NFL Players that Wrestled

"I would have all of my Offensive Lineman wrestle if I could."
- John Madden, Hall of Fame Football Coach.

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"Well-respected by coaches and teammates for his tough, aggressive nature (comes from his prep wrestling background)"
- NFL Draft Scout on Alex Stepanovich
 

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"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 off-season, 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.
 

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"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
 

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"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

Hall of Fame Running Back from the Miami Dolphins, Larry Czonka, pounded opponents on the wrestling mat as well as the gridiron.

Ray Lewis, Pro Bowl Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, was a Florida 4A State Wrestling Champion at 189 lbs.

Future Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel was a wrestler before he was named to 12 NFL Pro Bowls.

Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle Warren Sapp was a Florida State Champion wrestler in High School.

Shane Olivea
         Alex Stepanovich
         Nick Leckey - TX State Champ
         Gregory Walker - State Finalist
         Jonathan Condo
         Zachary Wilson
         Chris Laskowski
         Luis Castillo, DT, San Diego Chargers (First Round Pick)
         Lincoln "Drew" Hodgdon, C, Houston Texans - CA State Champ
         Nick Hardwick
         Fred Weary, C, Houston Texans - AL State Champ
         Coy Wire, SS, Buffalo Bills - PA State Champ
         Kevin Breedlove - SC State Finalist
         Kevin Sampson - NJ State Champ
         Benjamin Claxton - GA State Finalist
         Trevor Johnson
         Clinton "C.J." Brooks, Jr.
         Tai Tupai
         Leon Robinson - GA State Runner-Up
         Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - 2x SC State Champ (First Round Pick)
         Eric Ghiaciuc, C, Cincinatti Bengals - MI State Champ
         Joey Hildbold
         Adam Seward, ILB, Carolina Panthers - NV State Champ
         Cody Johnson
         Rodney Michael
         Marques Harris - CO State Champ
         Larry Turner
         Andrew "Tyler" Lenda - District Champ
         Tim Anderson - OH State Champ
         Tony Pape
         Matt Roth - IA State Champ
         Mike Patterson, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (First Round Pick)
         David Pollack
         Tim Burrough - OK State Champ
         Antoineo Harris - IL State Champ
         Claude Harriott
         Scott Wells - TN State Champ
         Alex Lewis - District Champ
         Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami Dolphins (#2 Pick)
         Rodney Leisle
         Nick Newton
         Sean Tufts
         Brian Save
         Kevin Atkins
         Josh Minkins - District Runner-up
         Tim Euhus
         Andrew Tidwell-Neal - MN State Champ
         Renaldo Works
         Patrick "Bucky" Babcock - IL State Champ
         Morgan Pears
         Art Baker, RB, Buffalo Bills
         Rhonde Barber, SS, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
         Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants
         Walter Barnes, DL, Washington Redskins - SEC Champ
         Eric Bateman, OL, New York Jets
         Harris Benton
         Brad Benson, New York Giants – PA State Champ
         Greg Boone, RB, Oakland Raiders
         Jeff Bostic*, C, Washington Redskins – SC State Champ
         Tedy Bruschi*, ILB, New England Patriots
         Bob Bruenig*, LB, Dallas Cowboys
         Phil Bryant, Philadelphia Eagles – 2x National Prep Champ
         Ralph Cindrich, Houston Oilers – PA State Runner-Up
         Jonathan Condo, LS, Dallas Cowboys - PA State Champ, Dapper Dan Champ
         Tom Cousineau*, LB, Cleveland Browns  – 3rd State
         Tom Covert*, OT, Chicago Bears
         Chris Cooley, WR, Washington Redskins
         Roger Craig*, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
         Damien Covington, LB, Buffalo Bills
         Curley Culp*, DL, Kansas City Chiefs – NCAA Champ
         Rob Davis, ST, Green Bay Packers
         Dan Dierdorff**, OT, St. Louis Cardinals
         Donnie Edwards, OLB, San Diego Chargers
         Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers – 3x MD State Champ
         Rob Essink, Seattle Seahawks – NCAA DII Champ
         Jim Everett, QB, New Orleans Saints DeMarco Farr, St. Louis Rams
         Patrick Flannery, OL, Houston Oilers Ed Flanagan, C, Detroit Lions
         Terrell Fletcher, RB, San Diego Chargers
         Bill Fralic*, G,  Atlanta Falcons
         Doug France*, LT, Los Angeles Rams – OH State Runner-Up
         Frank Garcia, C, St. Louis Rams – 2x AZ State Champ
         William George, Chicago Bears – 2x PA State Champ
         Charlie Getty, RG, Kansas City Chiefs – 2x NCAA All-American
         John Gilmore, TE, Chicago Bears
         Kevin Glover*, C, Detroit Lions La’Roi Glover*, DE, Dallas Cowboys
         Mike Goff, G, Cincinnati Bengals Bob Golic*, DT, Cleveland Browns – OH State Champ
         Mike Golic, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
         Darien Gordon, PR/CB, Denver Broncos
         Scottie Graham, RB, Minnesota Vikings
         Tim Green, DE, Atlanta Falcons
         Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens, 3x KS State Champ Morlon Greenwood, OLB, Miami Dolphins
         Archie Griffin, HB, Cincinnati Bengals Nick Griesen, LB, New York Giants
         Randy Grossman, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
         John Hannah**, G, New England Patriots
         John Hartunian Carlton Haselrig*, Pittsburgh Steelers, 3x NCAA Champ
         Ron Heller, TE, Seattle Seahawks
         Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys – IA State Champ
         Jay Hilgenberg*, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Runner-Up
         Orlando Huff, MLB, Seattle Seahawks
         Corey Hulsy, G, Oakland Raiders
         Bo Jackson*, RB, Oakland Raiders
         Mario Johnson, DT, New England Patriots Dahanie Jones, LB, New York Giants
         Henry Jordan**, DT, Green Bay Packers
         Dave Joyner, OL, Green Bay Packers
         John Jurkovich*, DT, Cleveland Browns
         Alex Karras, Detroit Lions
         Tim Krumrie*, DL, Cincinnati Bengals – WI State Champ
         Ernie Ladd, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
         Nick Lecky, C, - KS State Champ (in 2004 NFL Draft)
         Jess Lewis, LB, Houston Oilers 
         Ronnie Lott**, DB, San Francisco 49’ers
         Kirk Lowdermilk*, OL, Minnesota Vikings
         Sean Mahan, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
         Mike Malczyk, LS, New York Giants
         Joel Mackavicka, RB, Seattle Seahawks
         Steve Martin, DT, Houston Texans
         Mickey Marvin, RG, Oakland Raiders Napolean McCallum, RB, Oakland Raiders
         Randle McDaniel*, G, Minnesota Vikings
         Mark McDonald, SS, Arizona Cardinals
         Chris McIntosh, T, Seattle Seahawks
         Bryant McKinnie, T. Minnesota Vikings
         Greg Meisner, DL, Los Angeles Rams
         Matt Millen*, LB, Oakland Raiders
         Ronald Moore, RB, Cleveland Browns
         James Mungro, HB, Indianapolis Colts
         Jim Nance, FB, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ
         Lorenzo Neal, FB, Tennessee Titans - NCAA Champ
         Stephen Neal, OL, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ
         Jeremy Newberry, C, San Francisco 49’ers
         Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers – PA State Champ
         Leo Nomellini*, T, San Francisco 49’ers – Big 10 Champ
         Jonathan Ogden*, OT, Baltimore Ravens
         Irv Pankey, Los Angeles Rams – 2x MD State Champ
         David Patten, WR, New England Patriots
         Scott Peters, G, New York Giants
         Bob Pickens, OL, Chicago Bears
         Jim Plunkett*, QB, Oakland Raiders
         Dave Porter, T, Green Bay Packers
         Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Champ
         Rocky Rasley, G, Detroit Lions
         Mike Reid, Cincinnati Bengals
         Eric Rhett, RB, Cleveland Browns – FL State Champ
         Willie Roaf*, OT, New Orleans Saints
         Warren Sapp*, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FL State Champ 
         Mark Schlereth*, OL, Washington Redskins - Alaska State Champ
         Cory Schlesinger, LB, Detroit Lions - NE State Champ
         Steve Sefter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles, 2x PA State Champ & NCAA All-American
         Tony Siragusa*, DT, Baltimore Ravens – NJ State Champ
         Fred Smerlas*, Buffalo Bills - MA State Champ
         Bruce Smith**, DE, Washington Redskins 
         Brad St. Louis, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
         Matt Suhey, RB, Chicago Bears
         Bill Szott, OL, Washington Redskins – NJ State Champ
         Dave Szott, Kansas City Chiefs – NJ State Champ
         Woody Thompson, RB, Atlanta Falcons – PA State Champ
         Jim Thorpe**, HB, New York Giants
         Mike Trgovac, DC, Carolina Panthers – OH State Champ
         Kyle Turley*, T, St. Louis Rams
         Ryan Turnbull, RB, Cleveland Browns
         Tommy Vardell, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
         Adam Vinatieri*, K, New England Patriots
         John Ward, OL, New York Jets – NCAA All-American
         Fred Weary, DB, St. Louis Rams
         Charles White*, HB, Los Angeles Rams
         Randy White*, DT, Dallas Cowboys 
         Cory Widmer, LB, New York Giants
         Leo Wisniewski, NT, Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts - PA State Champ
         Steve Wisniewski, G, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders - CA State Champ
         Ricky Williams*, RB, Miami Dolphins
         Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills – PA State Runner-Up
         Greg Wojochowski, St. Louis Rams
         
         *Pro-Bowler
         **Hall of Famer