How Wrestling Created The BEST Football Players | NFL Films Presents

[@medicademartin5902]

Imagine getting out of 7th period chemistry and having to wrestle RAY LEWIS 😭😭

[@terrenceharris-hughes4436]

I would have been like "Yeah I pulled something and that kid is a damn grown man built like an all pro I'm good".

[@edgoat14]

Can’t BS the sport of wrestling. If you’re slacking, you will get exposed on the mat. You can’t hide behind your teammates.

[@MilehighCLE216]

Well said!!

[@nitrox1613]

Exactly

[@XPeacefulBeastX]

Facts bro

[@josephmurphy6042]

Love it. Intensity!

[@michaelbrackman8967]

Wrestling is one of the most valuable tools a football player can have. My high school forced the football players to do one year of wrestling. It made the team better. I was a one sport athlete but thank God that sport was wrestling.

[@LightSpeed4246]

I played both sports... wrestling was hard asf compared to football. Our practices wre basically fightclub in the 90s and you wre so exhausted that getting hurt was the least of your worries.. Football felt like a breeze in comparison and the toughest players all wrestled as well.

[@rawyouout]

I knew a football dude, defensive back, who did wrestling & track. Tough mfka, only cornerback who head on tackled bigger guys, should’ve been a safety

[@MrAlexmiele8910]

@@LightSpeed4246wrestling was right after football. We went and won a state championship in football and 1 week later I was at a dual meet. I was sooooo out of shape it wasn’t even funny. Haha. Crazy how you can play a whole season of football then can’t last 2 rounds in a match. Lol

[@LightSpeed4246]

@@MrAlexmiele8910 yep... football practice was a breeze conditioning wise to wrestling. everyone who is serious about football regardless of position should also wrestle imo. our football team placed third in the highest division in Georgia in the late 90s and our star running back was my arch rival on the mat and he went on to start at cornerback for the Georgia bulldogs after one year at RB his freshman season and then got drafted in the top 3 rounds to the San Francisco 49ers and had a good NFL career.

[@MrAlexmiele8910]

@@LightSpeed4246 that’s wild man. Being from Maine, we didn’t see that quite as often haha. My arch rival from wrestling is in jail for selling drugs to kids at a high school that he worked at. 🤦‍♂️

[@CKpremium1992]

I’ve done just about every sport there is.. nothin compares to wrestling.. the best base for an athlete and 100% without a doubt the toughest and most grueling training..

[@tunptl18]

76-1 is nutty

[@michaeljames5881]

Cael Sanderson was 159-0 never lost a match in college

[@MC-ep8cu]

​@michaeljames5881 what does that have to do with his record......

[@michaeljames5881]

@@MC-ep8cu well let’s see numb nuts… The first comment said “76-1 is nutty”. Which it is. I responded back stated there’s actually a record even nuttier Cael Sanderson… maybe go back to your local community college and do some reading comprehension. Good day

[@michaelmayo2489]

@@michaeljames5881shocking news one of the best wrestlers of all time and an Olympic gold medalist is better on wrestling than a football player who also wrestled in high school

[@ButterBallTheOpossum]

​@@michaeljames5881Yeah but the coach got that record in Prep school not a D1 School like Cael.

[@pantera29palms]

Wrestled in High School…best toughness building sport ever.

[@projectc.j.j3310]

Facts. Especially when your coach is a former drill sergeant 😭

[@CA-qw1ez]

Wrestling is super legit, The football coach actually asked me in the weight room how im so big being that I was like 6’1 230 lbs, I can remember the grin on his face when I told him Im a wrestler😂😂. He put me on varsity as a sophomore. Didn’t know nothing about technique but I was strong, explosive, & quick off the line. Then when I really started lifting weights during the offseason mixed in with my wrestling. Made me near unstoppable & Junior season I led the Division in Sacks. Its a shame I didn’t have a senior year because of Covid I would’ve definitely tried going d-1. It keeps eating me from the inside especially knowing the senior lineman on my school from my sophomore year went d-1 and I was holding my own in the 1 on 1s against them. Even ended up lifting bigger numbers than them my junior year. F**k Covid.

[@lb56cj]

I was a high school wrestler and in college became friends with a previous football rival. He was 6’3 210 lb All-State tight end. I was a 5’8 160 lb All-State off the ball outside linebacker. One day in college he started shoving me around and trying to grapple, saying “come on wrestler, I can take you”. He was on his back so quickly and, for me, so effortlessly he was dumbfounded. I would NEVER have been able to do that to a 210 ex-wrestler/football player. He just didn’t have the leverage and body control despite having 50 lbs on me. Great pass catching tight end though!

[@LightSpeed4246]

someone with no grappling training will always immediately fold to a high school wrestler much less the higher levels. they don't have any sense for leverage nor the muscle memory required that any martial art demands much less something like wrestling

[@stylicho]

Did he KO you from the bottom lol

[@drunkdonutboy]

I wrestled and played football in high school. What we did for punishments in football was our day to day work outs. Best shape I've ever been in my life.

[@Mr.MikeBarksdale]

Good to see you mentioned Steven Neal. He is one of the greatest two-sport athletes in history. No one ever talks about him except those of us who know how incredible his accomplishments are.

[@JSalonsky]

Sometimes Ray Lewis is just too much 🤦🏻‍♂️😭😭 Like bro can he ever just talk normal Or does he always have to preach at you

[@KD_55]

Just sounds condescending

[@tablebang6030]

yea i mean one of the greatest defensive players of all time can condescend you all he wants lmao@@KD_55

[@alexisinsunza8120]

Its cringe. Hes a preacher and a murderer. Go figure.

[@jk38thelastsamurai55]

I’ve always said this, he can be so extra sometimes

[@campbellsims930]

Glad I’m not the only one

[@tsua8061]

“Once you’ve wrestled everything else is easy” “Everybody can punch but not everyone can wrestle”

[@RLS_91]

Man have you ever seen fight videos? Not everyone can punch either 😂

[@MbisonBalrog]

lol wrestling grappling is innate very organic.

[@BradTaylor-n8t]

@@RLS_91 Right and many good wrestlers can't punch for crap. I've seen it many times with my own eyes.

[@RLS_91]

@@MbisonBalrog yeah I disagree. Most people are clueless when it comes to grappling.

[@RealFuckingReviews]

It's more or less the complete opposite. Grappling is very natural, Nothing natural about getting your face caved in.

[@WeylandLabs]

I'm 43 years old, in high school I wrestled collegian and won my division, lost state 189lbs. I have never been fat / thicc a little - never fat, its still easy to lose body fat complex the older you get but still easy. That physical mindset and grit endurance when your body wants to stop your mind says no. Wrestling was the best training i ever had in my life for that im still in great shape.

[@roo2127]

FYI there are many exceptional NFL players who wrestled. Roddy White (WR) 2x state champ Tikki Barber Ronde Barber Teddy Bruschi Tony Seragusa There is a lists out there one can find by searching NFL players who wrestled in HS and it is clear that wrestling definitely helps with football.

[@MrPughsley]

Just showed my son this video before wrestling practice in the parking lot. It had him turned up 🤣😂🤣😂💪🏾❤️

[@drstafford4194]

Roddy was an exceptional wrestler at JIHS.

[@chuckgreen3629]

Stephen Neal, world and NCAA champ that didn't even play football in college Carlton Haselrig, record 6x NCAA championships, also didn't play in college but made the Pro Bowl

[@roo2127]

@@chuckgreen3629 It makes such a difference.

[@EverettBurger]

Carlton Hesslrig. Six time NCAA wrestling Champ. Many years with the Steelers.

[@Randy4712]

Former KC Chief defensive tackle, and SB4 champion, Curley Culp was the NCAA heavyweight champion wrestler at ASU. He wrestled for Yuma Union High School, home of...believe it or not, the Criminals

[@terrenceharris-hughes4436]

Really? They actually allowed that (referring to the team mascot).

[@DDarkness]

I remember coming from football to my first wrestling practice and it was night and day.

[@MbisonBalrog]

Be the same other way around. Plus wrestlers have weight classes.

[@bishopwhitaker1288]

That first day is always terrible 😂

[@joeyd199]

I cannot love this video enough. I won 3 state medals in PA during HS, wrestled in college, and train now towards belts in judo and BJJ. The skills from a lifetime on the mat have made the transition to other martial arts that much smoother. My HS room had a lot of football players (all sizes) in it and I know they all benefitted.

[@ChrisTalksMMA]

All of the best linemen and defensive players at my high wrestled. Conditioning, toughness, hand fighting, double leg = tackle. Just a great sport to make tough people and great football players.

[@MbisonBalrog]

How wrestling help you chase down RB and WR. The leg takedown execution in wrestling be different. In Football it’s one and done. You miss you miss. In wrestling you can grind it out

[@ChrisTalksMMA]

@@MbisonBalrog that’s just one situation. If you’re a linemen and you wrestle, you get plenty of reps working on leverage, base, hand fighting, and head positioning. I never even played football but my teammates (some who play D1 football now) said wrestling helped. Also these NFL players said it helped

[@mr.brenman2132]

​@@MbisonBalrog No you can't. There are small margins of error in wrestling. We see guys let go of guys in football all the time. They don't have that grip strength or wrestling strength in general. They can't execute a tackle. Wrestling requires technique and mental and physical toughness. Perfect for football.

[@MbisonBalrog]

You can develop all that by just drilling. You dont need go join wrestling team. The tech is different anyways. Wrestling just keeps you busy if you cant play hockey or basketball.@@ChrisTalksMMA

[@ChrisTalksMMA]

@@MbisonBalrog whatever you say. You’re clearly not gonna be open to change. Just don’t listen to Ray Lewis, Tristan Wirfs, Sean McDermot, Warren Sapp, etc

[@Michael-dj9zq]

Tony Siragusa was a high school state champion wrestler from New Jersey RIP Goose

[@antoniooliver4895]

Where I’m from , if you played football you wrestled, and vice versa. I wrestled in HS but played college football. Wrestlers for life!

[@dweez4703]

For me it was track, but everybody knows u don’t mess with wrestlers

[@antoniooliver4895]

@@dweez4703 Track was big I did track too.

[@shanehunsicker103]

I'm from western NJ. We had to wrestle too haha! But I played football in college. My son ran track and football in HS

[@MatthiaGryffine]

I always wondered how good Sumo wreslers would be on the Offensive line

[@PRichards1981]

Way too big. Cant move well enough

[@420JackG]

Sumo is really hand heavy, which is theoretically good for something like O line, but sumo is also a system very akin to sport fencing in that the footwork is predominantly engage-disengage oriented and that really doesn't lend itself to things like block commitment. Those are hard habits to break and weird muscle groups to re-train... there's a lot of injury potential in trying to unlearn and redevelop muscle memory below the knees. Just learning to run in cleats is a big deal once you're over about 20. And we're talking about those ticky-tacky lingering sprains and partial tears that football is already known to be bad for and prone to. It's a whole new set of concepts that are sorta philosophically at odds with sumo doctrine. Also, I'm pretty sure that Sumo wrestlers make a lot of money. They are salaried club employees. A middling guy gets like 3 grand a month and an apartment, and that's in addition to prize money, purses, and tournament appearance payments. Thus, the average sumo can expect to net an extra 100 grand or so a year. I think there's a good reason we don't see a bunch of football linemen trying to enter sumo tournaments to chase quick money, and I think it's probably a skillset and doctrine thing.

[@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw]

@@PRichards1981that’s a lie

[@roguekoala71]

It worked out well in The Replacements 😂

[@RoyalMela]

Hidetora Hanada, 6'1" 280lbs plays for Colorado State. Not a massive guy. He became a sumo Yokozuna.

[@zanemcpherson1558]

Another thing wrestling also helps with proper tackling so you dont hurt the other player and you

[@jstewlly4747]

Also Roddy White was a great wrestler like state champ good

[@davejones8306]

Carlton Lee Haselrig (January 22, 1966 - July 22, 2020) was an American heavyweight wrestler and National Football League (NFL) player. Haselrig wrestled for University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He is the only person to ever win six NCAA titles in wrestling, three times in Division II and three times in Division I. His three-peat of Division II and Division I NCAA National Championships were won in 1987, 1988, and 1989. All six championships were won for Pitt-Johnstown.[1] Haselrig then moved on to professional football, where he played five seasons in the NFL, becoming a Pro Bowl offensive guard in 1992.

[@6thmichcav262]

What I learned from wrestling was that I was slow and weak and tried to think too much. But I had great strategy and stamina! Once I got done with my one good move, I would get pinned and pop up fresh as a daisy. 🤣

[@yesfinallygot1]

LOL that was my experience too 😂

[@K2mtp]

Haha

[@Mma-basement-215]

Yeah wrestling is the truth and it definitely helps in football half my highschool football team we wrestled... it translate so well to the game of football no question... Fly Eagles Fly 🦅

[@Dubl.R]

There's NO way you did this piece without including the best FB in NFL History and former NCAA D1 Wrestler AND Running Back Lorenzo Neal! He was a BEAST on the mat at Lemoore HS & Fresno State.

[@mr.brenman2132]

Schools need to *STOP* getting rid of wrestling programs.

[@ws8061]

It's because of title 9, I've gotta think with how popular the sport is getting with women we will see programs coming back but it may just be women's teams 😭. Title 9 is dumb.

[@mr.brenman2132]

@ws8061 absurd considering the men bring in all the money.

[@Dmac_77]

Bro won 3 superbowls and a wrestling world championship then became a highschool wrestling coach

[@JuanSilva-ym9pf]

Not just any high school, Poway is a powerhouse wrestling school in CA. Like having DC coaching Gilroy HS, having Neal coach Poway is almost unfair, those guys are unreal.

[@JonIronhorse]

Most wrestlers are humble and self-sacrificing. Neal is giving back to our sport and should be commended. Fantastic dude.

[@joemadonia6060]

I'm not a Raven's fan. But 52 wearing purple is my favorite player of all time.

[@MattG60173]

Chad Greenway was a dog 💪

[@guillermomaguire5394]

Played D3 football. Weighed 170. Started at weak side defensive tackle ( so back then, typically 50 to 60 pound disadvantage). Good coach used me correctly. 9 years of wrestling made that possible. Ended up switching back to wrestling my senior year in college. Everything these guys said about how you feel the other football player is 100% correct. That doesn't go away, either. Played quarterback in high school.

[@Jaison96]

As a high school wrestler, I can say this is true

[@MbisonBalrog]

Have you ever even played football?

[@Jaison96]

@@MbisonBalrog Yes in high school same level as you

[@LightSpeed4246]

played both sports... wrestling is by far the tougher sport. a bunch of effin physchos as well as coaches. at least where i wrestled at. our football team was voted best in the 90 in 92 as well and we produced P5 D1 talent every year.

[@MbisonBalrog]

LOL no way. In US HS wrestling has lot of kid friendly and safe rules. American Football is a lot rougher with higher chance of injury. In HS wrestling you cannot even pick up the opponent and slam hard. @@LightSpeed4246

[@__human_]

Wrestling was the greatest thing I’ve ever done. Definitely gonna be putting my son to the sport one day.

[@Randallwolfshield]

McDermott could be Bill Burr’s brother.

[@JohnLee-ip4ul]

Rumor has it he was good with knives, and destroying evidence too. What a man!

[@RobertMJohnson]

"Once you've wrestled, everything in life is easier." - Dan Gable

[@Tagerrun]

Now just imagine there’s a bunch of guys in the nation who could beat ray and dominate him like he did to the lesser competition. That’s how tough wrestling is. PA wrestling is like Texas football it’s a culture and a mindset.

[@DrystHawk]

I think Ray watches too much gladiator😂 great movie though👍

[@WilliamsWrestlin]

Big linemen should Greco Roman Wrestle while linebackers, tight ends, running backs and Safeties wrestle freestyle

[@mingyu-0129]

D-line Should be a Freestyle or Folkstyle

[@twinzvs]

Such a great thing for the sport thank you NFL!

[@misterclean2821]

I always thought that maybe at the end of practice they should make all the players have a wrestling tournament just too add physicality and better tackling technique

[@mingyu-0129]

Stephen Neal may be the best fighter of all NFL players. World champion in the 285lb class? This is insane.

[@alod247]

Wrestling is a great foundational sport for athletes. Builds great strength, stamina, toughness and gets you comfortable with physicality/ being uncomfortable. Bud Crawford is the best boxer in the world partly because of his wrestling background.

[@JerseysFinest973]

I’ve always told everyone wrestling makes you a better football player and I always loved doing both. Football in the summer and wrestling in the winter, footwork, stance, level change, power from the legs it’s insane

[@MbisonBalrog]

In NJ football played in fall.

[@jakeb8838]

The Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania is the hardest area in the whole country for wrestling. District 11 produces a ton of state champs

[@CheemDawg0]

Stick out my tongue and just look at him while I’m pinning him is crazy 😂😂😂😂

[@garrettpavlich6163]

Y’all forgot about the boy Will Compton. Missouris finest.

[@mugenchamplooo]

2:57 cant forget that "former" lmao

[@dominuslimo4147]

3:26 they didn’t do it for Bill Belichick though lol

[@JonIronhorse]

Neal, Gregg, Haselrig, Lewis, the list goes on. Best sport in the world.

[@dionr1168]

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call Wrestling, not that thing Hulk Hogan does.

[@ericrodriguez5499]

40th Anniversary of Hulkamania

[@dionr1168]

@@ericrodriguez5499 Hulkamania was cool for us kids growing up in the 80s and 90s and all, but that's still not wrestling.

[@Yoni123]

Yes it is. Its Professional wrestling. Different thing obviously but both are called wrestling and have the same origin.

[@dionr1168]

@@Yoni123 Only the version that's real is Wrestling. The scripted version is either called Rasslin, or "That Thing Hulk Hogan Does."

[@Yoni123]

It's called Professional Wrestling actually@@dionr1168

[@RealRap501]

Wrestling changed my life

[@Loquacious_Jackson]

Show me on the doll where "wrestling" touched you.

[@dobfeldman5026]

Great video. Ton of interview footage well edited

[@MF_DOOMer]

The closer you play to the LOS, the more a wrestling background aids you

[@MbisonBalrog]

How wrestling is slower paced? You get 3 rnds to gain and preserve lead. Be poor strategy to attack like at scrimmage line

[@clee3352]

I wanted to wrestle so bad in high school to go along with football and powerlifting. But having skin problems + seeing all my friends get ringworm and whatnot made me decide not to. One of my biggest regrets looking back 10+ years..

[@nathangoode1089]

Wrestling and linebacker are a good combo

[@Loquacious_Jackson]

Wrestling is bad for American youth

[@mingyu-0129]

The 215 lb weight class would be a good fit for a linebacker, and the 285 lb weight class would be a good fit for a D-Line

[@tonytaylor8198]

Fred Smerlas great wrestler and football player

[@Robert-dt4is]

Football definitely made me a better football player

[@jesselowe9374]

Once I got into grappling, I noticed how wrestling and football tie together. What's interesting is that Mike Tolbert used boxing to improve his football.

[@philh2932]

Stephen Neal was one of the only people to beat Brock Lesnar in Wrestling. He didn’t play football in college but went on to play offensive line for the Patriots and won a Superbowl with them..

[@GUIA1776]

This is why I push my boys so hard in wrestling

[@mwithers13]

Taking another man’s body and placing it on the floor with brute strength and leverage wonders for your mindset!

[@Bojackson.34]

Once you’ve done wrestling and were somewhat successful everything else in life is ez

[@Ascared]

After wrestling life is easy

[@stayfrostyg7075]

It’s big facts tho 135 distinct champ in 2009

[@K1nGD0nn1e86]

Damn Ray is going bald 😢. I bet he could fire you up just by talking about what's for dinner to 😂😂😂😂😂 always something motivational 😂😂😂

[@EdwardKeefe]

Does Ray ever talk and not sound like a preacher?

[@kcmiles9832]

Stephen Neal (Cal State Bakersfield wrestling, 2x NCAA champ, and World Champion).

[@sylvan47070]

Powerful ending from Ray Lewis.

[@caytonhopson3200]

Wrestling is a different breed.

[@eymoose]

4:28 Oh god… I wrestled poway back in 2010. Wish I didn’t

[@HacksawJimThuggin]

I've never wrestled, but I've gotten into because of my sons. I don't think you will find a more complete athlete than a wrestler.

[@DreTooDope]

I love Rey but i couldn’t be around Rey with the preaching lmao

[@ryanyoder2694]

He always had that “killer” instinct 😂

[@terrenceharris-hughes4436]

I feel like Diggs tried to challenge Sean in practice

[@ralphpeck6927]

The skills and feels of wrestling and football are very compatable But, the biggest thing is the process. To be successful in wrestling you have to be very honest with yourself, you have to know your weaknesses and figure out how to develop them. Trying to be perfect when you know you can never be develops a mental toughness that makes it possible to compete at anything

[@erichood3169]

Wrestling will make you better at anything. It is the ultimate body control sport. Of your body and your opponents. If you get in a fight with a wrestler your going to lose.

[@DWilliam1]

I wrestled and played football in HS and wrestling was a lot tougher.

[@013Cosmos]

I miss wrestling ❤

[@ScottTaylor-ru3hi]

I played football to get in shape for wrestling season. I had to get in better shape during wrestling.

[@UuU1001.]

4:20, I thought he looked/sounded familiar. He beat Brock lesnar in a wrestling match

[@samodam5487]

Poway getting glazed as usual

[@PancakeSelma]

I was a football player .. quickly fell for the sport of wrestling.

[@terrenceharris-hughes4436]

Wish my high school had a team

[@joshhughes8493]

*clicking on video* HOW THROWING A BALL AGAINST A WALL HELPED NFL PLAYERS. Ray Lewis: “Throwing that ball is for the men no one wanted to throw the ball against me it was coming just like I was coming”

[@calebroe8990]

1:04 I’m sure Wirfs was a pretty good wrestler but that looked like straight out of a middle school/ JV match lol

[@xq8152]

Former and future, looking at Kittle.

[@nfranklin997]

imagine garth brooks and ray lewis having a conversation

[@K5fromthenorf]

That’s why wrestling creates Monsters 👿 like Ray Lewis

[@kevthegoat8774]

Stephen Neal and Carlton Haselrig are the best wrestlers to have ever been in the NFL. I'd take them two in their prime over ANY other NFL players and the majority of athletes in a fight.

[@scopio39]

I would say yes! But damn it if I wasn’t screaming “any dogs in the house,” for like 10 years straight lol! 😂 But yeah he extra!

[@keysersoze5920]

Curley Culp.

[@macblunts19]

I been saying if you want to make the game of football safer make these teams do a wrestling practice atleast 1 time a week and during training camps, they don’t have to learn everything about wrestling but learn how to properly take somone down

[@johnnycage435]

I rember my first day on the matt I threw up 🤮 & I was so sore

[@kylechristian6902]

The damn lions need to learn how to wrestle this off season. Hard to comprehend being a professional defense and tackle as bad as they do

[@patrickreirden4973]

That's me getting manhandled by Tristan wirfs in the thumbnail 😂

[@Normal6755]

A big Serengeti fan 😂😂😂

[@jimcollectcards1830]

When you got workouts like doing a mile buddy carry or wrestling multiple 2030 minute matches and practice along with making weight 2 to 3 times a week the strength conditioning and mental toughness needed to wrestle outweigh all other sports

[@jameskim1505]

Oh it's Bad Day

[@maliklowry1236]

Lol, they already have Staley as "former coach" like it was filmed just before he was fired..😂

[@jeremyarodriguez]

McDermott was dominant