CAN WRESTLING HELP YOU WITH FOOTBALL? Some Interesting Information.
 "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 sign up for my football team."
     -By Wade Walker, 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 intesity 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 Raven's LB Ray Lewis, himself an accomplished high school wrestler.
     -By Chris Neubauer, Pro Football Weekly

NFL Players that Wrestled

Shane Olivea - Texas State Champion
Alex Stepanovich - Texas State Champion
 Nick Leckey - Texas State Champion
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, LB, Cincinnati Bengals (First Round Pick)
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
 Kyle Brady, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
 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
Tom Cousineau*, LB, Cleveland Browns – 3rd State
Tom Covert*, OT, Chicago Bears
 Roger Craig*, RB, San Francisco 49’ers
 Damien Covington, LB, Buffalo Bills
Curley Culp*, DL, Kansas City Chiefs – NCAA Champ
Larry Czonka**, RB, Miami Dolphins
 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, Pittsburgh Steelers
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
Davin Joseph, OL, Tampa Bay Bucanneers-2x FL State Champ
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
 Jess Lewis, LB, Houston Oilers
 Ray Lewis*, Baltimore Ravens – 2x FL State Champ
 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
Ricky Williams*, RB, Miami Dolphins
Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills – PA State Runner-Up
 Greg Wojochowski, St. Louis Rams

And the list keeps on growing!!!

*Pro-Bowler
**Hall of Famer