Jake HerbertObviously my dorm RA (resident assistant) was not that person. Not to mention cafeteria food was not going to get me down to 157 pounds, and my roommate was redshirting. It's hard to match those two very different lifestyles, and, when I redshirted the following year, I saw the opposite side of that situation.
Over winter break at Northwestern the dorms close and those in winter sports, who can't go home for the long holiday, claim empty beds of non-athletes or couches at their perspective athlete houses.
My holiday home was a two-story duplex on Hamlin Street where six of the wrestlers lived. I was upstairs with Andrew Nadhir (149) Frank Battaglia (165) and Jake Herbert (184), and already familiar with the L-shaped, black leather couch. It sat across one side of the living room opposite the TV, and the other side ran up the wall to Jake's door. Jake's door(s) actually ran on two separate hinges, and only one ever opened because the couch blocked the entrance.
Long story short, I made myself at home and never looked back.
Unbeknownst to the administration or coaches, I asked the guys if I could stay, permanently. They took me in.
When Jason Welch was a freshman he took his Northwestern teammates on a California tour during spring breakI was like a young apprentice. I loved it.
Jake was a senior, and we all looked up to him. A big part of my decision not to red-shirt was because I wanted to be on the same team as him, to learn from him.
Here are 10 things I learned from Jake during my first Chicago winter and that spring when I still refused to go back to dorm life.
1. Delegate
Be confident in those around you. Use your resources. Know your own strengths, weaknesses, and time constraints. In that vein -- share, collaborate. Take notes, share notes, study in groups. Help each other.
2. Practice vs. Competition
It's always a big surprise for people to see a stud wrestler not dominate in practice. Not only would Jake not always dominate, there are plenty of times he would get beat up. I think this is something he would readily admit. But this was because he was willing to try stuff in practice, make himself better, and make himself extremely tired. He wouldn't hold back or worry about getting taken down. His focus was improvement rather than the score of the day. The practice room should be a safe zone of sorts, a place where you can improve and push yourself past your limit, so that you can then prove yourself outside of it. On that note, competition is a whole other matter. Practice Jake' is not the same as Competition Jake.
3. Smile
Be friendly and kind and outgoing. People are attracted to someone who walks in the room smiling, eyes up, confident.
4. Travel comfortably/bring home with you
Always bring a pillow on road trips (with your travel pillow case). This is physical-comfort plus psychological-comfort. If you happen to have a small blanket, a stuffed animal, rabbits foot, or favorite pair of socks -- same rule applies.
5. Leverage
If you pick up a guy's foot while scrambling, he falls to his back.
6. Make friends
As much as it pays to know people in high places, it also pays to know their assistants ... i.e. You may not have a key to the weight room, but the grad assistant will let you in during off hours if you're on his good side.
7. Work hard
Be the hardest worker in the room no matter who you are, your skill level, or your life outside the room. It's one thing you can always control.
8. Score more points
In order to win, you need to score more points than the other guy. Or just pin him.
9. Hate losing
Hate to lose (I would say, love winning, but this is Jake's list).
10. Enjoy yourself
Keep it fun. Jake always made it seem like he was having fun. No matter the scenario, he still found a way to keep perspective and not the let pressure get to him.
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