St. Rita's Akui excelling as two-sport athlete

It seems hard to believe that people could be surprised to discover that Jahwon Akui is pretty good at wrestling. After all, he is the No. 9-ranked 160-pounder in the country by InterMat. He was a Cadet Nationals double champion in 2008 and a FILA Cadet Nationals double champion in 2009.

But St. Rita, a parochial school on the south side of Chicago, is a football school, and Akui, its football star.

Jahwon Akui was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2009 Reno World of Wrestling Championships

A diminutive but powerfully built running back at 5'5", the junior ran for 1,493 yards and 25 touchdowns with no fumbles on 196 carries despite missing five games with a high ankle sprain this season. He led the Mustangs -- a top-ranked team coming into the season -- to an 11-3 record and a Prep Bowl title on his way to winning the game's MVP award.

"We're a football school," says Mike Murphy, Akui's teammate, "and people are surprised to hear that he's a really good wrestler!"

Conversely, many wrestling people might be surprised to learn that Akui, an accomplished wrestler on both the state and national levels, excels first on the football field before he takes his show of explosive power and quickness to the mat.

For all his natural, physical athletic ability, however, St. Rita wrestling coach Dan Manzella feels that Akui's inner strength is the key to success.

"His willingness to compete," Manzella says of Akui's best attribute. "He just has no fear of any of his opponents. He wants to wrestle all the top competitors. I think it's partly because of his competitive nature, and also because he knows he can win."

Perhaps it's that kind of attitude that has Akui charging toward a future on the gridiron in college like it was an orange pylon, despite some concerns about his lack of size.

"I haven't made a final decision, but I hope I play football," Akui says. "[I'll play] whatever sport gives me the best opportunity to succeed. But if I had to pick one, I'd say football."

Though shorter players like Maurice Jones-Drew and Reggie Bush have excelled in college and pro football, the general consensus amongst recruiting experts is that Akui would be a good fit at either a Division I school with an offense like Purdue's or Missouri's, or at a smaller FBS school.

As a junior, Jahwon Akui ran for 1,493 yards and 25 touchdowns despite missing five games

"A lot has to happen for him," Illinois football recruiting guru "Edgy Tim" O'Halloran says. "I don't think he has the size to be an every-down back. I think he'd be a good fit for someone; I just think he'll be more of a system type of back."

Akui claims that he loves both sports equally, but he has no doubt about which is the more arduous activity.

"Wrestling is easily more demanding," Akui said. "It takes 24 hours of work, every day of the week. You can't really relax ... it's a continuous strive to [improve]. You can get by in football with born athleticism, but wrestling takes a lot of determination and work, you have to be mentally tough."

Akui got his start in wrestling with the Maywood Gladiators Wrestling Club when he was six. It wasn't until he was 11 and began winning matches on a national level that he truly fell for the sport.

He chose to attend an athletic powerhouse in St. Rita's where two of the most legendary programs are the wrestling (state titles in 2003 and 04) and football teams (state title in 06). Notable wrestling alumni currently making their mark on Division I include Oklahoma State's Albert White (12th at 149, according to InterMat) and Iowa State's Jerome Ward (12th at 184).

"It's pretty awe-inspiring," Akui says of wrestling for the Mustangs. "You walk past the wrestling room and you see Albert White's singlet, Jerome [Ward's] ... those are some pretty big shoes to fill. I appreciate it every time I get to put the blue St. Rita singlet on."

As a sophomore last season, Akui was top-ranked entering the state tournament, but finished third with a 37-3 record. He rolled through the regular season despite St. Rita's always-difficult schedule, but suffered a heartbreaking 9-8 OT loss in the 160-pound state semifinals to Michigan State-bound Nick Proctor of Neuqua Valley (ranked No. 8 by InterMat at 171) -- an opponent he had beaten earlier that season. He still has two years left to bring home another state title to the South Side, but it's an experience that he knows he's learned from.

Jahwon Akui hasn't made a final decision as to whether he will wrestle or play football in college, but says that he hopes play football

"I've just got to stay hungry," Akui says. "Things happen sometimes and don't go your way, [but] you just got to keep wrestling. I think the toughest test was going from the semifinal match to the third place match, knowing that I couldn't get first place."

It's that kind of maturity and perspective that led Coach Manzella to approach Akui with an unusual request last season. Manzella felt the Mustangs lacked bold, vocal leadership from his seniors. So midway through the year, he took the 15-year-old sophomore aside, and asked if he felt up the challenge of being a captain.

"[Jahwon] stepped up and ran the wrestling room," Coach Manzella said. "He's a real fun-loving guy, but when he walks into the room, he gets right down to business. He's an unbelievable leader, and the heart and soul of this team."

Akui enters the 2009-2010 season a bit hobbled after missing five football games with a reported high ankle sprain, but nearly 100 percent again. Currently the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 160 pounds in Illinois by Illinoismatmen.com, he says he plans on wrestling at 171 for now, but could easily drop down to 160 again if he wants to. But if Akui stays at 171, it will set a couple interesting Catholic League clashes with 2009 Walsh Ironman champ Charles Argue of Mt. Carmel.

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