One Crazy Night For Nahshon Garrett
One Crazy Night For Nahshon Garrett
While wrestling for Cornell Nahshon Garrett has garnered All-American honors on three occassions.
He grew up in Chico, California with no father, a substance-abusing mother, and seven brothers and sisters, including twin brother Isaac.
Somewhere along the line Nahshon and Isaac drifted in separate directions and while Nahshon got into wrestling and things that took his life to positive places, just the opposite was happening to Isaac. Constantly finding himself surrounded with drama and trouble, Isaac was headed down the wrong path.
The relationship between Nahshon, Isaac and their mother is unique. Nahshon is the responsible one who has it together; the one who looks after and cares for the others. He feels like he is the parent of the three.
At some point Nahshon had to make the decision to leave his family and move to New York. And that was tough for him. To leave behind not only the ones he loved, but the ones who loved him and, realistically, needed him the most.
He was a lifeboat in the teeth of the storm.
But ultimately that was the right choice. To pack his stuff, head across the country and do what’s best for him.
And that wasn’t easy. He dealt with a lot of struggles when he got to Ithaca, being away from home for the first time and feeling alone.
But eventually he made the adjustments to college life and found a family in Cornell Wrestling. He had success right away, placing third in the NCAA’s as a freshman.
While things were getting better for Nahshon, they were getting worse for Isaac. He was getting involved with a lot of drinking and drugs. During the winter of Nahshon’s freshman year he almost drank himself to death.
After the NCAA Championships that year Nahshon went to Chico to visit Isaac and found things spiraling out of control. He was soon confronted with the choice about what to do with his brother. He decided to bring him back to live with him in Ithaca.
One night on that trip home, things got crazy.
Around 2:00am out in the streets of Chico among a group of people, things started to escalate.
It began with Isaac and a girl getting into a fight. Nahshon grabbed his brother, pulled him away and put him on the ground to try and calm him. Nahshon said Isaac was, “Just out of his mind, I’ve never seen him like this before”
The next thing Nahshon knew, “A girl comes up and kicks him. I’m pushing people away, other people are starting to fight. I feel like I’m in a movie, I feel like this is a scene out of a film.
"And it gets crazier too," Nahshon continued. "I grab him and take him over because I’m just trying to get us out of here. 'Isaac stop, what are you doing? You have to understand what you’re doing'. I’m like choking him like I’m gonna kill him, I feel like I’m gonna kill him.”
After finally getting his brother up and thinking things had settled Nahshon recalls, “As I start taking him over this couple walks by and then Isaac said something to one of the girls. Then they said something back, then her boyfriend got involved and then all of the sudden I got a knife pulled out on me.”
The next thing he knows, “One of my cousins was there, had a jacket in my truck, goes to the jacket and pulls out a gun! I’m like ‘what is going on here?'” Nahshon said.
“I’m standing on the street looking at all the stuff," he continued. "There’s girls getting the crap beat out of them by these big dudes. I’m sitting on the street thinking ‘What the heck have I gotten myself into? If I’m gonna die, this isn’t my life. What the heck am I doing here?'”
After that night Nahshon told Isaac there was no way he could bring him back to New York. No way he could bring that trouble into his life. According to Nahshon, “It broke his heart man, it broke his heart.”
But he just couldn’t leave his brother there in that environment.
“I went against everything everyone told me. Any mentors in my life, every fiber of my being, coach Koll they said, ‘Do not bring him out here.’
But Nahshon said he just "couldn’t live with something happening to (Isaac) and not having tried."
Sure enough Nahshon brought Isaac back to New York.
And sure enough, things didn't work out. Isaac ended up moving back to California.
Nahshon Garrett is a deeply caring individual with a heavy heart. And he was thinking with his heart when he decided to bring Isaac to New York. Unfortunately, as predicted, it was the wrong choice. But he made that choice because he cares so much about his brother.
I feel for the guy.
In hearing him speak about his life and all of the ups and downs he has been through, I was amazed at how calm and relaxed Nahshon was.
He is very thoughtful and reflective. Soft-spoken and humble, he’s got this seemingly never-ending positive attitude and outlook.
For someone who has been through such a wild ride, to find a way out and to make so much of himself is remarkable. I have no doubt that being an All-American or NCAA Champion will pale in comparison when we look back at all Nahshon achieves in his life. This guy’s got big things ahead.
Sky’s the limit.
Learn more about Nahshon's life in the FloFilms original series:
WATCH: The Life of Nahshon Garrett
This Sunday Nahshon and Cornell will compete at Grapple at the Garden, you can catch all the action LIVE here on FloWrestling
He grew up in Chico, California with no father, a substance-abusing mother, and seven brothers and sisters, including twin brother Isaac.
Somewhere along the line Nahshon and Isaac drifted in separate directions and while Nahshon got into wrestling and things that took his life to positive places, just the opposite was happening to Isaac. Constantly finding himself surrounded with drama and trouble, Isaac was headed down the wrong path.
The relationship between Nahshon, Isaac and their mother is unique. Nahshon is the responsible one who has it together; the one who looks after and cares for the others. He feels like he is the parent of the three.At some point Nahshon had to make the decision to leave his family and move to New York. And that was tough for him. To leave behind not only the ones he loved, but the ones who loved him and, realistically, needed him the most.
He was a lifeboat in the teeth of the storm.
But ultimately that was the right choice. To pack his stuff, head across the country and do what’s best for him.
And that wasn’t easy. He dealt with a lot of struggles when he got to Ithaca, being away from home for the first time and feeling alone.
But eventually he made the adjustments to college life and found a family in Cornell Wrestling. He had success right away, placing third in the NCAA’s as a freshman.
While things were getting better for Nahshon, they were getting worse for Isaac. He was getting involved with a lot of drinking and drugs. During the winter of Nahshon’s freshman year he almost drank himself to death.
After the NCAA Championships that year Nahshon went to Chico to visit Isaac and found things spiraling out of control. He was soon confronted with the choice about what to do with his brother. He decided to bring him back to live with him in Ithaca.
One night on that trip home, things got crazy.
Around 2:00am out in the streets of Chico among a group of people, things started to escalate.
It began with Isaac and a girl getting into a fight. Nahshon grabbed his brother, pulled him away and put him on the ground to try and calm him. Nahshon said Isaac was, “Just out of his mind, I’ve never seen him like this before”
The next thing Nahshon knew, “A girl comes up and kicks him. I’m pushing people away, other people are starting to fight. I feel like I’m in a movie, I feel like this is a scene out of a film.
"And it gets crazier too," Nahshon continued. "I grab him and take him over because I’m just trying to get us out of here. 'Isaac stop, what are you doing? You have to understand what you’re doing'. I’m like choking him like I’m gonna kill him, I feel like I’m gonna kill him.”After finally getting his brother up and thinking things had settled Nahshon recalls, “As I start taking him over this couple walks by and then Isaac said something to one of the girls. Then they said something back, then her boyfriend got involved and then all of the sudden I got a knife pulled out on me.”
The next thing he knows, “One of my cousins was there, had a jacket in my truck, goes to the jacket and pulls out a gun! I’m like ‘what is going on here?'” Nahshon said.
“I’m standing on the street looking at all the stuff," he continued. "There’s girls getting the crap beat out of them by these big dudes. I’m sitting on the street thinking ‘What the heck have I gotten myself into? If I’m gonna die, this isn’t my life. What the heck am I doing here?'”
After that night Nahshon told Isaac there was no way he could bring him back to New York. No way he could bring that trouble into his life. According to Nahshon, “It broke his heart man, it broke his heart.”
But he just couldn’t leave his brother there in that environment.
“I went against everything everyone told me. Any mentors in my life, every fiber of my being, coach Koll they said, ‘Do not bring him out here.’
But Nahshon said he just "couldn’t live with something happening to (Isaac) and not having tried."
Sure enough Nahshon brought Isaac back to New York.
And sure enough, things didn't work out. Isaac ended up moving back to California.
Nahshon Garrett is a deeply caring individual with a heavy heart. And he was thinking with his heart when he decided to bring Isaac to New York. Unfortunately, as predicted, it was the wrong choice. But he made that choice because he cares so much about his brother.
I feel for the guy.
In hearing him speak about his life and all of the ups and downs he has been through, I was amazed at how calm and relaxed Nahshon was.
He is very thoughtful and reflective. Soft-spoken and humble, he’s got this seemingly never-ending positive attitude and outlook.
For someone who has been through such a wild ride, to find a way out and to make so much of himself is remarkable. I have no doubt that being an All-American or NCAA Champion will pale in comparison when we look back at all Nahshon achieves in his life. This guy’s got big things ahead.
Sky’s the limit.
Learn more about Nahshon's life in the FloFilms original series:
WATCH: The Life of Nahshon Garrett
This Sunday Nahshon and Cornell will compete at Grapple at the Garden, you can catch all the action LIVE here on FloWrestling