"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

“I draft wrestlers because they are tough, I have never had a problem with a wrestler.” - Joe Gibbs, Hall of fame Football Coach

“Wrestlers make coaching football easy, they have balance, coordination, and as a coaching staff we know they’re tough.” - Tom Osborne - College Hall of Fame Football Coach - University of Nebraska

"Some of Matt Roth’s intensity 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 Ravens LB Ray Lewis, himself an accomplished high school wrestler." By Chris Neubauer, Pro Football Weekly

A Look at The Numbers

• 185 Wrestlers in the NFL
• 11% of NFL players have a wrestling background
• 5% of the Hall of Fame inductee’s

Crossover Skills:

• Many of the positions and skills are absolutely transferable between both sports
• Some of those skills include but are not limited to footwork, hand-eye coordination, mental toughness, explosive movements, and balance
• Learning the ability too beat the man in front of you can not be ignored.

Some notable NFL stars with a wrestling background:

• Warren Sapp - DT - Tampa Bay & Oakland - Florida State Champion
• Fred Smerlas - DL -Buffalo Bills & New England Patriots - Massachusetts State Champion & New England Champion
• Tony Siragusa - DL - Baltimore Ravens - New Jersey State Champion
• Matt Roth - DE - Miami Dolphins - Iowa State Champion
• Roddy White - WR - Atlanta Falcons - South Carolina State Champion
• Chris Cooley - TE - Washington Redskins - Wyoming State Champion
• Lorenzo Neal -FB -San Diego Chargers - NCAA All-American