In wrestling, athletes have to have a love of the sport in order to be willing to put in the work any wrestler knows is necessary to even be competitive much less successful. Most successful wrestlers start early in their career and if at a young age they don't enjoy it -- most kids don't come back.
Tyler NaumanThe quote at the beginning of this story came from University of Pittsburgh sophomore Tyler Nauman. He was not a fan of wrestling early on, but has turned around his early opinion and is ready to make a run at his first All-American finish.
"I hated it when I first started," said Nauman. "My older brother wanted to try it so my dad took us to practice. I hated practice. It was so boring. I did two or three practices and I stopped for like a year or two."
A couple of years later, Nauman, a native of Middletown, Pennsylvania, decided to try it again.
"One day there was an open tournament in Middletown and my dad asked, 'If I wrestle, would you wrestle?'" said Nauman. "We both did it. I saw him wrestle and I had so much fun. I have never stopped since."
Watching his dad was step one. Step two was a coaching change in the youth program.
"My dad (Mike Nauman) took over the elementary program," said Nauman. "I am the kind of kid who needs to be up and active. I can't just sit there and watch technique. Once my dad took over, we played games, we wrestled live and everything. It was fun. That is what kept me interested."
Nauman came up through the youth program slowly. He wrestled at a weight he was comfortable with and wrestled when he was comfortable. When he got to junior high, he started to make a change.
"I was doing it for so long it became my favorite sport," said Nauman. "I played other sports up until high school, but I started doing the best in wrestling so that probably was the main reason."
Tyler Nauman (Photo/Pitt Sports Information)"The week of districts (the week before state) I got mono," said Nauman. "I was supposed to have it checked out the week before state, but I never did go because I knew they wouldn't let me wrestle. (With mono) I ended up losing a close one and took third."
Nauman's junior year ended one point short of a state championship. His senior year he finished the job and won it all, defeating Central Dauphin's Marshall Peppelman, a freshman at the time, in the finals.
Nauman's bread and butter his entire wrestling career has been on the mat. He is a dominate guy on top and almost as good on the bottom.
"My best position is top," said Nauman. "I'm a tilter. I am pretty good on bottom. I take bottom all the time. I am not really worried about getting out."
"He is pretty good on top," said University of Pittsburgh coach Rande Stottlemyer. "That is what he prides himself on. Mat wrestling is pretty important. We start two periods on the mat and his mat skills are pretty good whether it is top or bottom. You need those kinds of skills in Pennsylvania. PA kids are known for that -- mat wrestlers. (Tyler) is at a different level."
Rande Stottlemyer"He had a real competitive spirit," said Stottlemyer. "He is one of those guys who hates to lose. He is one of those guys who loves to compete. He likes to get his hand raised and wants to stand on the top of that podium. I don't know that you just teach someone that."
Attending Pittsburgh was never much of a decision.
"I actually only took one official visit and that was here to Pitt," said Nauman. "After I came here on my visit I really liked it. I liked the feel and I just went with it. I signed early. I got it over with so I didn't have to deal with it my senior year."
One of his reasons for coming to Pitt was strange considering the 'compete now' mentality of today's athlete, but shows more about Nauman than almost anything else.
"Pittsburgh had a fifth-year senior at my weight class, which some people might not like because they will have to wrestle him off and they might not start," said Nauman. "But I knew that would make me better every day in the room."
Things did not go smoothly for Nauman once he got into the Panther wrestling room.
"I am not going to lie ... When I first got here I didn't know what to think," said Nauman. "I might not have scored an offensive point -- other than an escape -- for the first two or three weeks. I wasn't used to that, but I just kept working to try to get better. Getting my butt beat like that really helped. I was going to opens and was beating kids and making the finals. That just helped me a lot."
Instead of getting frustrated with his early struggles, he realized he had some things to work on and improved those areas. When he came into college, Nauman needed work on his feet. It still would not be considered his strength, but his early work with the coaches would help him become a more well-rounded wrestler.
Two-time NCAA champion J Jaggers of Ohio State needed overtime to defeat Tyler Nauman at the 2009 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Missouri (Photo/Bob Tuneburg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)"I don't feel that I get scared when I go out there," said Nauman. "I have an attitude that when I go out there I am going to win no matter what. That kid is going to have to beat me, but (before the Jaggers match) I was nervous. I went out and gave up an early takedown. I ended up turning him and tying the match. I felt it should have been a five count, but they gave me two and it went into overtime. I think I froze up a little bit and he caught me at the end of overtime. I feel that helped me for this year because I know now even if I get the No. 1-ranked guy, I can wrestle with everybody."
"It was one of those where we thought we could win," said Stottlemyer. "He literally got thrown on his hind end and Jaggers, being the competitor he is, scored with no time left in that period that won the match for him. Tyler is such a great competitor. The more the lights go on, the more he likes it."
This season Nauman has taken his game to the next level. He completed the regular season with a 30-3 record and helped lead the Panthers to their first league championship.
Tyler Nauman (Photo/Pitt Sports Information)"Experience is always a great teacher, knowing what to expect," added Stottlemyer. "There are some things he still needs to work on, but the difference from last year is now he knows how deep the water is. That will help him when he gets out there again."
Nauman feels if he keeps working on the little things and improving in all areas he will be able to make a run towards an NCAA championship this season.
When his college career is complete, Nauman wants to get into teaching and coaching rather than going the international route. That line of thinking is perfect for someone who nearly didn't even get past the youth program en route to a possible All-American or NCAA champion wrestler.
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