RevWrestling.com recently caught up with the 22-year-old Herbert and talked to him about growing up wrestling in Pennsylvania, why he chose to attend Northwestern, his desire for a rematch last season with Ben Askren, his performance at U.S. Nationals, his expectations for this weekend's World Team Trials, and much more.
Jake Herbert (Photo/John Sachs)Herbert: I just think the heritage of it. There are so many good wrestlers, so many kids working hard. Pennsylvania has that heritage of being one of the top and most elite wrestling states in the nation, year in and year out. When you're banging with the best guys every day in high school, when you get to college it doesn't matter when you face those two or three-time state champions from states like Wyoming and Wisconsin.
You chose Northwestern over Michigan, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and many other schools. Why Northwestern, a program that hadn't produced an NCAA champion since 1990. What was so enticing about the program?
Herbert: I was just really excited about the recruiting class. I knew Ryan Lang was going there, Nick Hayes, and some others, so it was a pretty good recruiting class. Plus, the school gave me the best combination. I wanted Big Ten wrestling. I knew no matter what school I went to, I was going to get a national title … no matter what happens. Northwestern had the city of Chicago going for it, plus it's one of the best academic schools in the nation. You can't wrestle your entire life. I have to have something to fall back on. And I knew that I wanted Big Ten wrestling, so it basically came down to Michigan and Northestern. Michigan signed the kid I beat in the state finals, Josh Weitzel, pretty early, so that kind of sealed my deal. They chose him over me, so I went to NU.
You grew out of the 174-pound weight class and moved up to 184 pounds for your junior season. Was it hard moving away from Ben Askren, knowing that he beat you in the NCAA finals, and wanting to avenge that loss? Or was it a sense of relief to know that you won't have to deal with him at 184 pounds?
Herbert: I was hoping that I could wrestle Askren at the National Duals. I was actually trying to see if I could potentially get certified to wrestle at 174 for the dual against Missouri. But there wasn't any physical way that I was getting down there. I got a little too big, too fast. Cutting down to 174 my first two years was tough enough as it was … just trying to make it down there in one big cut was just too much to handle.
Compare the 2006 NCAA runner-up Jake Herbert to the 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert. How much did you improve between your sophomore and junior seasons?
Herbert: I improved tremendously, exponentially every year. I try to get better and better. I can feel the difference. It wasn't like I was a lot stronger because I moved up a weight class. Everybody else got stronger. It was more in the little things. I noticed different positions in practice, maintaining better positioning. The basic stuff. Little kids want to hit the flashy moves. They don't realize that holding great head position and a great stance, how are you going to get taken down and scored on if you're doing that constantly?
You defeated Jake Varner of Iowa State to win the NCAA title. He had a victory over you in freestyle at the 2005 FILA Junior World Team Trials. Did that past result play into your psyche as you prepared for your NCAA finals match?
Herbert: I wanted to face him all year. I hate it when I face someone who has that last win over me, regardless of the style. I just hate having a guy who has the upper hand, so I was kind of excited when I found out that he beat Kish … and I was actually getting a freshman in the NCAA finals. I knew that he was going to be nervous. It was his first time there. I knew it was all coming together.
At the U.S. Nationals in April, you lost in the quarterfinals to Tyrel Todd of Michigan, a wrestler you defeated several times this past collegiate season, and then defaulted out of the competition. How would you characterize your performance out in Las Vegas?
Herbert: It wasn't what I expected. I tore my meniscus during that match, but I still finished the match … and still feel like I had it won. It just wasn't smart wrestling. I wasn't ready in the first period. Tyrel got up by a lot of points right away and I couldn't come back. I got him in the second period. I was up 2-1 in the third period and just took a stupid shot and got turned for two, so I lost on criteria. He wrestled a hell of a tournament, way above his seed. He beat (Clint) Wattenberg first match and he beat me. He had a good tournament. I'm hoping at the Trials that I'm going to have a better tournament than he ever had.
You're very comfortable in scrambling situations. Is your wrestling style more conducive to folkstyle?
Herbert: My style might be more conducive to folkstyle right now, but I definitely favor freestyle over folkstyle. I only have four months left of folkstyle in my career, but I probably have another 10 years left in freestyle wrestling. As I start to switch over, I'll have more time to prepare for freestyle, which is why I feel that I'll do better at the Trials. I'll be wrestling smarter.
Jake Herbert (Photo/John Sachs)Herbert: I don't go into any tournament expecting not to win it. I feel that I should win every tournament that I enter.
Are you definitely taking an Olympic redshirt this coming collegiate season?
Herbert: Almost. I still think I have to qualify for it by placing at the Trials. But more than likely I will be.
What factors played into your decision?
Herbert: One of my coaches, Bill Scherr, was telling me that it's just so hard to juggle school, freestyle wrestling, and folkstyle wrestling all at the same time if you want to make a serious run at the Olympics. Why would I half-ass something? I'm either going to go all in or nothing at all.
What do you expect your training situation will be like during your Olympic redshirt season?
Herbert: It's going to be great. I get all the time off. I don't have any school. I don't have a job restricting me. It's just a time to train and prepare for each tournament and get ready for the Olympic Trials.
Do you plan to train mostly at Northwestern during your Olympic redshirt season? Or do you plan to spend some time training at the Olympic Training Center?
Herbert: I'll do both. I'll be living at Northwestern, but I plan to be at the OTC a majority of the time.
Northwestern had a great junior class this season with you, Ryan Lang, Dustin Fox, and Mike Tamillow. Will all three of those guys compete next year? Or will they be taking Olympic redshirt seasons as well?
Herbert: I can't comment on that because I don't know. It's up to the coaches.
Tamillow seemed to make big strides between his sophomore and junior seasons. In April, he won the University Nationals and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler. From seeing him day in and day out, what has been the biggest difference in his wrestling lately?
Herbert: He holds his position so much better now than when he was a freshman. That's the biggest thing I've noticed. He's so hard to move and get out of position. It's hard to score on somebody who is always in great position. That's one of the things he's really improved on … and his mindset, he's just a brawler. He came in and didn't have very much technique. He was only a one-time state runner-up in high school. He came in with that desire. He knew that he was better than that. He knew that he wanted to be better than that. And he's already an All-American and University national champion.
Arguably the top three college wrestlers from this past season will not be competing next season: You, Ben Askren, and Cole Konrad. I'm going to put you on the spot here. In your opinion, who is the best wrestler competing in college next season?
Herbert: Oh, I don't know. There are so many. You have that 149 weight class with Schlatter, Gillespie, Churella. Lang will be back. I feel it's so hard to find one person who will dominate … until the season starts and you see who is doing what. There is just so much talent out there in college wrestling.
Jake Herbert (Photo/Stephen J. Carrera)Herbert: The top four that are on the ladder right now … Joe Williams, Lee Fullhart, Clint Wattenburg, Andy Hrovat, and then you have Chris Pendleton. I mean, everybody you get there is tough. In the sport of wrestling, on any given day any non-seeded kid can beat a seeded kid. It's not very hard to do.
Northwestern brought in a great recruiting class … a class that includes Mike Benefiel, Robert Kellogg, and Ben Kuhar. What kind of impact do you see them making at Northwestern?
Herbert: They'll make a great impact. They are the future of the program. They will hopefully do what my class did … but lead this program to an even better finish, top three, and then hopefully have three national title contenders.
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