Wrestling/football - Football/wrestling

[PortaJohn]

On 4/14/2023 at 10:34 AM, Wrestleknownothing said:

I have seen the discussions here and on other boards about guys like Iowa's Ben Kueter and Koy Hopke possibly doing both.

How often does this actually happen at the D1 level? And with what degree of success?

I am aware of situations like Stephen Neal and Carlton Haselrig who did not play football in college, but went on to all-pro careers in the NFL. I am unaware of any who did both in college though. 

Is it more common in D2, D3, NAIA?

Finally, what is the lowest weight this has happened at?

Most recent I can think of that did both in college at the D1 level and had success was Antonio Garay and that was around 2000.  As for Ben Keuter, if he shows any promise  making the NFL I doubt we'll ever see him in a wrestling singlet.  A NFL contract is far too lucrative to spend your offseason participating in another sport.  

[Gus]

1 hour ago, PortaJohn said:

Most recent I can think of that did both in college at the D1 level and had success was Antonio Garay and that was around 2000.  As for Ben Keuter, if he shows any promise  making the NFL I doubt we'll ever see him in a wrestling singlet.  A NFL contract is far too lucrative to spend your offseason participating in another sport.  

Josh Hokit was 2019

[Tripnsweep]

Carlton Haselrig comes to mind since he started off playing college football but left Lock Haven in the middle of the semester and transferred to UPJ where he wrestled instead. The rest is history. 

One of my teammates in high school was a very promising football player and had won some awards but had also been a state finalist in wrestling. He gave up football because he was determined to win a state championship in wrestling, which he did. Then he placed at his only national tournament, when senior nationals was the tournament besides Fargo. He had offers from Pitt, Oklahoma, couple of smaller schools. Turned them down for an academic scholarship in theater.