk about the mental side of it, because I mean I I don't know, I can't remember when mental mindset came around but like I mean, you guys obviously have coaching staffs and guys that have been through the ringer and done things like this but daunting on your own right, you know, because you're on the map by like we always say, by yourself yeah, how, what, what kind of a mental side of it as you start to work through a lot of things. Were you able to kind of work through it on your own? Did you have to reach out for help? Like how did you do that as far as getting through some of those tough spots?
Speaker 3:yeah, I mean having teammates that kind of, you know, older than me at the time, that kind of walked me through it and just, I think the main focus was not getting too high on wins and not getting too low on losses, because they're gonna come. I mean, there's, you know, one dude who never lost a match in college. So, right, I mean not getting too high on the wins, but definitely the focus is not getting too low on the losses, like if you lose on a friday you better be ready to go on a sunday at the end of the day, we look at the ncaa tournament, how crazy it is.
Speaker 3:Now. I mean, you got 29 seeds placing and stuff like that, like knowing that you have an opportunity. So I always say, like three days and like even the big 10 tournament, like it's fun, it's crazy and all that, but really don't matter, as long as you qualify for nationals, if you want to be as high of a seat as you can, but still doesn't solidify anything for you, right, right, okay, definitely definitely not getting too low on the losses and going from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah so with covid you talked about as far as having to get out and trying to find places to train. Were you finding yourself back home or were you traveling across the country, like where were some of the places you had to get out to? Because I I think each state was kind of different, right? Um, obviously, depending on your, your, your democratic or republican side of it, whoever decided to deal with things in a certain way, did you find yourself mainly staying at home during that covid period?
Speaker 3:yeah, I was home the whole time um trick henrich was willing to open up a room oh yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, chris and keegan, keegan trained with keegan a lot and nice and uh, I was putting a lot of miles in, not lifting a lot, just focusing a lot on wrestling. Yeah, it was really nice. Just it was fun. I mean a lot of people hated covid but I freaking loved it. Gave me another chance to kind of recuperate from the college season, got my butt kicked and kind of zero in on things. Yeah, I mean I had lost a lot for the first time in my life. So it's kind of like oh my gosh, am I built for this? Like this is tough.
Speaker 3:So kind of was was wonderful yeah, it was kind of nice to like go home and be like all right, let's take a step back, let's retry this, I'll come in totally new. Yeah and uh. Yeah, no, it was good just finding rooms around, you know, the appleton area, fox valley, and yeah and uh, dialing in on things and trying to get as good as possible so when you, when you came back home and were things kind of questionable during covid, like did you guys kind of wonder?
Speaker 2:obviously they canceled the championships, but were you guys kind of up in the air like ncaa didn't know if they're going to have a season or you know the next season especially were were you guys kind of on the end of well, it doesn't matter, let's just, let's just go somewhere and wrestle, no matter what, and kind of blocked out the news noise.
Speaker 2:I guess essentially yeah so were you guys as a team trying to find places too? Did you guys kind of gather up, be like, hey, I got this spot, come on over, let's train, and I can get you know four or five guys?
Speaker 3:yeah, I think, like in in the fox valley, we're just finding whatever dudes wanted to work out and whatever, and just trying to find partners that were willing to, you know, go out and you know risk covid right, yeah, well, it's snitches man right, like I mean. There's people that are willing to tell on people like oh, they're doing this, yeah yeah, no, we dealt with that for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we had our, you know, out in appleton. We had a room shut down for a little bit because too many people were in there. It's like, dude, if we're, I think if we want to risk it, we'll risk it right? Yeah, care of ourselves. And yeah, what do you want?
Speaker 2:barrels of bleach and defense soap sitting outside like what's the problem? You? Know so and I know a lot of people were pretty cautious either way you know, I mean no one to get sick and you don't want to get other people sick. So I'm I know at least on the wrestling side was trying to do as much as they could to stay healthy, because you didn't know if the next season was coming up right away or not.
Speaker 2:So with kind of the COVID as you guys got through it, what was that COVID year like for you guys once they said, okay, we can wrestle, but we're going to have cardboard cutouts sitting in seats and we're going to have this. Was that weird? I seats and we're gonna have this. What was that weird? I mean, was it just kind of?
Speaker 3:a like why are we bothering with this part of it, just have us wrestle. Yeah, right, right. Yeah, it was. It was definitely strange. I have cardboard cutouts I think, it was like more funny than anything, like we didn't need that, like that. That's just crazy but yeah it was it was?
Speaker 3:I mean it was just wrestling. It kind of made it easier to just show up and wrestle. It's not anything bigger than it is, it's just wrestling matches, almost pretending like you're in the room wrestling a match, there's nobody there, everybody will see the result this time. But yeah, just going out and wrestling, I mean it was obviously real low energy, yeah hands raised, ten people cheering for you.
Speaker 3:I don't even know at the time if they could raise your hand. You had to like do it yourself or whatever it's like, and I've not, I'm just like I'll just get off the mat. Yeah, like I'm done. I remember like probably my you know, biggest upset or whatever I ever had was pinning devin schroeder when I was owing two on the year yeah, he's number two in the country. I went and stuck him and there were like eight dudes in the fan and in the stands. I was like what the heck? Where's flow when I need a man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like for real right if this place was packed it would have been so cool, but yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 2:So I mean you guys missed out on quite a bit. I mean just I guess. I guess on the fandom side of it, you know, really you guys still got to compete. Um practices must have been pretty weird, didn't you guys have to like temperature tests and stuff just coming in the building.
Speaker 3:So yeah, we were dude, I think, like through the pcr, the rapid testing and all that. Then we had to do like spit tests and all dude, I was getting tested like nine, ten times a week, like it was. It was insane, it was, yeah, I think it was before every single practice we came in as a rapid test, two spit tests a week and then like a nose test or something like that. Where's usado when you need them right?
Speaker 2:yeah, right, right seriously it was crazy.
Speaker 3:It was absolutely crazy. Yeah, so I get it.
Speaker 2:They're, you know, trying to stick open and everything but I know, and the schools too, they're trying to make sure that they keep whatever they got going on, because all the liabilities.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so with um, with that covid year kind of, you know, winding down, things were normalizing, I guess, for lack of a better term, yep, for you guys. And then the tournaments, you know, everything kind of came back around, did you guys? And only because of covid did you guys kind of find yourselves maybe I wouldn't say refocusing, but, um, regaining some traction to being a normal type of season, because there are pressures that come around with, I mean, you guys have TV schedules to go by and everything like that. I mean, where pressure is just a little bit easier than once the COVID stuff. Just you're like, all right, finally a normal season.
Speaker 3:I can.
Speaker 2:I can kind of let my wings flap a little bit here. You know was that was that something you guys embraced as far as like, let's just get back to normal because I mean I can just go into the store. Man, I didn't even want to go to the store, right, you know, and I'm, I'm a, I'm a kind of a people person man.
Speaker 3:I sure enjoyed six foot distancing yeah, I'm like right, yeah, if we could have just kidding that for a little bit, that'd be great, yeah, um, what was that?
Speaker 2:what was kind of the mindset once this covet thing lifted? Was it just the same thing? Just back to business.
Speaker 3:Back to business. It definitely made it COVID, with no fans in the stands and kind of just showing up. We didn't know what was going to happen, so we just kept showing up and wrestling. It definitely progressed the next three years after that in my career, just being more relaxed. It is just another match and just, you know, trying to keep that mindset, even though there are fans in the stands now and people watching a little bit more, whatever it may be.
Speaker 2:But yeah, definitely helped me like relax I think that was the first all-american year for you, wasn't?
Speaker 3:it, that covid season?
Speaker 2:yeah, it was sweet so let's kind of expound on that a little bit. I mean, obviously the, the environment and stuff like that was different, but the competition was still the same, right? I mean, you're still going on the mat and wrestling the guy, which I don't think you guys had to wear masks. Did you to compete? Okay, because that was we had to do that here with the high school kids, which made absolutely no sense. No, it's crazy, not whatsoever. So at least you guys didn't have to go through that. But what the with your all-american season there? Did you find yourself? Maybe just kind of a little bit like all right, this is okay, everything that we've been doing is just fine yeah my mindset's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what were you, what were some of your thoughts after that season?
Speaker 3:accomplishing that and then focusing coming up to the next season yeah, I mean, I think I went to that tournament the 19 seed obviously nobody imagined I was gonna all-american yeah, I didn't really know what was gonna happen either, you don't know first ncaa tournament too, so I was like I've never been here, you know. Yeah, pretty crazy and chaotic. But yeah, once I got the job done, yeah, um, got on the podium. Then after that I was. It was kind of a thought of like dang, I can like really pursue a title like this is like realistic. Like I'm not trying to like, yeah, keep my starting job. I'm not trying to, you know, win a couple matches at the big 10 tournament.
Speaker 1:Like I'm like you know I'm right, I'm doing it yeah, especially after my freshman year.
Speaker 3:I think I don't know exactly what my record was, but maybe I want to say somewhere around like 15 and 10, and I was like damn over 500 yeah, over 500.
Speaker 3:I was like yeah that's sweet, that's sweet, that's sweet. But in the Big Ten it's like, yeah, over 500 is like okay, like you might qualify for nationals through this bracket and everything. And when it got canceled that first year I didn't qualify, like they canceled the tournament, I was like I didn't even qualify. So whatever, right, whatever, yeah. So I was like, dang, I can, like I can really do this thing. I still got, you know, potentially three years left and I've ended up taking that extra covet year. But, yeah, I think, dang, I got three more years left to win a title let's talk about that for a second.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about this whole date and fix upsetness about people. As a five-time conference champ, I mean, I, I understand, I listen to both sides and I kind of hear. You know, I understand what some people are saying, but at the same point though, too like if you're a kid in college and they're giving you another opportunity, try and tell me you're not taking it right. So was there any question in your mind that, when they decided to give you guys that, that you'd take that, that covid year?
Speaker 3:yeah, I didn't really know. And again, especially before I won, I was, like you know, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life, because I was like, man, I'm not very good, like compared to these other dudes. Yeah, I was like I'm going to have to, like you know, get a job soon. I was like, yeah, I'm going to work a nine to five like forever. So, yeah, it was kind of like I was on pace to graduate in four years and then after that that it was kind of like, okay, yeah, we'll, we'll take it and kind of lengthened out my you know grad plan and all that.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you could. So did you educationally? Did you have to spread classes out like, okay, this one I'll take, but I'll wait for this?
Speaker 3:one over here.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, because that's something that a lot of these kids don't understand. Just going into college, how am I going to balance my class structure, things like that? Then you get. You get COVID thrown at you and now you've got a whole other year.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So what? What is your? What was your major? What is your major?
Speaker 3:Personal finance, and then I got a certificate in entrepreneurship.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice You're going to be a business man.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that's awesome yeah.
Speaker 2:So with with kind of with all, because I mean you hear about what, was it Brooks? Or someone saying he's like I don't really like school, you know?
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, yeah, which I get it Like I totally understand.
Speaker 2:Yeah, was that kind of like your thought at first. Like man, I gotta go to school another year. Yeah, but to me it's like man, I get to wrestle another year this is awesome, so you can kind of make the like Were you over on the side or yeah, so I mean lengthening it out.
Speaker 3:I took extra classes too, more electives and stuff like that, so not like super tough classes and anything like that. But yeah, I've always told people if I didn't go to college or like wrestle probably wouldn't have went to college Right, it was like this whole time I've been taking I took 45 classes that I didn't really want to take. But you know I did own past them, you know, did what I needed to do, but you know, yeah, I'm right there with them.
Speaker 2:On that's exactly where I'd be at too. You know, like it's like I don't know if I want to go to school, man, but you know what I'm gonna wrestle another year.
Speaker 2:I'm just gonna maybe I'll take maybe spanish over here, maybe some cooking classes here, but oh, yeah, you can expand your horizons right so with some of the COVID, the time that you got to spend and you got your first All-American that year, what was your focus then? I mean because, like you said, you're starting to tell yourself I can do this, man, there's an opportunity for me to expound on here. What was your thought going into that? I will call it after COVID.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think just keeping along right, knowing that I can win, and the confidence kind of helped propel me for the future year and and uh and not a lot changed training. I just kept the same like kept working hard, you know um a lot of mat time just trying to pick south brain pretty much, you know 24, 7 every time I sure it in the summer, and yeah and uh every time I came back home to finding dudes that I could pick their brain they don't see very much and try and be more creative and kind of go from there. But yeah, the confidence that I got from that was was huge to propel me right on.
Speaker 2:Okay, so as far as the the progress, then you I mean, obviously practices went on and you guys got to get back in the class. How, how, actually, how quickly were you guys able to get back into the classes don't mind the french bulldog barking up there how, how was that kind of transition? That? Was it like, okay, only certain classes you can go in person, and what was it?
Speaker 3:kind of a weird mix yeah, so that even during that covid season, I only had one class period that I went in person for and we had it was a small discussion group in a huge lecture hall we had spread way out and whatever. Yeah, there's like 12 people in a 300 seater lecture room. You're up in the back corner. Yeah, I'm like I got something right. No, but there was a lot of online classes and and I think they've. You know, I haven't done the math or looked into it, but it looks like they've added a lot more online options for classes.
Speaker 3:Oh, they've held on easier and yeah, oh, yeah, okay, I'm all online this semester. No, all online, that's awesome and we get dudes. I mean, obviously, the hope is to be all online, not having to show up at any certain times. Yeah, yeah, that's always the first option for our guys and making it easier. You know, as an athlete, and the time management side of it, being able to do online classes is huge. I was going to ask about that because that was another.
Speaker 2:Not not only does the level of like competition change, but like your time management, because I mean high school kids in general have hard enough time balancing real. You know their life with sports and then with school right, because you guys are such a like at a high level and you're, and obviously you're, going to madison no slouch school right. So what? How was that a big struggle going into college with that management?
Speaker 3:it was, for sure, my freshman year. I definitely struggled with that, um, you know, getting all the work in. Obviously, yeah, college classes aren't easy. Um, there's very few that are, you know, kind of cakewalks or whatever right, trying stuff out. But yeah, it was definitely hard to like manage my time of going to classes, getting my study hours and getting my workouts. In cutting weight, you know, doing all those things I still gotta eat do, doing all those things I still got to eat, do lunch, like all those things add up and yeah, it was pretty crazy to you know, and living in a dorm, travel time, all that, yeah, it was pretty chaotic that first year. Do you find yourself?
Speaker 2:was it classroom wrestling room? Classroom wrestling room?
Speaker 3:It was yeah, that's what it was, yeah it was like morning workout, straight class, eat, you know, maybe have another class, yeah, and then you work out again and then it's like oh, 5 pm, now I got three hours of homework that I have to do, yeah. And then you know bedtimes at nine because you got 5, 45 am workout or whatever it was.
Speaker 2:You know that freshman year and were you ever a video game kid?
Speaker 3:I was never good at them, I played them. I played them not a ton, though, but yeah, I I like playing video games I get liam lost.
Speaker 2:Uh, at the end of the day he comes home, he does his homework, he does all right, I'd say he's a 3.6, 3.7, you know kind of kid. But he comes home and it's like he disappears. These kids with gaming like he's, he's buddies with peyton like yeah, you know some of those boys are all about being online gaming and stuff.
Speaker 2:And as soon as I'll go up in like first 10 minutes, he's come, comes home and I go upstairs and look and he's up there doing homework. Then all of a sudden, half hour later, you're here, whatever he's like, yelling at someone on a video game or something like that, you know. So I I just find it interesting to be able to find that balance of because I don, cause I don't know how he's going to do, cause I'm not giving him, he's going to figure it out.
Speaker 3:I told him figure it out now, right you?
Speaker 1:know, try to figure out some time management.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty harsh with that stuff. You know, I don't want to. I think a lot of things now, especially having him on here or being out at tournaments, like I'm not giving him help with anything. If you've got a question, I'm there to guide you, right, you know kind of thing. How is that with your parents as far as going into college? And obviously you're you're a man, right, you got to be able to kind of figure things out.
Speaker 2:But you kind of find it like a balance, like hey, mom, dad, I'm struggling with this. Yeah, I mean, you seem pretty tough, you seem like you can get done by yourself.
Speaker 3:They, they, let me be independent. Since I was in middle school and a lot of the tournaments when I would travel, I'd just go with other kids and travel with their families and my parents. I'd leave, they'd send me with a couple of dollars and then I'd come back and they'd be like good job or dude, what the heck. That's kind of the balance, but it was a lot of independence and weeks away from my family, even when I was like 12, 13, family when I was like 12, 13, like, let me learn to be independent. I definitely think that helped me in college, like trying to figure things out. Yeah, definitely a lot of phone calls home like, sure, dude, I don't know what you know. A lot of time I was like dude, I don't know what I'm doing here, like I suck, like. There were days I'd come home like, dude, my body hurts, my grades aren't good right now. Yeah, like I don't think I'm cut out for this. And they're like like, hey, just keep showing up, keep showing up, get your work done and show up.
Speaker 3:Yeah Right and just keep chugging along. I think that's why again, why COVID was so good for me to kind of like rejuvenate and all that yeah. Like a reset button. Yeah, it really was kind of a second chance, kind of dang. I don't know. I don't know if I'm built for this, like this is this is crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when the covid hit and there were some of those seniors that didn't get that back and obviously they weren't opted for that year, right, um, were you guys in the room kind of like just as disappointed? And I mean, I would imagine tears are being shed.
Speaker 2:You know, as far as that's tough, you know I mean especially guys that are going to qualify right. You know, um did. Were there any types of uh, like, wants to like. I'm just gonna throw it in now kind of thing just because of the disappointment you know, not even so much I'm not made out for this, but just the disappointment of what's going on. Were there guys around you just kind of thinking? Even you thinking I? I don't know if I want, you want, to do this now.
Speaker 3:It's it's over with. It was yeah, it was just so much happened so fast. Like it was like, yeah, I think it was on maybe a thursday, the thursday before nationals and I remember coming back from class and we had practice at three is maybe 2, 15 and I was and everybody's in the room what I've never seen that before and everybody's sitting on the bleachers and bone was talking to them like like telling the news and I'm like, oh, my gosh, yeah, that's crazy. And like we had an old team too. So it was like four or five guys. I want to say that their careers are done, like they're just done, yeah and yeah, so, so for them. And I didn't see, I mean, we got kicked out of the dorms right away, like we had to go back home that next day. We're all, we're out of there. So, yeah, it wasn't a lot of time to like be like dude. How are you.
Speaker 2:It was like you guys didn't even get a 30-day eviction notice, man right, I was like.
Speaker 3:Luckily I'm only two hour drive home. These dudes, like some of these dudes, didn't live in cali yeah, all that yeah right like they're.
Speaker 3:they're traveling away like I don't I didn't see any of those dudes and yeah, I mean I can't man. I mean, for me again, it was a good reset. So I think for a lot of the, I learned a lot in my first year. How are we going to come back and change things and like be able to be better when we get back? And, you know, understand the time management that goes into it and wrestling, yeah, as far as that, and that's like kind of one.
Speaker 2:One thing that I worry about is the time management with Liam. You know, it's kind of kind of getting into the swing of things, but you it always seems like it doesn't matter what school you're at. There's always guys that are there that have been through the stuff you know and so you can reach out to them coaches, things like that. So, all right, covid, covid is done, we're done, covid, okay. So all American Okay. So we're going to go into that next year. When you got into your your third season, then technically third season, right, yeah. Um, when you got into that season, you all american, your eyes around the prize, you're like, shit, I can, I can really pull something off here. Or were your like, I guess, when a guy thinks that and sees the opportunities, did your training change? Did you try to up it? Were you trying to like I want to maximize this?
Speaker 3:or were you like, no, what I'm doing is good, I'm gonna keep it just where it's at yeah, I think I kind of stuck close to what I'm doing is good, I'm going to keep it just where it's at. Yeah, I think I kind of stuck close to what I was doing. Um, just cause you know it worked, yeah. And uh, I want to say I was working, you know, so hard. Anyways, it was like you're you're trying to find that line of like, cause I think there is still overworking. So it's like whether you're, you know, working to the point where and I always go with this too if I'm doing, you know, five sprints at the end of practice, are those five sprints like really making me my cardio that much better?
Speaker 3:I don't know, I can't tell you that right, doctor or whatever, right yeah but the thing it does for your brain is huge and knowing that you're doing extra work. So just sticking to that. And okay, you know 100 push-ups, 100 pull-ups, sprints after practice, doing extra stuff, asking questions about technique, just keeping that the same. And you know making and definitely, listening to my body. You know, as a freshman didn't do a very good job of that sophomore year. You know, like COVID year a little bit better.
Speaker 3:And then you know, by the year, my, by the time I was a junior, I was like, okay, I know how to listen to my body a lot better. Now I know when I need treatment. Know a lot of like, okay, I feel something right now I'm not waiting a week until now I'm like, okay, this really hurts. And then I got to get it taken care of. So it was always like preventative more than you know rehab. So I'm trying to be more professional about it, I guess. And and I didn't change a ton Okay, change a ton, yeah that's good.
Speaker 2:I mean, to me that makes more sense than trying to, you know, pick something up that's completely different from what you're doing before and throw I guess for lack of a better term a wrench in it or whatever you know kind of switch that up. So that makes a lot of sense. When you kind of got into the season, what were some of your more memorable moments in that season?
Speaker 3:yeah, that year it took. So my first and second seasons at the big 10 tournament took 10th. Yeah, I was like the the year I all american, the first time I was an at large bid didn't actually automatically qualify. Yeah, um, with the wins early in the year we assumed I was gonna go, but we didn't know for sure, right um. So big 10 tournament that third season took second made finals obviously automatically qualified. Yep, um, you know, I think I got maybe a six seed.
Speaker 2:I think that was.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like six or seven, so it was so it's super solid to you know, be in that position to kind of be like, okay, you know, I'm supposed to be an all-american this year. Yeah, knowing in going into the tournament, like knowing who the route should be, yeah, everything like that um, yeah, just a lot more confidence in there. And, um, knowing I've done it before too, because this season was the first time I actually won my round of 16 match, never made it past the second round and, you know, on the front side, so, um, but the first year lost around 16, wrestled three matches back to place, and then that second year was the same thing. Yeah, lost the second round, but then it was like, okay, I know what I gotta do, I've done it before, you know resilience man especially calling it a backside.
Speaker 2:It's tough, holy god yeah, just a gauntlet it's tough I mean and let's think of it this way, number one you guys get into a college room when you're freshmen, when you're young, you're already wrestling guys that are on the top of their game. Right now you're getting to a tournament on top of that. That is every guy that's probably just as good as every person that's in your room, if not better, and now you're gonna work your way to the back side of that right. Get someone, yeah crap.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and assuming everybody's peaked and yeah you know everybody's banged up too, so I never use that as an excuse to like okay, like you know, you didn't play set ncaas because you, you know, at a spring mcl or something like that, I was like dude, yeah, everybody's hurt, yeah, everybody's got something going on. Just for sure most of us don't, you know, let it be known, just like everybody's about it all the time right right, yeah, that's it.
Speaker 3:That's the thing that's like with college wrestling that I've seen a lot with, like the forums and the twitter sphere and all that. It's like, hey, how that dude lose that match. Like dude, you have no idea what's going on with that dude right now, like he could be, you know, half dying right now yeah showing up and wrestling.
Speaker 3:He's like that's what I do, like you know I've been there, I know dudes have been there and it's like I kind of feel like that's your job in a way well, for sure yeah yeah, it's like I'm not calling in sick, you know for the duel and see what happens.
Speaker 2:So it's just us fat old guys, you know sitting off this guy like I said before, speculation of uh, we think we know it all right, but we don't, we don't know and even even with me having some of the background I have with athletics, I don't know, right, you know I, even if you guys walk in, one guy could be limping a certain way, but that doesn't mean he's actually hurt there, right?
Speaker 1:Maybe he's playing mind games or someone you know, maybe he's got a little trick up his sleeve, you don't know Right.
Speaker 2:So with, with that season kind of I would to me, did that feel like that? Second, all American, was that a little more to you just because of the? Now we're back to normal. Now They've been training just as much as I have. They haven't had to skip around the country to find a spot. Did that kind of solidify even more? Because I want to say your third one was like a fucking statement.
Speaker 1:Yeah, guys suck it.
Speaker 2:I'm doing this Was that first one without COVID, all that stuff being around. Did that feel?
Speaker 3:a little better it did, because there were a lot of people saying it was a fluke. Yeah, obviously people.
Speaker 2:You've been dealing with that shit for a while, always, always, I was like after a while I'm pretty sure it's not a fluke anymore like I'm.
Speaker 3:Like I'm telling you guys not that I'm not overrated like I've been.
Speaker 3:I've been winning pretty much forever. So, yeah, yeah, I know, the second one felt so good and some of those eiwa dudes are the ivy league guys who didn't get to roussel, saying it was a fluke that you know some of these dudes plays. It's like, hey, if I've learned anything about the NCAA tournaments, nothing's guaranteed. Yeah, it's like man. So the second one felt so good, to get sure, and, uh, you know, went out with the win to take me seven. So I'm not you know, yeah, last place or nope. So, yep, yep, that guy is right over there so we'll get past that.
Speaker 2:Now we'll get into the last season here, knowing that there, you know again, there was so much that you've already been through, and now this is your last year. Were you were, I want to say, were you more comfortable than ever? I mean because, like you said, you've been through it. How many times was there kind of a breath of relief, like just kind of like all right, I'm just gonna ride this, I'm just gonna practice as much as I can. I know what I gotta do. You got seth gross. You know that you're able to practice with. Plus. Now you got a couple more guys up in the room.
Speaker 2:Some of the young guys yeah, right, you got some fresh meat in the room you kind of throw in like a nicola rivera. You know guys like that throwing some curveballs at you? Yeah, having some fun with it. Were you having a little more fun this time around? It was definitely a lot more fun.
Speaker 3:Besides the weight cutting, that's never fun. But yeah, it was definitely a mindset of making sure I'm healthy for March. The whole season, you know, lost matches Everybody you know obviously shouldn't lose Right and getting upset a couple times, but it was always like I didn't get hung up on it because I'm like again, I know what the past seasons have happened and what people do in March and went in with the mindset of three days in March matter most, just trying to stay healthy and attack it from a more professional lens.
Speaker 3:You know I was fortunate that school wasn't a big drag on me and didn't have to worry about that too much, taking care of my business, but you know it wasn't super strenuating and and all that. So it's definitely a lot more fun and taking it kind of in a different role too, like, okay, I'm a fifth year senior, we have a young team. Yeah, getting help these guys a lot, kind of show them the ropes and how it should be done, um, being like a team leader to the guys. It was a lot more fun, a lot different lens and uh yeah, for sure no knowing it was the last run too, it was like all right you know this is.
Speaker 3:this stuff is pretty tough and, and knowing I'm done soon, is it felt good.
Speaker 2:I want to touch on the one 25 125 pound weight class in general. This year you guys were all over the place. Yep, you weren't any other. You were one of the group that was coming through and you guys are. You guys are just. It was everybody was beating some guy this weekend. Yeah, another guy wasn't mckee that you pinned now you pin me no, no, who was the guy that you pinned? It was a big one, uh mccrone, I pinned mccrone yes I pinned tanner jordan.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was another one, but this guys were all over the place. I didn't mean to bring up the key, you know whatever, no, I'm over it, but it was like even you were, you were having these wins and, like I was, I was getting ready like as an ncaa is gonna be awesome. Yep, because you don't know what's gonna happen right right so is it hard?
Speaker 2:I mean, obviously you're to train the way you want to train, you're having a little bit more fun, you're a little more loose and relaxed. Did you find that that was like a? Like a kind of a I don't know like a challenge for you? Like, all right, okay, we've got all these guys mixing it up. You were right there with everybody else. I mean, everybody's numbers were changing every week.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So it didn't matter who beat who it was who's going to show up that weekend. You couldn't pick a champion you know, and I'm sorry and I'm going to get some hate for this straight up Matt Ramos was not on my radar at all to win it at all. No, not at all. I would have put you before him. You know what I'm saying, like, but that's, that's kind of where things were, because everyone was like you pinned Spencer Lee, you know, so did Pichinini. Where did he go, you?
Speaker 3:know that's true, Someone got a hold of someone.
Speaker 2:They held on tight and they got it done right. That doesn't mean you're going to come back the next week and do the same thing. I think this year that weight class kind of proved that same thing.
Speaker 2:You know, like you weren't of going through this season. You know all this talk about whatever and I'm sure there's not a ton of it that you pay attention to but really, like holy shit, this is going to be kind of a kind of a season this year. You know, as far as just dual to dual, not even ncaas yeah um, I didn't see a lot of stress on your face. I saw the beard get bigger oh yeah but I didn't see the stress get anymore.
Speaker 2:I, you know, even like some of the losses or whatever, you're just like, all right, man, you know it is what it is. Are you finding yourself to be um a little not a little way more matured? You know, obviously you're getting older. You said you've been there before. But the maturity level as far as taking a loss, how did the losses hit you this year compared to like the year before? Yeah, do you find it? It was it different each year? Like, oh man, I should have gotten that one. But then the year after you're like that's all good, yeah, it's the because I'm finding you in one state. All these duels. Yeah, it's all practice, it is for that, it is. So I think, if people lose sight of that because the team race and things like that, right, were you finding yourself to kind of realize that a little bit more as time? Yeah, you know, came down Just like, hey man, I went out and did my job, tried my best. Ncaa is what matters.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean that first year all American kind of propelled at the next three years of like dude. I mean I started the year O and two and then it's like nominal American, yeah, understanding those losses don't really matter and it is pretty much practice. You're just getting a feel of dudes and you know, kind of it's just scouting at that point, like obviously you don't want to lose all right, but you know, just scouting at that point and definitely feel more mature, like going in that fifth year like, all right, you know, take care of business here.
Speaker 3:With how crazy 25 was too, is like I didn't have to worry about one name or think about one name. Yeah, it was like, dude, I'm just gonna train, yeah, I'm gonna show up and wrestle whoever's there and I'm gonna, you know, do my best to beat them. And it was a lot more loose. Yeah, I'm not not worrying about like any one specific guy. Obviously I know who the top dogs were at the time, like you said. Like my match going in to purdue against ramos, like it was like, okay, I need to win this one, I can be ranked number one in the country, this and that and that loss. And I was like, okay, I need to win this one, I can be ranked more in the country this and that and that loss. And I was like, all right, all right, being ranked number one in the country is not as cool as winning a national title.
Speaker 3:So I was like all right we're going to, you know, we're going to try and go get that thing and that's right I think I'm on flow maybe yeah, I was too.
Speaker 3:So I don't know if they did it because of the antics, knowing that we had to duel each other that week, so it was a one versus two and a headline that they could post. But, yeah, there was a lot of movement and not a lot of it made sense. So it also helped me stay out of it too. I was like who gives a crap? Right, which are ranked in November? Which are ranked in November Even?
Speaker 2:with these kids. You know like what Liam's 20 on one, he's 13 on another one and he's eight or nine on another one. It's like I don't understand where who's buying what Like who's into what you know, like I don't understand where they are.
Speaker 2:They are they taking off season stuff and putting free selling on it? So I would imagine like and it's hard, you know, I can imagine imagine especially going to college, you're pumped to be there. You probably watch a little bit more. But then, as you grew, like you just said, like whatever yeah, ncaa is what matters.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this whole dual stuff whatever so that's why I, like the mckee thing, didn't even stick out my head as far as like a win-loss thing. Right, yeah, because it was so back and forth, like the key got pinned a couple times before that and then you're or lost by five or six or whatever, so it was very hard to even try to imagine who was going to take that number one spot and I think that's kind of what was going on.
Speaker 2:But now, as you got through the rest of the season, what I don't get, and I've always had questions on what qualifies you for the NCAAs- so, based on your season, I think you have to have like a 700 or above winning record or winning percentage.
Speaker 3:I think that's to have like a 700 or above like winning record, winning percentage. I think that's one of them Because, like, however they earn the allocation, I honestly don't even know. I just kind of like all right, cool, we got.
Speaker 2:They just let you know.
Speaker 3:They're like all right, big 10, 125. I think this year we had nine. It's like all right. And even for me I was like all right, take top nine. Yeah, and even for me I was like all right, take top nine automatically go and I go win a national title. I don't even. I should probably know that, but I don't really know exactly what all goes into it Interesting. I know win-loss percentage is part of it, but the rest I don't even know.
Speaker 2:Well, it just proves more that you're kind of on the mode of I want to practice, I want to go wrestle and I want to perform Right and that's right, all you gave.
Speaker 2:I'm going to call you little guys, but a little guy that did that this year like it was fun to watch the whole season right I was especially impressed, like I said, watching you grow, coming from the high school season to now, and how you evolved. I mean just in general, the wrestling, your attitude, just seeing the different styles that you're kind of putting across the board and, yes, but still being barnett you know you're still doing the air, still pinning dudes right?
Speaker 2:yeah, exactly right, I mean you were. You were still just like you were in high school. I would say this obviously you're before nicolar, but like you have that flare with some of the stuff you do and you started doing it on bottom, like you said yeah, I was like yeah, yeah like there's an evolution here, right, right. So you kind of you wrap up your, your college career. You ended extremely well. What was the placement again? Uh, fourth, fourth dude, you know losing the last one, whatever, yeah, that one was a.
Speaker 3:That was a bonus match, right, I was trying to get a pin I was like it's my last college match. I'm gonna go in yeah, obviously still trying to win. Yeah, it's like I kind of really want to pin this dude. That'd be pretty sweet, cool way to go out right right whatever, and that's.
Speaker 2:I think that's the best way and honestly, knowing that, coming from and I'm going to expound on some of the harshness that you came from in high school some of the people just talking shit and whatever it was but then you grew from that and, yeah, knowing that you're just like you know, I'm just gonna let this rip right. Who gives a shit about the placement after that? Because you're having fun and you did it that way. Yeah, so you're getting done with school pretty soon. It sounds like you're gonna be around town for a little bit around town, but you have started this thing.
Speaker 2:Yep, so wrestler yeah let's talk about that a little bit. So you, the complete wrestler, was something we talked about a little bit before we started. The complete wrestler was something that sounds like you're trying to bring the whole gamut of what I guess a wrestler should know about, right and what. What better way to give it back to than the kids that are coming up?
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:So talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean I, and in my five years of wrestling college I think I've learned that you know, like we've talked about, like the losses don't get too low and the highs don't get too high. And you know, as I progress through my career is more focused on, okay, how am I, how's my diet, how's my nutrition? You know, meeting with my nutritionist all the time, strength and conditioning coach. Hey, how are we? Do we lift today, do we not today? And what does it look like if I don't? If I do, what's the lift? How are we dialing it into? You know, based on my injuries or what hurts, how sore I am when I compete, all that stuff. So dialing in on that end and talking to our sports psychologist, learning things from him. So that's kind of the approach I'm taking with these camps is, we're not just bringing in good clinicians to teach wrestling, we're still doing that yeah, right, we still want to get better at wrestling.
Speaker 3:But in the breaks, at lunch breaks, I'm not just, you know, sending them out and you know they're gonna some ham and cheese, right, ham and cheese sandwich. And you know, strap your shoes back up and go wrestle. Like we're gonna be bringing in dudes. Nutritionist, high level nutritionist, you know, at the university of wisconsin we did that last year. Yeah, um, bringing in wrestling mindset guys. You know I'm gonna be there, you know, doing my spiel and yeah, and feel pretty good about where I'm at with the whole wrestling mindset side of it. You know, knowing that, um, any dude can win if they believe in themselves.
Speaker 3:And, um, but we're bringing in a lot of different you know areas of focus, um, sports, med, all that stuff to be able to talk to these kids about what it really means to be a college wrestler. Because I didn't have a lot of guidance going in, I was kind of like, all right, I'm gonna show up, and then they're like, when I get there, they're like do this, do this, do this? I'm like, okay, well, now I, you know, five years later I didn't do a lot of those same things. It was like, okay, this is what works for me.
Speaker 3:Everybody's different, but hearing you know the stores and everything that we're bringing to the table at at the camps is going to be huge for kids, especially the high school kids looking to wrestle in college, at whatever level. They can kind of hear those stories and be like, okay, you know, maybe we can do this and the plan, the idea, is to stay in touch with those kids as they go to college and helping them out. Yeah, you know I can. Okay, and yeah, I think of it as a whole human approach to wrestling. Right, we're trying to make good employees, good wrestlers, good humans, healthy humans. Yeah, we're not just teaching them technique, right? Yeah, still want to teach them high-level technique.
Speaker 3:Show them some of the funky stuff that I do and bringing in other guys that are super solid and have had a lot of success and let the kids hear the stories and hear what it's like to be a college wrestler, instead of just like here's 20 moves. I got paid on my head.
Speaker 2:So let's talk a little bit about your what with what you're trying to bring. What do you think you're bringing that you think would have been helpful to you walking into a college room?
Speaker 3:yeah, a lot of the sports. The wrestling mindset side of it is huge um understanding nutrition better, um you know they just throw you like hey, you gotta make sure you make weight so yeah, I mean, I knew nothing. I knew nothing when I was in high school. I'd cut weight and you know, my post match or my post weighing meal would be cheeses and chocolate, milk or whatever the crazy stuff, whatever I could think of, right yeah whatever I could get my hands on yeah and then a lot of me and my nutritionist about all right, we're gonna do.
Speaker 3:you know, how much fruit do we need to do after wins? How many ounces of many ounces of fluid do we have at a specific time? Within that timeframe, you know and it was a lot different this year with the two-hour weigh-in versus a one-hour how do we dial that in? So, and then, what works for me, what works for somebody else, like my diet, you know, after a weight cut, is different than you know, dj and meaties or whoever it was on the team, like we're all varying in that way.
Speaker 1:so dialing it in like there is no one size, sure, it's all everyone's different.
Speaker 3:So yeah, um timing of you know I'm a lightweight so I'm usually first match up, so I got even less time than these other dudes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that you know might have three four hours to, you know, to wrestle and warm up times and it, yeah, there's, there's uh, coaches have their job of like, okay, this is how I did it, and then so I think you can do it.
Speaker 3:And then also having the resources of like nutritionists, like, okay, you know, this, I know, goes well in your stomach. You know, you can gauge how you feel. You know, and that's why we do a lot of like practice weight cuts, um, before the season. I don't think this year we made scratch at all, but we made, I want to say like plus two, plus four, plus six or something like that, shrinking the body, dialing it down. And you know, bono does a good job of like tapering it down, not just saying like, okay, on this day you're making scratch weight, you better be ready to wrestle, like he's, you know, gauging us down so those guys were paying attention to it with you for sure, so it wasn't just like you're walking in the room and they're just like, hey, make sure you're 125 next week and then you're off to your own devices.
Speaker 2:That's kind of what I was curious about is, yeah, were there guys that were like, hey, we know, this is hard, we're here to help you kind of thing? Right as far as you know, maybe giving you some guidance, but you did have a nutritionist that, yeah, madison yeah, okay, so our little fortunate that the head of nutrition at wisconsin is a wrestling guy.
Speaker 3:Oh nice, yeah, so he was. Um, I want to say he was like offered the job or something at the ufc dietitian. So he's oh wow he's a real deal. Oh yeah, um knows what he's talking about and, um, yeah, works with us, works with our diets, what we like, what we don't like. You know anything he can get in the building. You know, right on, we have our hands on, so yeah so what do you do?
Speaker 3:you have a website for that not yet in the works, um using instagram, facebook, twitter, all that stuff for it, and we'll be dropping the link to sign up soon.
Speaker 2:I'll make sure that once this gets out, and especially on YouTube, we'll put the links to all that stuff in there and then. So where do you, do you have any camps lined up right now?
Speaker 3:Yep, so we're doing one in Nacusa, one in Stratford and then one in Bayport. Okay, so throughout the June July months and and then one in Bayport. So throughout June July months and all three or three-day camps, full days and ready to get our hands on some kids and kind of give them a guideline of how they can approach the next July hits and they're in summer training still, but how we can be dialed in until Novembermber and in the off season so you guys hanging out in like a camper in the parking lot with all those guys yeah, you guys.
Speaker 2:So that's kind of a curious thing, because I brought in some camp guys to like avianers and stuff when liam was there, brought in dan dennis and things like that. But with the stuff that especially that you're trying to bring to the kids, like you're bringing nutritionists and stuff, you're bringing so, like I, just out of curiosity, what's the cost to be able to bring you guys in?
Speaker 3:yeah, so our, uh, our cost for the three-day camp with all those dudes coming in, and again we'll uh start name dropping in a couple weeks of the clinicians and be some pretty tough dudes I think people be excited to see for sure coming in and then with nutritionist, sports, psych, all that stuff coming in for the three days is 250, okay, um, for the, yeah so that's good yeah yeah, so um try and make it, you know, easily accessible to people and obviously understanding that there's costs on on deck, oh, hands down for clinicians and all that so anybody bitches about prices, about stuff.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's one thing if you're in like an event, like a tournament, to gripe about something, but when you got clinicians coming in like they're, they're coming in and spending their own time to come in and show you stuff like I've never. Of course a club wants to kind of shop around just see what they can afford kind of thing, but every dollar is worth it.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. So even bringing in some of the camp guys that we brought into you know any club that we're, at that, always worth the money. So anybody that's got questions or issues with it, take it up with yourself, because it's seriously it's worth it. These guys are bringing knowledge that you can't get anywhere else. So when you are done, at the end of the day, what are you looking to do? Obviously, this would be. I would love to see you get this to take off and you guys are all over the country with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so but what you got, a but was it business you said for your major uh, personal finance, personal finance.
Speaker 2:But then it was entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, yep what is your goal to, I guess, to sustain, because sounds like you're gonna be sticking around here. Yeah, I hear like I think I interviewed someone that said I'm gonna do insurance sales and I'm gonna do this. I'm like that's kind of an interesting taking, what you want to do as an insurance sales. But uh, if this wasn't to work out what, what are your interests like? What do you get into?
Speaker 3:yeah, so funny enough. I'm doing. I'll be a financial advisor. Yeah, insurance stuff right now. Oh, insurance, yeah, no kidding. So I'm doing you know the exams and all that to be certified in wisconsin yeah, insurance and what's the?
Speaker 2:draw for a lot of guys are doing insurance. The time freedom, really freedom of time?
Speaker 3:yeah, for sure I mean we don't? We don't have set hours, like.
Speaker 3:Obviously I gotta answer to something sure yeah, but yeah, yeah, there's a lot of freedom. That that's involved, I think, okay. For me, financial advising is a lot like wrestling, where you get what you put in okay. Okay, you know, the more outreach I do, the more work the the cold calls, all that, yeah, mumble jumbo, but you know I can kind of earn my keep by, you know, if I'm, you know, dialed in and work hard and learn a lot, ask questions same thing as wrestling and, you know, get the freedom because of that.
Speaker 2:So Sorry to all you insurance sales guys out there, I didn't mean to put you out or nothing. It just seems like that draw to all these guys, that business management or whatever it is like. Yeah, I'm really focusing on insurance right now. I'm focusing what? Okay? Because I think I mean if business. When I think business management, I'm like you guys could start your own thing, doing whatever you wanted, right, you know right, and just knowing where you come from, what you've been through, like you could start whatever you wanted to be successful. But I hear insurance a lot. Yep, okay, maybe I'm missing the ball on something. I better get an insurance. That's awesome, right, well, good for you. And so, like this year, we've seen a lot of guys kind of float out of the room. Right, we saw hamity go to oklahoma. Well, he's always wanted to wrestle there. Was he on his last year too. Is that kind of a last?
Speaker 3:year. He's no, he's not graduated yet. He's going into his fourth year, okay, okay, I don't know what the the plan, because he's got a red shirt too. He does. He's a young kid too. I think 18 he's, you know, young. I want to say june birthday. So I mean he's a young dude and I don't even think he's 21 yet. Like he's young, he's young, he's going into his fourth year of college. He's not even 21 yet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah so I'm I'm gonna ask you a couple questions here towards the end. You know we kind of, and I know what to touch and what not to touch here. So with with go, you're going to be done with wisconsin right now. Do you plan on kind of going back and helping the room at all?
Speaker 1:we'll see we'll see what they want right, I'm, I'm open to it.
Speaker 3:I want to help the next generation big wisconsin guy and right, that's you know, touches on the complete roster too. That's why, yeah, I got three in wisconsin, right I you know, go down to illinois and you know, or, or Iowa, midwest, anywhere. But I want Wisconsin to be good, I want us to keep you know, and we're getting good with AWA and all the right we are and RT and all that. I mean we're getting real good, we're on the map and and I want to keep that going.
Speaker 2:So, speaking of coaching, you kind of eyeing up any coaching things here I'll be around, I'll be around.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I got here, be around, I'll be around. Yeah, I got some things in the works, uh, yeah, yeah, no, I'll be coaching in some degree, no matter what, and whether it's privates or practices, drop-ins, clinics, camps, all that I'll be around do you have like like five or six interests of places where you'd want to coach high school, wise college yeah, I mean college would be, would be the goal.
Speaker 3:Coaching in college, um, you know it, in the, at the end of the day it is a business, so that's the side of it, that for sure that I don't like playing too much.
Speaker 3:The business side of it, yeah, um just want to help kids um, be able to make a living doing it, um. But yeah, I mean a lot of interest, a lot of opportunities and you know, I'm curious about where it'll go, how things play out around the country, and yeah, with nil you never know what's happening and and uh yeah never opportunities absolutely never know what's happening with nil right now right so that's where you know.
Speaker 2:Obviously there's a lot of people that are asking about you know what's going on with the wisconsin room, what's going? On obviously we know that everybody has their own plan right. Everybody's got their own thing going on. We can hear speculation about certain things and that's and I told you this before we got into this that's all us guys on the outside can do is speculate.
Speaker 2:Exactly that's it so there's a lot of questions on the forum and I think I'd be a dickhead if I didn't put it out here. No, it's fair. But what's do you and I know you can only say so much, but as far as the room reading, the room that you're in, how do you feel next year is going to go, and maybe the subsequent years down the road?
Speaker 3:as far as the coaching staff, yeah, yeah, I mean I'm not the AD. I'm not you know, I don't make decisions and again, you know, I think we have a really young team, but you know I might be biased because they were my practice partners.
Speaker 3:we have a really young team, but you know I might be biased because they were my practice partners, but right now, dropping down to 25, dan fugate, potentially at 33, brock bob's in, you know, seeing how that lineup goes, dealing with boys in the mix too, um, around there. So, uh, we got condon, we got dudes like mackler he's a vet, um, you know, yeah, in his ways trusting in himself. And up and down the lineup we got, we got a young team. Um, I'm excited to see how they do next year and, you know, not a lot of returning ncaa points or nothing like that. Um, a lot of opportunities, a lot of opportunities there. And, you know, wish them nothing but the best.
Speaker 2:And you know, I think, I think we can see some big things happen from that young group I don't want to bring the young guys down, so if you guys do watch this, just just hold on a second. But there are some people concerned. You know there are some people watching from the sidelines all speculators, yeah. Or watching from the sidelines thinking, yeah, what the fuck is gonna go on?
Speaker 1:yeah next year we just had a hammity leave.
Speaker 2:You're graduating yeah so you're done in the room and it's not to say you just, or five, six guys that have potential to do the things they need to. Right, and a lot of people are questioning the coaching as far as and again, you did your thing, you know you, you progressed and did the things that you needed to do. But a lot of people throw this out Like, well, I don't think they can develop this guy and they can develop this. I think there are certain coaches that know how to do certain things and certain coaches that excel at doing certain things. They're trying to figure some other stuff out, right, am I? I again, I'm not a coach. I don't know what it takes to coach a big 10 team. I don't have the knowledge of coaching a big 10 team, but I think, if I were an athlete, I think I'd be a little worried as far as like, cause I mean Athlete. I think I'd be a little worried as far as like, because I mean it goes year to year, right, what the hell is going to happen here? Right, guys reaching out to each other, you know, I think the read around the room, reader, sorry, read around the room. Yeah, right, right, playing words, I think that people are still excited. There are a lot of people that still have high hopes of what we could see from the badgers next year. And people can hate me.
Speaker 2:I've been a hawkeye fan since I was five. It's just the way it goes, so I don't necessarily look at it that way. I look at it from an outsider's view of like, well, here's what's happened the past four or five years. You know you've had some of these guys that were really strong wrestlers coming in. I think a lot of people question the development of developmental ability, of what's going on in the room, right, um, as far as what you're concerned with, obviously you're not going to be in the room that much anymore. You want to help, you know, grow your business and do the things. You're going um with a complete wrestler, do you see? As far as just your site? Do you see that this, this coaching staff, goes on for the next couple of years?
Speaker 3:So yeah, I mean definitely I could see it happening. Contracts there, right yeah. So again, you know I'm not the AD.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:I'm a speculator now too. Yeah, right, I'm not in that sphere anymore, but I think that I've talked to the coaches too recently and you know, really have been open to them and they've been open to me the last five years about how we keep developing as a program and they're, you know, open to anything and you know, they're.
Speaker 3:They're definitely making changes for the better. It sounds like and again, I'm not in there so I don't see it now but I think there's a lot of opportunities. We'd be mistaken if we didn't, you know, take those opportunities and use them. And you know we saw the NCAA performance and the season this year and it's just a lot of room for opportunity and being optimistic about it. And where we're at and you know, trying to develop those guys and trying you know we're doing through my five years We've definitely changed the course of how they've tried to develop guys and to try new things and doing more of like kind of a more of a whole human approach to about our personality tests.
Speaker 3:We've done those and you know, meet with our nutritionist more and diving into some of those other aspects and, and I think of it, the coaching staff is, um, as like a pie okay and you're trying to get, you know, 100 of that pie filled. And how can we take reader strengths and bonus strengths and seth strengths and garrett's strengths and make that 100 pie right? And and right now there's, I think there's some overlap on on that pie I don't think we're at 100. I don't know if any coaching staff is at 100, right, no, but trying to get as close to that as you can is huge and I know there's a lot of uh emphasis on trying to make that a thing and grow the program and for sure. And we're also learning a lot too with nil and transfer portal and it has changed the landscape it's huge.
Speaker 3:I mean it was already a business to a degree. Yeah, now it's only like almost only a business, right, there's a lot of money involved and which is great for the athletes.
Speaker 2:I absolutely love on it and I like well, yeah, hell yeah, man, did you get hit up with any kind of like hey, uh, saw what you did last year. Um, you want?
Speaker 3:to come here. Yeah, there's a little poaching, there's a little tampering going on. For sure, I'm not gonna out any program well, no, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So was it the coaches or the? Or were there athletes reaching out to?
Speaker 3:you, it was was a little well. No direct conversation with coaches though, yeah right, I don't know the ins and outs and I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know what's legal or not. But yeah, there was some. Hey, I know, you know, this guy, this guy's going to call you and be like all right, this is what's on the table. Oh okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:But you stayed.
Speaker 3:I stayed, yeah, but you, but you stayed, I stayed. There was nothing enticing enough to get you out of the grasp of the badger claws. No man, I was there for four years and wanted to finish it out, you know, at wisconsin. Um, you know, I have families here. There's a reason I decommitted from north carolina when I was a junior to come to wisconsin to be close to my family. Yeah, um, you know, I'm engaged. My fiancee lives in wisconsin, you know, up in the Valley, and didn't want to leave too far.
Speaker 2:Liam kind of asked me about this. Like well, you think you think Eric had any offers? I'm sure he did.
Speaker 1:I was like, but he's on his last year.
Speaker 2:Right, You're going to uproot yourself to unless you already have like, and that's the only way it would happen to my eyes no-transcript rules, right?
Speaker 3:no, they're just going to get paid by them yeah and then you know wrestling is not a huge money sport. So if you can get paid doing it, yeah, go do it yeah we don't have a wwe for ncaa wrestlers. You know exactly, exactly right, it didn't work, right so, yeah, you have the complete wrestler.
Speaker 2:It sounds like you're putting down roots in the fox valley here, from what I hear, so that's even better. Yep, um, any thoughts opening a club yeah, I've thought about it.
Speaker 3:Um, we'll see what happens and you know I want to give back to the, to the community that helped me and where I grew up in, and we'll see I'm definitely going to take it slow and not, you know, jump into it too much. I'm obviously starting a job soon, so we'll see how that whole thing goes. And a lot of responsibility there, but definitely a lot of camps and, you know, looking to do privates clinics, all that stuff.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you're bringing it back, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 2:It's good to see that we'll have another guy, because, as far as I know, cleaver's around once in a while, but then we have Robert Lee. He came from Pitt and then we got you here. We've got a couple other guys that were in the NCAA, so it's really good to have this now. I think, like just mounding up this, bounding of knowledge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. So it's really cool that you're bringing it to the kids like that. Um, guys again, look for the complete wrestlers on Instagram, facebook, I believe to Twitter, um, whatever, who probably got a tech talk to who knows. But look on all social media for the complete wrestler, uh, with Eric Barnic barnett. Um, obviously, he'll have information on those pages. He's got clinicians he's going to be lining up, so pay attention, stay tuned. Um, you know we've been going for about a little over an hour and we're going to talk.
Speaker 1:It was a quick hour you know, and that's I.
Speaker 2:I think I appreciate the guys especially, you know, like guys like you coming on and I try to keep the questions as professional as possible. So hopefully the forum's happy that I got some of those questions, though, yeah whatever they wanted out of it. Somewhat right, but I appreciate you guys, the time that you guys do take out to do this stuff because of course I want to get you guys out there as much as possible with the name and especially the stuff you guys are doing now.
Speaker 1:You know post graduation, right, I mean, that's big you want to have a good leg up on.
Speaker 2:I am definitely not Bashamania or Willie, that thousands of people watch, but at least people around here. I know where you're coming to and I know watch this, so it's exciting to have you back. I'm going to lead us out with some music and you and I are going to talk a little bit more once we're done here, because we got some training planning. So, uh, to everybody else, peace out. Thanks for watching, but we are done. It's been eric by net barnett, three-time all-american man for the badgers. Let's go all right.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
