Derrick Smallwood '18 Recruiting Profile

I first started wrestling in sixth (6th) grade and found a sparked love for it. The moment I stepped on that mat marked a huge change in my life and I couldn't imagine life without wrestling. This thought of not ever having something again, especially wrestling, drives me to do the best I can do in everything. I love to help motivate, drive, and inspire my teammates. The harder I can get someone else to work the harder I work myself. That is why my wrestling style is based mostly off of attack positions. I love to take someone down and let them back up just to keep the match more fun and competitive (take down nation). I am strong on bottom and rarely find someone that can hold me down. Technique is my favorite thing to study and emphasis. My major weakness is riding top. I can ride someone for a while if I have to, but I believe that top is just a waste of energy. I take school and wrestling both with an attack approach and love to learn on and off the mat. They both have strong values to me and I push myself in both trying to push my mind and body to their limits.