Tahoma Golden Bears Wrestling (Cedar River) 2008
Da "GOLD"
Rush : "Dig down
deep"
Why should I
wrestle?
"I would have all of my Offensive
Lineman wrestle if I could."
- John Madden, Hall of Fame Football
Coach
"Well-respected by coaches and
teammates for his tough, aggressive nature (comes from his prep
wrestling background)"
- NFL Draft Scout on Alex Stepanovich
"One of the messages Denney hopes to relay to the Valley high
school coaches and athletes is that wrestling is the perfect
complement to football. While football is in its offseason,
wrestling provides the perfect opportunity for the athletes to
remain active, while working on their agility and conditioning,
Denney said.
Shawhan can attest to Denney’s theory, also having an
extensive gridiron background. Along with playing semi-pro
football, Shawhan also has years of being an assistant football
coach throughout the Rio Grande Valley (Mission High, Harlingen
High, PSJA High, McAllen Memorial and McHi).
"In Texas, everyone knows that high school
football is king," Denney said. "I’m telling you,
though, Texas is catching up in wrestling. And
a lot of the football coaches are realizing how much wrestling can
help their football team. And believe me, that’s the truth. I
know it firsthand. You have to remember when I started out I
was a football coach in high school, and I would go to the
wrestling team and get everyone that could to sign up for my
football team."
- By Wade Baker,The McAllen Monitor MCAllen, Texas.
"My football coach told me, 'You better get in wrestling or I'll
beat you up,'"
-- Tim Lee, Texas High School All-American
Lee said that wrestling helps him on the football field because he
knows he has to stay low.
"In wrestling, you've got to have self-discipline and
self-motivation. As a lineman, it's the same thing ... me vs. you.
He brings that mentality to the football field."
- Lee's High School Football Coach, Tim Howard
"Some of Matt Roth’s intensity can also be attributed to his
successful run as a state-champion wrestler in high school. Many
coaches, scouts and wrestlers-turned-football-players will laud
wrestling for the leverage and quick hands it provides for
football. Roth credits wrestling for the never-say-die attitude it
gave him.
"It’s the attitude. (Wrestling) helps you with your hips,
your hands and your balance, but more than anything it helps you
with your attitude," he said. "A lot of these kids that are
basketball players, we eat those kids up. It’s just our
mentality - you’re going to get the job done and you’re
going to punish them."
Roth said his dream partner on the wrestling mat would be Ravens LB
Ray Lewis, himself an accomplished high school wrestler."
-- By Chris Neubauer, Pro Football Weekly
| 