Weight cutting in the sport of wrestling is pretty much a given unless you are a heavyweight. It’s just a part of wrestling that makes our great sport tougher and more challenging. Some wrestlers are good weight cutters and others “suck” at it.

I was one of those wrestlers that always made weight and usually cut a lot of weight. I had it down to a science, I thought.

There was one time, however, in my college career that I would not have made weight but for the help of Dave Schultz. It was my senior year and I had just won the semis of the Big 10 Tournament. I went to check my weight and I was five pounds over. I had two hours to lose it. That was ample time to put plastics on, run, jump rope, and ride the bike. (That was back in the day when you had to weigh out on Saturday night to compete on Sunday. It also was the time when we wore plastics and sat in saunas). A one hour run, bike ride, and jump rope workout, and the five pounds would be shed.

During this hour, I got a serious headache from a wicked sinus infection that I had. My body
completely shut down. After an hour I was still 1.2 pounds over and feeling terrible. I went to the sauna and sat for thirty minutes, checked my weight again, and I was still .5 over. I was mentally and physically broken. I told Schultzy, “I don’t think I can make weight.”

Schultzy grabbed my hand and ran me back to the sauna. He took off his sweatpants and sweatshirt and jumped into the sauna with me. We started hand fighting so I could break a sweat. There was no other person in the world that I would have gotten back into that sauna for except my hero Schultzy. He kept me in the hot box for twenty eight minutes encouraging me to “hang tough”.

I was .2 under with just one minute to spare.

I went on to win my first Big 10 title the following day. At that time I realized Schultzy helped me reach my goal, but I did not realize until later that he was teaching me how to be a coach and a better man.

Making weight is about accountability and discipline. The first time a wrestler does not make weight is the hardest. Every time after that it becomes a little bit easier and a little more habit forming to not make weight.

Later in life these same tendencies come into play. A lot of kids and parents nowadays want to take the easy way out. Schultzy formed my values by holding me accountable. In
today’s world we need more people that will hold themselves accountable and leaders that will set the right example.

I try to do the same with my wrestlers today from what I learned from Schultzy. If I notice my wrestlers are down in the dumps, I will encourage them. I will lead them, drill with them, and push them to work harder. Also when my guys get done cutting weight I will give them back rubs just like Schultzy gave me. (I swear Schultzy could give the best back rubs west of the Mississippi).

Schultzy had an uncanny way of knowing when to step in and help his wrestlers. Those wrestlers responded to Schultzy. He was The Man!


About the Author:
This is a multi-part series about Dave Schultz written by Jeff Jordan. This is article four.

Jeff is currently in his fourteenth year as head coach at Saint Paris Graham.
-14x state champs
-2x National Champs
-Owner and operator of the Jeff Jordan State Champ Wrestling Camps


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