James Ferentz and Stefen Wisniewski are former wrestlers expected to play in Super Bowl LII What makes Super Bowl LII so super? It's more than the NFL championship game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. It's one media spectacle that is truly a national event, bringing together millions of individuals who normally can't agree on anything. Approximately one-third of all Americans are expected to watch some or all of the 52nd edition of The Big Game on TV. Past Super Bowls still rank among the most-watched events in TV history.
Among those millions of Super Bowl viewers are members of the wrestling community. Most years, a number of the players participating in the Super Bowl are former amateur wrestlers. Most hung up the headgear after high school; however, at least two past NCAA Division I heavyweight champs have played in previous Super Bowls: Curley Culp, a two-sport star athlete at Arizona State who won his mat title at the 1967 NCAAs and went on play in the Big Game for the Kansas City Chiefs ... and two-time collegiate mat champ Stephen Neal of Cal State Bakersfield (1998, 1999) who earned three Super Bowl rings for New England despite never having played football in college.
Expected to take the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Feb. 4 will be at least two players that bring high school wrestling experience to Super Bowl LII: James Ferentz of the Patriots, and Stefen Wisniewski for the Eagles.
The two former matmen share more than a wrestling background. Ferentz and Wisniewski are both 28 years old. Both are offensive linemen. Both grew up in amateur wrestling hotbeds -- Ferentz in Iowa City, Wisniewski in Pittsburgh. Both played football in the Big Ten ... and both have fathers who are famous in football.
Let's meet them ...
James Ferentz
This isn't the first Super Bowl for James Ferentz, an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. Two years ago, Ferentz played at Super Bowl 50 in his first season in the NFL for the Denver Broncos.
The last name may seem familiar, even if you hadn't memorized the team rosters for Super Bowl 50. After all, James Ferentz's father Kirk Ferentz is long-time head football coach at the University of Iowa. Born in June 1989, James grew up in Iowa City, wrestling and playing football at Iowa City High School ... then chose to stay close to home to continue his education -- and his gridiron career --for the Iowa Hawkeyes (while hanging up his wrestling headgear).
Football accomplishments: James Ferentz plays center for the Pats, having signed with New England in May 2017. He started his NFL career in 2014, signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent ... then joined the Broncos in September 2015, playing for two seasons at Denver (including Super Bowl 50). Prior to entering the NFL, Ferentz first made a name for himself on the football field for Iowa City's Little Hawk, earning first team all-state as a junior and senior, first team all-conference as a junior and senior, and being named team captain. He then moved across town to the University of Iowa, where he started in 38 consecutive games over three seasons for the Hawkeyes.
Wrestling accomplishments: James Ferentz earned four letters in wrestling at City High, and served as wrestling team captain for the Little Hawks as a senior, losing just two matches that year ... both to the eventual state champ. In fact, James Ferentz made it to the heavyweight finals of the 2009 Iowa state wrestling championships, placing second in one of the toughest tournaments in the nation.
Ferentz weighs in on the importance of wrestling in football: In an interview with Trackwrestling.com at Super Bowl LII Media Day, Ferentz said, "What's great about wrestling is it's one-on-one. Everything falls on your shoulders, and I really enjoyed that kind of competitiveness."
"You get comfortable in really uncomfortable positions," Ferentz continued. "In offensive line play, you get into some really weird positions, and, if you're comfortable enough to know your body and where your weight is, you'll succeed."
"I always think of handfighting and footwork (from my wrestling career)," said Ferentz. "How I use leverage, balance, and hand placement."
NFL tale of the tape: 6'2", 285 pounds, 28 years old
Stefen Wisniewski
It only makes sense that Stefen Wisniewski participated in wrestling and in football, given his family's athletic heritage. His father Leo Wisniewski was a high school state wrestling champ in Pennsylvania, one of the nation's wrestling hotbeds. Leo was also a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron, having played four seasons for the Colts as a nose tackle. Stefen's uncle Steve Wisniewski was an eight-time Pro Bowl guard with the Raiders then later became an assistant offensive line coach for the team.
Football accomplishments: Stefen Wisniewski started his NFL career by being drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, then moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014 before finding his home with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016. Prior to going pro, Wisniewski played for Penn State, becoming the first Nittany Lion football student-athlete to be named an ESPN Academic All-American three times. He became Penn State's 95th first team All-American at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Before heading off to Happy Valley, Wisniewski played football at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, where he was selected a U.S. Army All American his senior season. He was a two-time first-team all-state honoree, and was rated the No. 5 overall prep player in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 8 guard in the nation.
Wrestling accomplishments: In an interview with Trackwrestling.com during Super Bowl LII, Wisniewski said he first took up wrestling as a third grader (at the urging of his father, who was a Pennsylvania high school state champ), took a break from the sport for a number of years until high school. He talked of wrestling his dad at home, but as the Eagle big man put it, As I got bigger and stronger, we didn't wrestle as much." Wisniewski didn't wrestle in his senior year at Central Catholic to concentrate on his football career.
Wisniewski weighs in on the importance of wrestling in football: "(Wrestling) is great cross-training for football," Wisniewski told Trackwrestling.com. "A lot of people who've watched me have said it looks like I have a wrestling background. It's a compliment as a lineman as I'm essentially wrestling with the defensive lineman. Just understanding leverage, how to lean, how to turn a guy's shoulders, different things like that ... Mental toughness is a huge one too. If you can wrestle, you can do pretty much any sport.
"It's a rough sport but you've got to love the grind."
"I really love the sport and I kinda miss it sometimes."
NFL tale of the tape: 6'3", 315 pounds, 28 years old.
Can't get enough info on former wrestlers at Super Bowl LII? The Mat Talk Podcast Network features individual audio interviews with those who have wrestling backgrounds at the Big Game, including the Philadelphia Eagles' long snapper Rick Lovato and defensive tackle Elijah Qualls, in addition to Ferentz and Wisniewski. www.mattalkonline.com/super-bowl-52/
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