Antrell Taylor-Born to Wrestle

A national title changes your life, but it doesn’t change the work. We sat down live at Hawks Nest with Nebraska’s own NCAA champion Antrell Taylor for a raw, energizing dive into what really fuels a winning program: structure, loyalty, and the daily choices no one sees. From his start as a football kid who wrestled to get better, to the moment the finals nerves hit in a quiet hotel room, Antrell walks us through the habits and headspace that carried him to the top—and how he plans to stay there without playing defense on last year’s success.

We dig into recruiting during COVID, why he chose to stay home in Nebraska, and the realities of NIL that few athletes say out loud. Loyalty matters to Antrell. Culture matters. He talks candidly about transfer temptations, the value of belonging to a room that believes in the same standards, and how big-name visits can spark momentum without changing who you are. The heartbeat of his growth is mentorship—especially from James Green—who helped shape Antrell’s patience, position, and confidence through brutal, honest practice sessions that translate when the lights are brightest. If you’ve ever wondered how champions prepare, manage anxiety, and turn pressure into offense, this conversation cuts through the noise.

We also zoom out: sports specialization vs. playing multiple sports, protecting kids from burnout, and why wrestling’s community crosses backgrounds and beliefs with respect at the center. Antrell’s goals are bold—bonus 90 to 95 percent of opponents, stack All-Americans, and push for a team title—but his process is simple and relentless. Looking ahead, he’s aiming at world teams, the 2028 Olympics, and a future in coaching that pays forward the guidance he received. If you care about wrestling, athlete development, or building a high-performance culture that lasts, this one hits home. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow, share with a friend, and leave a rating to help more listeners find the show.

Stay in touch! WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Chapters

• 0:00 No Title

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:14

Thank you for joining us on this episode of Stay Modern with Murray. Today we have a very special guest, wrestler and national champion for the Huskers and three-time Nebraska Class A state champion Antrell Taylor.

SPEAKER_03: 0:27

Glad to be all here, man.

SPEAKER_00: 0:29

Yeah, thanks, guys. We are actually on site. If you hear the background noise, we are at Hawks Nest. So thank you to the Hawks Nest for accommodating. They've always been gracious to us. Oh, good. Our rowdy crowd. You can kind of tell we get a little rowdy.

SPEAKER_04: 0:42

Yeah, ain't nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_00: 0:43

Antrell, thank you, thank you again for making it. Pleasure to meet you. We actually struck up an NIL deal with you earlier in the year, which we would love to talk to you more about after this and how we can accommodate more and give you some more money for helping promote our company. So absolutely appreciate that. But no, tell us a little bit about yourself. Obviously, know that I just introduced you from Nebraska. So tell us where you're from.

SPEAKER_04: 1:04

Yeah, I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. I grew up wrestling, playing football. I started wrestling about five years old, played football. I honestly started playing football before I was wrestling. Really? Because I got into wrestling to get better at football. Yep. Then Tables just turned out real good at wrestling. So I was doing that full time all the way up until now, man. I I still love the sport the same. And uh I went to high school at Millard South, won three state titles, all American at Fargo a couple times. That's awesome. Made a world team, my sophomore year high school. That was my first world team. I'm in college, man. I got a lot more, a lot more life to live, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 1:41

Yeah, that's some good credentials. I I forgot to kind of introduce Chris. I got a little uh buddy on my side here because he knows everything wrestling even more than I do. I can tell he does. Um Chris is new with our company three, four months ago. A lot of wrestling history. I won't get too much into him because we have a special podcast for you dedicated to you coming up here shortly. But welcome Chris to the podcast. I know he's gonna have a lot more questions about your wrestling career than and me, but no, that sounds like an outstanding career. Tell us a little bit about your recruiting journey and and how you chose to stay in in Nebraska and all about that.

SPEAKER_04: 2:14

So, yeah, Manning, I always knew Manning right when I got into high school. I just knew of him just going down to duels and stuff. Yep. But once I was able to really get recruited, he was on me like like he said, right on to you know, he was on me like crazy. He was calling me early in the morning. I was half on the phone, half sleep. He just talking, talking, telling me all these types of stories and stuff. But my recruiting process was pretty smooth. I I knew I was gonna go to Nebraska, that was always at the top of my list, but and it was during COVID, so it was kind of weird. I didn't never I didn't get to go on any visits, I was doing virtual visits like most of the time. So Nebraska was really the only place I I truly knew about. Yep. So that's that's where I wanted to go. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 2:54

That's that's especially so that was before or after NIL? That was before NIL. Before, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 3:00

So like right when I got into college, NIL with the talk about NIL was it was raising a little bit, and then my sophomore year college, that's when like it truly started.

SPEAKER_00: 3:09

So you wish you were before NIL?

SPEAKER_04: 3:12

No, no, no. After I wish I was like, you know what I'm saying? I wish the NIL was already gone. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 3:18

I know because it would have been a different ball game, you know. Is it kind of the highest bidder? Yeah, it is seeming like nowadays, but like Bo Bassett.

SPEAKER_02: 3:27

Yeah, we can talk about that here.

SPEAKER_00: 3:30

Yeah, yeah, we will. So, uh not to jump too far ahead, but NIL, I mean, after you won a national title, did is it such you have to explain to me how the world works. I mean, does it is it such that you started getting offers from other people?

SPEAKER_04: 3:44

I mean, yeah, yeah, kind of, but like I just was doing a lot more interviews and stuff like that. I haven't really got a whole bunch of NIL deals yet, but they're starting to come now that school is back in the session.

SPEAKER_00: 3:55

Yeah, I feel like more NIL deals come when school's in session, but yeah, more so what I was asking is is it once you become a national team up, do other schools start offering you money to come?

SPEAKER_04: 4:07

Oh, I haven't got it. Like schools, schools will follow me on Instagram and stuff like that, but yeah, I don't feed into that type of stuff. Good. I know where I want to be, and so yeah, I'm getting enough money here. Yeah, I'm good, man.

SPEAKER_01: 4:18

I'm comfortable. Loyal Nebraska. That's what I like to hear.

SPEAKER_00: 4:24

Just with how many people you hear in the, especially in in football, how many you know, thousands and thousands of kids are in the transfer portal and all teams are filled in new new players, new defensive linemen, everything. I was hoping wrestling didn't come to that. Like basically become a national American, and every school's offering you more money.

SPEAKER_04: 4:42

Yeah, because my teammate uh Caleb Smith, he made a good point. He was kind of saying, like, let's say you were I was at Nebraska for all my four years, then I went to like let's say like a Michigan. Yeah, and then it's just at the end of the year at the banquet, I'm just kind of giving a snoots to people I had never been around really. I was only around them for a year. That's a good point. It just felt it would feel weird, you know. So for sure.

SPEAKER_00: 5:04

Well, that's because you have that loyalty in you.

SPEAKER_04: 5:06

Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00: 5:07

Yeah, the problem with it is I think some people out there don't think that's weird.

SPEAKER_04: 5:11

Yeah, exactly. They just think it's normal not to have highest bitter, right? I grew up on loyalty, so it's it's real big. Good.

SPEAKER_00: 5:18

Well, I'm assuming we might as well talk about the elephant in the room, the Bo Bassett. I mean, between we'll talk about AJ Ferrari too. Oh, yeah. But between AJ Ferrari and Bo Bassett, I can't I can tell you it was the two most talked-about subjects with me, with non-wrestling people. So, like, I'm has I'm talking like baseball parents and basketball parents of my son, yeah, who I, you know, probably exchanged 10 words with in my life, but I didn't even know they knew wrestling, or come up and ask me about AJ Farrar and Bo Bassett. And I'm like, how do you guys even know, man?

SPEAKER_04: 5:51

They're big names, that'd be big for the program.

SPEAKER_00: 5:53

But I so we know that Bo came here what three weeks in uh three weeks ago?

SPEAKER_04: 5:58

Yeah, two weeks straight. Yeah, back to back. And yeah, that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_00: 6:01

Yeah, that's a good so he came here three weeks ago with his brother and Melvin, right? Yeah, Melvin Miller, yeah, yeah. And then he came again the next week by himself. And what was that about?

SPEAKER_04: 6:13

I can't I can't really say it too much, but we're going in the right direction.

SPEAKER_03: 6:17

Yeah, that's in the right direction, man.

SPEAKER_04: 6:19

That's really good.

SPEAKER_00: 6:20

So he liked it, huh?

SPEAKER_04: 6:21

Yeah, a lot. He liked us a lot, man, for sure. And then they're like a package deal, so right. If we get Bo, we'll get Melvin and Keegan and Keegan. So we got a good chance. They'll change the program, man.

SPEAKER_01: 6:34

Yeah, well that well, I I want to add a little bit to this. You know, when you look at AJ Ferrari, I followed his high school career, I followed his brothers, I followed the whole path. Yeah, you know, I've been a college coach and been around. Matter of fact, you know, Caleb Smith hits me a little bit because Jet Strickenberger was a national champion for me, and he wrestles for West West Virginia. But that brings back to the point. Last year was when Jet went to wrestle, y'all, in the blood round.

SPEAKER_04: 7:07

I was like, I forgot they did wrestle in the blood round.

SPEAKER_01: 7:10

Holy, excuse the thing, but not wrong with it. But uh, I was like the momentum that Nebraska had, and I'm not a momentum guy, but when you had nine and guys and eight guys just grinding, doing special things that we've seen Nebraska almost do before, but y'all actually did it in like I watched the UNI duel, right? And Boros. That was the low of the season, and that's when that's when I knew Nebraska really had it. And I'm like, are they gonna show up? Are they gonna show up? And I can tell you the talk of all the NCAA tournament was y'all showed up. Absolutely, and when you look at Smith, he beat Strickenberger, Strickenberger's the real deal, you know that. He's legit. I mean, he pent he beat he beat uh Spratley twice, so that was a big match for y'all in getting that second place, right? Absolutely, but not only on top of that, you know, you dude, you set it on fire. There's no other way to put it. You know, everybody knew you had the potential, but could you pull it out? Were you from Nebraska? Were you from Pennsylvania, right? Yeah, yeah. You were an all-American the year before, uh, you know, but could he get to the top of the stand? Tell us a little bit about how that felt and that momentum last year and how that carries into this year.

SPEAKER_04: 8:39

Yeah, so for me, it it was just honestly like a dream come true. Everybody dreams to be a national champ. So, and that's what I worked for my whole life. And for it to happen, like my sophomore year, it was just like I would I would have never thought it came at me so soon. Like it was insane. Like God, like people say, God works in mysterious ways, and he he truly did. And I felt like he I felt his presence and my my brother and my dad's presence, like I felt all of them as I was wrestling through that tournament, and I feel like they really guided me to do what I did because I caught fire at the right time and it was hard hard for people to stop me. And I feel like that that'll roll into this upcoming year because my confidence is so high now, and I just know how to wrestle at a high level and stay comfortable and in those little in the in the hostile positions, you know. And so I'm I'm ready for whatever comes at me this year.

SPEAKER_00: 9:27

That's awesome. I got a question for you. So I think as wrestlers, you're a little bit more in tune with your body and your mental aptitude than what most people are. Absolutely. Even today, I if if I'm off of five percent, I just tell my wife, I'm fucked up today. You know what I mean? Like everybody else just goes with it. I'm like, it's so in tune, right? It just bothers me.

SPEAKER_03: 9:46

You're like, I know I'm off.

SPEAKER_00: 9:48

Yeah, it's crazy. I hate it. Yeah, I like it and I hate it, but exactly. It's a love eight for sure. Yeah. So when I was in the national finals, I was I was known to be the most in-shape guy, most dedicated guy, kept my weight consistent. You know, I was 4-0 GPA. I've later learned I have OCD. I was very OCD with my life, my tendencies, everything. And I I don't think I've ever wrestled a match where I was out of shape or tired or exhausted. But the national finals, even if I would have won that match, it was still one of the worst matches I've ever wrestled. And the only thing I can think of is like what you were saying, it's everything I've ever wanted since I was a kid. And all those nerves, yeah. And so I had a tough route. I wrestled Nate Gallic in the quarters and then Tian Ware in the semis. So the you know, one through four people on the same side of the bracket. That's crazy. But I think when I got to the finals, you know, it's a three-day tournament, it's a it's a long haul. And the emotions and the feelings hit me because you know, it was the only it was the only match you wrestled that day. So it's not like you're out, it's not like you're out, you're tired, you're out of shit. You're there relaxing, you're relaxing all day. And I felt fucking horrible. I felt it was the worst match ever. And uh, but I was just wanting to know how how how did you feel? How did you manage your emotions and maintenance those feelings a sophomore?

SPEAKER_04: 11:03

Yeah, yeah. I can honestly, I felt the same way, man. Like I wasn't nervous throughout the whole tournament, and then once the finals hit, I was just sitting in my hotel room, like, dang, I'm gonna wrestle the national finals, like in a matter of like a couple hours, and it all just hit me. I was like, okay, I just gotta go back to go back to my real go back to reality and just think about it as like any a normal match. Yep, and that's that's when I just knew that I was ready and because I I calmed myself down and I was just I just felt ready to go. My all the nerves went away right before I went out there, and I was like, okay, I I'd done everything I could do to prepare for the moment. That's all like there's nothing I can really do, even if I wasn't ready, you know. Like I've already prepared as much as I can. So I just went out there and let it let it go. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00: 11:45

So, what what do you got for yourself individually and team-wise for this year? Expectations, preseason rankings.

SPEAKER_04: 11:51

For me myself, I want to at least bonus point 90 to 95 percent of the people. About everybody I wrestle, you know what I'm saying? So that's a good goal. Yeah, so I gotta really push my push my gas tank and do things that other people aren't willing to do. And then for the team-wise, it's gonna be hard to beat eight eight all Americans, but that's that's what I'm shooting. I want to get everybody to all American this year, like get everybody on boat and yeah, have everyone all American win a team title. That's I feel like that's truly what it's gonna take to win a team title is get everybody at all American, like Penn State's been doing, yeah. So, and that's the that's who we're going for.

SPEAKER_00: 12:24

So AJ Ferrari helps with that scenario, right? Absolutely. We we you guys bumped him up to heavyweight. Yep. So how's that going?

SPEAKER_04: 12:31

Yeah, he's he's he's struggling a little bit right now. We're trying to get him on boat with everybody and get him accustomed to doing the workouts that we're doing and getting in the room and working how we want to work. Yeah, because he's kind of used to, I can tell he's kind of used to doing his own thing. The California type way, maybe. Yeah, no offense. Yeah, no offense to California people, but it's honestly he he's been in a situation where he's had to do his do his own thing for so long that he's kind of he's kind of stuck in it. So we just have to break him of that, and then I think he'll be he'll be ready to go.

SPEAKER_00: 13:02

That's awesome. Well, he's looking big. Yeah, when we were in track.

SPEAKER_04: 13:05

I think he's about 245 to fix that. So yeah, he's getting he's big enough. He's already fast, move good. So he's about keeping him healthy and ready to go.

SPEAKER_01: 13:13

Intro, I being that Matt brought this up, you know, I I've coached in college, high school, and and my my high school coach was Kyvin Gatson's father. And uh, you know, he taught me something many years ago, and I stuck to it, and he was my mentor. I love him like a father. And and when we were in, I'm lucky, I I I kind of broke it down. I'm like 24 for 30 in the state finals, and I'm eight for nine in the national finals. And I've always used what Willie Gatson taught me, and I don't allow my guys to work out before the national finals, yeah. I make them get out of the arena and we walk around, and then four matches before I have someone let me know, you know, my Mongolian batsuri, that's a two-time. I made them go to sleep. I woke them up four matches before, and uh it was kind of funny. Yeah, I made them take a nap. And while everybody did their workout when they got in the arena to get rid of the nerves, then the fans come in, then they do the Parida champions. It's a three-hour process, and you got all that. So, you know, I have a real system and I don't really tell people about it, but I'm gonna expose it because the success of it, and it's just what you said about that anxiety. Now you're going after your second national title, yeah. And we all know that's different than the first. Absolutely. How do you because it's a new year? That year's over. So, where's the growth mindset? Where is your growth? I heard you say 95%. Yeah, that's gonna push your offense. Absolutely. But where's the difference in your match approach? Because everybody's gunning for Antrell this year, yeah. Target on your back now, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04: 14:59

I love it though. I I've had that on my back for my whole life, you know. So that's nothing I'm not used to. And but something that Manning said to me in the summer that stuck with me about me winning my first national title. He was like, You're not defending anything this year, like they they can't take it from me. So that's not defending nothing.

SPEAKER_00: 15:17

So like go out there and wrestle, wrestle how you wrestle, and do that's that's a really good mindset because I think in wrestling we have a we we have a problem with that. Yes. I mean, look at the TV rankings. I mean, you have all these national champs that are defending it, so they're not offensive, they're afraid to score points. Exactly. And that's what they win one to zero or two to zero, and the matches are boring. And people whenever I take friends in matches, that happens, right? You get the best of the best, and it's a two-one match, and they're asking me why it was so exciting. Yeah, so that's a great, great mindset to have. Yeah, appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01: 15:48

I love the aspect of you know what, Antro, you're in the record books, you're a national champ that will never go away. Just like Matt's a national runner up and an all-American in JUCO. I was fortunate enough to be an all-American, never got to the top. But as a perspective and wisdom, you'll understand this many years to come. Those medals won't mean near what the friendships and the relationship that Nebraska gave you. True. Um, I coached Matt Murray watched me wrestle when he was a little kid while I was in JUCO. Look at the relationship. Now I work with them and what our goal is. And when Matt hired me, wrestlers are different. Yeah. And if you didn't wrestle, you probably don't get it. I think we're a little crazy. I say that to everybody. Everybody, I literally do. But I kind of want to bring this into the point, you know, because Matt and I can have these conversations, and I have to try and explain it to other people. We fail every day. We were used to failing, we were used to setting a standard, and we learned how to go through beating ourselves up to learning to grow, dealing with the demons, the whole nine yards. But we're the most structured human beings that are ever lived, we're the most self-motivated people that ever lived because when we step on the mat, it's you, me, and no excuse. So when I look at what Matt and I are trying to do and building our program and Murray, we're adding wrestlers as sales staff. We just hired Jakari Deal, national champ JUCO, national all-American NCAA Division II as a roof and salesman. We just added an Olympian to running an area, and we're trying to grow our mentality because people get it. We're how important is coaching and being mentored in the process of your growth. What we're trying to do at Murray. We're given a system that you can follow. And how important is a system to your success in wrestling? No different than business. And that's what makes Murray so special. And with our growth. So I wanted to just ask you a little bit, talk about because you us three can understand this, but can you relate what I'm talking to about structure, discipline, goals, mindset, growth-oriented, and the results take care of themselves. It's a different mindset that wrestlers have to keep the pressure off.

SPEAKER_04: 18:35

Yeah, I see what you're saying with the with the whole system. Like you without without a system in wrestling, it's it just it's chaos, in my opinion. And for me, it's just doing putting one foot in front of the other and doing the same, almost do the same thing every single day. Like a like you said, structure. And when I don't, it's just like I feel off. Like when we have an off day and we don't practice or anything, I just don't know what to do with myself because I don't have I don't have the structure, like you said. And so, yeah, I just feel like structure is everything, man.

SPEAKER_00: 19:04

I heard you you and James Green are pretty good friends.

SPEAKER_04: 19:06

Absolutely, yeah, yeah. Yeah, how has that been? Talk to that. It's been good, man. He's when he first got there, he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes of how he wrestled, and he honestly helped me create my own my own little style, like taking little bits and pieces of his wrestling and putting it into mine. So he's he's helped me grow a lot, truly.

SPEAKER_00: 19:24

That's awesome. He's helped me a whole bunch. I have a weird question only because of the the climate of the world that we live in. I don't know if you listen to Joe Rogan very often, but I'm a huge Joe Rogan. And then and then I saw he had a Charlie Sheen, and then I watched a Charlie Sheen documentary, and they were doing their podcast when they heard that Charlie Kirk got shot. And so, anyways, I I only ask this because of the world that we live in in construction. It's I try not to get too political and too not caught up in politics, but let's admit it, like the success of our company is is based upon what Trump's doing in office, what the presidents are doing, the interest rates, yeah, all things, you know, international world affairs. How does how do politics and the world events flow into your college life and your wrestling career? Do you guys try to keep it pretty disconnected and out of the room and out of the classrooms, or does it flow into that?

SPEAKER_04: 20:23

I feel like there's a few people that are really into politics on our team, like, yeah, handful of. But me myself, I'm I'm not really too into it. I look here and there, and yeah, like if something big happens happens, I always know about it, but like I'm not I don't dig too deep into politics. So you guys don't get too divided in the no, that's that's how I try to be definitely not pretty neutral, just because everybody has their own own opinion, yeah. Nobody ever really thinks exactly what you're thinking, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So that's great. It's just yeah, we don't really get too caught up in that. That's awesome. We live in America and you have a right to disagree what you think and disagree, but with respect. And I feel like that's the biggest thing. A lot of people struggle with coming at somebody at with disrespect when they have a different opinion. You know what I'm saying? It's all about respect at the end of the day. If you come at somebody with a different opinion, you have respect, then it'll be it'll be a cordial conversation.

SPEAKER_00: 21:13

And that's the thing that I don't think a lot of people understand about the sport of wrestling is how we are so able and apt to take different people from different climates and different parts of the world, yeah, rich, poor, anything. Absolutely you get on the wrestling mat, it doesn't fucking matter. None of that shit matters, does not matter. I mean, some of my best friends are from Africa and from you know what they're doing all around the world. It doesn't matter. No, it doesn't, yeah. Uh so it's awesome just being able to be like that. And that's when you when you get out of the wrestling world and then you start to hear about all the politics and the racism and stuff like that. I'm like, God, if you guys only have that mindset of wrestlers, yeah, seriously.

SPEAKER_04: 21:55

I have everybody did.

SPEAKER_00: 21:56

Yeah, I love the way that he eloquently puts how good we are as people, wrestlers. Yeah, because I'm like you. When people ask me if I'm a wrestler, I'm like, Yeah, I'm fucking nuts.

SPEAKER_04: 22:05

Seriously.

SPEAKER_00: 22:06

But he's like, no, it's already in their head, too.

SPEAKER_04: 22:08

Like, oh, this dude's a wrestler. He's funny, he's great.

SPEAKER_00: 22:11

He's like, Oh, we're great people, we're well organized, we're hard driven. I'm like, we're crazy.

SPEAKER_01: 22:15

Well, and and Trell and Matt, what but what you know, Nate Carr. I've known Nate since I was a little kid and David, great tournament. We all, you know, we're sports fans, right? And my coach was a black man who taught me people are people and changed my life, and all those things, you know, exposure, wrestling. And Nate Carr one day, if you ever know Nate Carr, most of your deep conversations are in a sauna with Nate Carr.

SPEAKER_04: 22:48

So I met him once. Yeah, we were wrestling after practice for like a whole hour.

SPEAKER_01: 22:52

Did you go to the sauna after? No, he had to leave. Because if not, you would have been in the sauna. So, like he at the end of practice, he'll be like, Chris, come on over to the sauna. We need to talk, you know, and he's a very godly guy, and we're we go deep. And so we were sitting there talking, and Nate Carr said to me the most profound thing that I've ever heard in the sport of wrestling. Ramiko Blackman, who's my dearest best friend, Olympic alternate, world team alternate. He knew Matt when he was a little kid. How the world world of wrestling is such a giant community. But if you mess up, you knew me. Right? So but uh Nate Carr said a thing that I always say wrestlers, I've seen people have seen you cry that no one else has ever seen you cry, even in your own family. They've seen you at your highs, they've seen you at your lowest, they've seen you at your breaking points that most people never get to unless they wrestle. And Nate Carr, one day we were we gave each other a hug at the end of he was preaching to me and doing all his things that he does, and we showered, got dressed, and we were walking out of a wrestling thing. And Nate goes, nothing like wrestlers that friends become family. And that has stuck with me forever. And when I started coaching the first day of practice, I'm like all of y'all, not all of y'all are gonna do what Antrail did, get a national title, or even being an all-American. I said, But what all of y'all are gonna get is the best relationships and the tightest community that you could ever be a part of if you accomplished at least one year of college wrestling, because you're not a college wrestler unless you finish the year. Yeah, right? Don't call yourself a college wrestler if you quit it in November or December, bro. You didn't make it. You didn't even get to the horror part. Right. We don't quit something we start. We might not go back out, we might adjust our goals, but you're a college wrestler if you make it through one year of a top three to four percent. And Trell is a top 0.5% making it to D1, but you're a 0.01 percent to stand on the national podium. So, congratulations with that.

SPEAKER_02: 25:16

Appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01: 25:17

We don't have that expectation, you do. We just want to see you be the best you can be, like you always have. I'm an Antrell fan. I got to know you a little bit more over the last few months. Yeah, and everybody knows me says, What about wrestling? And I say, Antrell is a class act, and we thank you for representing Murray, and we thank you for representing the sport and your family and the state of Nebraska and all the kids that look up to you because you are a good person of example, and we're proud to have you on the Murray team.

SPEAKER_00: 25:55

I truly appreciate that, man. Yeah, and that's and to that credit, I was telling him right before this and yesterday, you know, the more we get to know you on a personal level, the more I want to invest in you. You know, obviously, when you win a national title, you gain the immediate attention of people, and that's why we reached out. But then after we get to know you, that's a long time, you know, yeah, we want to do we want to do more with you. So but tell me a little about one of the topics that I get asked a lot from parents when I'm talking about my son plays baseball, basketball. The parents will, when they realize that I wrestled at the university, they'll ask me about stuff. And one of the hottest topics is is especially in today's climate, is kids individualizing and specializing in sports. And I'm not necessarily a proponent of that. You know, we're already to the point with our 11-year-old where he doesn't have enough time for three sports, so we had to give up football. Now he's just baseball, basketball basically year-round. And and there I can tell there's already a push for him to specialize in just one now. What was your experience in high school? I know you said you played football. Yeah, yeah. Do you believe in being well-rounded and playing multiple sports?

SPEAKER_04: 27:01

Yeah, that's what yeah, that's what I'm gonna have my kid do. I'm I'm big on doing both like football. Well, mine was football wrestling. Yeah, so yeah, I was in high school. My my wrestling coach, he tried to get me to not do football, but I was like, man, I just done I've done football my whole life, that's all I know, and it's gonna be my last four years. And so I just feel like it I football would give me a break off of wrestling for sure, and just give me time to like focus on other things, you know what I'm saying? So instead of just focus on wrestling, wrestling, wrestling, wrestling all throughout the year, yep, and that that's how a lot of people get burnt out. And so I feel like that's what helped me not get burnt out of wrestling. I love wrestling a lot, not saying I would get burnt out if I just did wrestling, but football definitely gave me a break, a huge breakout of that.

SPEAKER_00: 27:44

Yeah, and I don't think many parents in today's society worry or give enough credit to burnout.

SPEAKER_04: 27:50

Yeah, they really don't.

SPEAKER_00: 27:51

I feel like a lot of people are honestly blind of it.

SPEAKER_04: 27:54

Yeah, yeah, they're living, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 27:56

Unfortunately, there's a lot of parents that I think are living vicariously through their children, yeah. And so they just want them to go ham and go hard. Yeah, but that's not always you gotta balance. It's a it's definitely a balanced thing. I love the fact my son, everybody wants to know what his favorite sport is and tell him he needs to pick one. It's like, no, his favorite sport is the sport he's in. Yeah, that's always when he's in basketball, he loves basketball. And then when he's in baseball, he loves baseball. And that's how it should be, right?

SPEAKER_02: 28:19

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 28:22

No, I like that. I it it's so crazy the the difference in sports, the money invested in kids these days and the pressure that puts on them. Yeah, you know, the number of baseball bats you have to buy these days, the number of clin camps you have to go to. I heard baseball is crazy, it's crazy, crazy expensive. It's nuts the amount of money they spend on on stuff, and you're talking nine, ten, eleven-year-old kids buying$500 baseball bats that they grow out of in a six-month period.

SPEAKER_01: 28:50

Have the hand-me downs.

SPEAKER_00: 28:51

Yeah, give me the hand-me downs. I work with them. Yeah, sport kids' sports is a little nuts, and you know what's crazy is I always say this not that I need any of the parents or the coaches to tip a hat to me. Yeah, I don't need that, but you can definitely tell in the room the people that have an education and experience in sports, yeah, and especially college sports, and the parents that don't. I know what's crazy is the ones that are usually the leaders in the loudest are the ones that have no experience. No clue. But my problem is that listen, I didn't ask to be a coach. I don't want to be a coach, but if you have no experience and you learn that one of your parents is a former division one athlete or a coach in college, you should maybe ask for their advice, right?

SPEAKER_03: 29:39

Like it's easy to think they can do it by themselves. It doesn't hurt to ask for some advice.

SPEAKER_00: 29:44

Yeah, and and you know what's crazy is I have bit my tongue up to this point as a parent, but these parents, I have an 11-year-old, he was 10 last year, and I'm getting pressured from these parents to have my kid kid specialize, have him attend off season practices late at night, do all this stuff, and I'm like, Okay, you have no relevant experience, you have no knowledge of any like why are you preaching to an extra like been around the yeah, and I you know, I have nanning at You know, on speed dial, if I need to ask him a question about coaching, you want to talk about a legendary coach that goes the hell is going on. Yeah, but yet I'm having an 11-year-old parent tell me how to coach my kid. It just doesn't make a lot of sense.

SPEAKER_03: 30:24

Going one ear without the other.

SPEAKER_00: 30:26

I try to let it.

SPEAKER_01: 30:28

Yes. Yeah, it's funny you said that, like, because I grew up, my dad was drafted by the major league baseball out of high school. I had three uncles played Division I football. I'm five foot three. You know, one at LSU, one at South at Tulane, and another one at Northwest. My uncle's a Hall of Fame football coach. I started wrestling as a freshman in high school. I was a couple times state champ. My dad didn't know nothing about sports. All he wanted us to do was be the best we could be. And that's the difference, I think, out of a higher level person. We have expectations. You don't get to go to a camp if you don't put the work in when you're not in practice. Because we understood what separated us was the extra, right?

SPEAKER_04: 31:19

So when nobody's there.

SPEAKER_01: 31:20

Talking, you know, like I always say, you know, same thing in sales. Somebody's like, oh, there's it's snowing in December, January, and February. Real salesmen go make calls, they build the pipeline.

SPEAKER_02: 31:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 31:33

So no different. What's the summertime like? How much better have you gotten, Andrell, because you paid attention to the detail, right? Yeah. You haven't had to worry about winning, right? You haven't had those, you you're having fun with the growth. Because I actually got to watch you. I love watching you and James. I can see the tightness. It's kind of like he's your he's your bro. They ain't no doubt about that. And when it comes to James, I mean, we all know. I mean, JB and James are two of the best. Yeah. No matter whether it's no walk in the park wrestling with him.

SPEAKER_00: 32:07

Does Manning still say that you got to put the hay in the barn? You still say that every day. I don't put the hay in the barn so when winter comes and the horses come to feed.

SPEAKER_01: 32:19

Because James Green. Because James Green's, when you look at James Green, he's a he's a tweener of an Olympic weight, if you know the sport.

SPEAKER_05: 32:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 32:31

He his dominant weight is a world weight. But when it comes to the Olympics, James has trouble with that weight cutting. He's not big enough to go up. But when I when I watch James, James is one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of America. He retired, came back, made the world. He was walking around with a cane at one point.

SPEAKER_04: 32:53

Came back and made a whole world team.

SPEAKER_01: 32:55

And look what he did. He had surgery, hip. And then, and I know this because I'm a coach. I know you inspired him to go back. And not many people would understand that because you gave him the joy because he watched you love what he was teaching you. I don't even need to know that. Am I right? No, you're for sure. Will you talk a little bit about because I don't think James gets enough credit because he's such a quiet demeanor person? You know, you see Mark and Brian, but you know, and then you had JB doing this, and then James is winning world titles, but he wasn't getting the credit due. But will you tie you and James and what that relationship means? And because you know, I know you that important is more than anything at Nebraska from what I looked watching, y'all. Am I right? Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04: 33:54

But yeah, me and me and James's connection, like I said, it started when he he got here my sophomore year, the first time I was in the lineup officially, and he helped he built me from when I didn't qualify, not even didn't qualify, I didn't even place at Vegas, the Vegas tournament. He was in my ear, he was like, This is you're gonna remember this moment, and from here on, and then from there on out, he was working with me doing individuals when he could have been just training by himself, you know, trying to work on his crap. But he was trying to perfect me and help me get to the level I want to get to. And yeah, I'd give all props to James for doing that, man, because it helped me so much. And then that following summer after All American for the first time, yeah, he that's when he made his world team, and I was there training, I was training with him when I could have been back home, you know. So because I was reciprocating that that energy that he put into me. So NCA, yeah. And I followed, yeah, then I went and won the NCA title, and just that's why you can see it. I have a picture on my phone of James just celebrating so crazy. I ain't never seen a coach celebrate like that from just me winning, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 34:55

Just and the love and respect you have for him is different, yeah. And I wanted people to understand that just like the love and respect I have for Willie Gatz and Kyvin's father changed your life. Yeah, it truly did. Yeah, and James Green, even though people don't realize it, I watched him change your life because I could see his influence in your wrestling, your patience, build my confidence, position. How many ass whoopings you got that first year, bro?

SPEAKER_04: 35:25

I remember one time he had me up against the wall. I went, I was so mad, man. We were just hand fighting though. We weren't even taking no shots. He was just hand fighting me to the ground.

SPEAKER_01: 35:33

And you wanted to shoot to die from the pressure.

SPEAKER_04: 35:36

Yeah, but I I couldn't do it.

SPEAKER_00: 35:38

People call that character building, and I'm like, what the fuck?

SPEAKER_04: 35:40

Yeah, it's a terrible type of character. Not fun, not to say.

SPEAKER_00: 35:44

Well, we know you have to get back. You got wait's at 3 30? Yeah, 3 30. Uh so we won't take too much more of your time, but I did want to ask, you know, we want to start to look at you and other athletes as more than just athletes, right? Like there is a life after sports, yeah, for sure. Um, I'll admit when I was in college, there was no life after wrestling.

SPEAKER_04: 36:02

It was like sometimes I'm like, I'm just wrestling my whole life.

SPEAKER_00: 36:05

Yeah, I was gonna make an Olympic team, I was gonna coach, and then you know, that just all changed. But yeah, uh, tell us what what do you what what's your outlook on life? What are you gonna do after college? You gonna try to make an Olympic team?

SPEAKER_04: 36:16

You're gonna make absolutely once I get out of college, it'll be the I think it'll be the Olympic year, like 2028. Yeah, it'll be going to that. So I'll be shooting for the Olympics, trying to make world teams for however long I can. Yeah, so and then after that, I don't I want to coach, truly. Awesome, but who knows? It's it's a I got a long way to go. Yeah, it's about five, ten years from now. So a lot of life.

SPEAKER_00: 36:38

That's awesome though. And it's awesome. You're you're from here, you have this program. It's I've been there's a reason that I have never left. I'm not from here, and so I came here, my family's here. That was my sister and my mom over there. They love it here. It's like it's like home to us. That's the same. Where are you from again? Kansas, northwest Kansas, yeah. So no, this place is like home, and I I hope you stay around. I'm assuming, judging by Snyder's associate head coach title, is that the the natural assumption that's what I would guess? He takes over the helm.

SPEAKER_04: 37:10

That's what I've heard, and he's he's honestly ready whenever whenever Manning's ready to step down, he'll yeah, it'll be a perfect, perfect role. Yeah, perfect for the role.

SPEAKER_03: 37:18

Does he ever age? I don't think so. Jesus. He takes the shirt off. I'm like, dog, I would have thought you were like 20 years old. I regretted taking my wife in there.

SPEAKER_00: 37:29

That dude, it doesn't seem like he aged, man. She came home and she's all cuddly and shit. And I don't think it's because of me. She's like, Did you used to look like that? I'm like, that dude's older than me. And she's like, no way. Oh yeah, I think he's like four. How old is he? 43. So I'm 43 and he's older than me. Oh, yeah. So he's probably about 45. Jesus.

SPEAKER_01: 37:50

45, 46. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00: 37:52

It's bullshit.

SPEAKER_01: 37:54

You sure it wasn't because AJ didn't have his shirt on?

SPEAKER_00: 37:57

Oh God. He walks around with no shirts. Oh, yeah. Hey, I can brag about one thing in my life, and that's that I have a hot wife. And I knew as soon as she walked in, AJ's shirt was gonna come off. And it did. And then his shorts rolled up. Yeah. And then what did he do right when practice is over? He beelined straight towards us.

SPEAKER_01: 38:18

And you notice he took the sunglasses off and put the reading glasses on, too.

SPEAKER_04: 38:23

Yeah, to see if you're seeing it right.

SPEAKER_01: 38:28

I'm sure this part will be edited. That is so funny.

SPEAKER_00: 38:34

Well, listen, man, I really appreciate you taking the time. I know you're headstrong into the preseason, and we really look forward to watching you compete this year. I try to make it to a lot more duels and bring my son in. And but no, more so than anything, not just because you're a national champ, but because of who you are, your integrity, see you lead the team in there and practice. We'd we'd love to continue to do more NIL duels and support your journey.

SPEAKER_04: 38:57

Y'all are some good people, and I that's what I would like to surround myself with. So awesome. Absolutely, man.

SPEAKER_00: 39:01

Well, I appreciate it. Good luck on your year, Chris. Thank you for being on. Anything else you'd like to say?

SPEAKER_01: 39:06

And Trell, I just want you to know nobody expects anything. We just want to see you do the best you can be. No pressure on you. Nobody expects that from the wrestling world. And I want you to know it's an honor, and I'm so happy you won that national title. Just be the best you can be. And at the end of the day, we're gonna pat you on the back and say we're proud of you. Yeah, thank you, man. I truly appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00: 39:31

I appreciate it.