RobHowe
Administrator
Iowa Freshman Embarks on Challenging Course
Ben Kueter Attacking Two Sports
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Really excited to see his career unfold.
For whatever reason, he doesn't garner a lot of attention and flies under the radar a bit, but he's a freak and may very well be one of the best athletes we've seen at Iowa... ever. I wouldn't be shocked to see him excel at both sports.
For whatever reason, he doesn't garner a lot of attention and flies under the radar a bit, but he's a freak and may very well be one of the best athletes we've seen at Iowa... ever. I wouldn't be shocked to see him excel at both sports.
Fryowa
Administrator
Ain’t gonna happen in both.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I agree, the odds definitely are against it, but he's a rare individual. If he's a "star" in one and "good" in the other, that would still be quite the accomplishment.
Fryowa
Administrator
He’s not going to do both.
I don't see how he'll be able to fluctuate his weight to the extent being talked about. He's in the 220 lbs range now right? What's he gotta weigh to compete at heavyweight competitively? I know it's a wide ass range but a 220 lb guy can't be going against 260 plus dudes and expect to do much. The whole thing fascinates me. I'll be curious how he tries to do it. He can't just put on 30 Lbs of good weight between during football and begining wrestling season. Maybe he's talked more about all this then I've heard but it seems like an uphill climb to really do it to me.
RobHowe
Administrator
He says a couple of times in this piece that it's a process he's trying to navigate.
Odds are against him, but he should go for it.
I've heard people say he's costing himself in both sports by splitting time between the two. Who gives a shit if it makes him happy. It's his life.
Odds are against him, but he should go for it.
I've heard people say he's costing himself in both sports by splitting time between the two. Who gives a shit if it makes him happy. It's his life.
Hawkboys
Well-Known Member
My only concern, and it's for HSers too that play both, is that football usually wants to add weight and wrestling wants you to cut it. It's not good on anyone's body to go from extreme to extreme. But I do wish him well and hope he represents the black and gold well in both.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Did Brands state the goal was to have him wrestle heavyweight or is this just presumed after him putting weight on for football? I guess I don't really understand. Maybe they'll just let him wrestle at around the weight he is at. I realize they prob have him planned at a certain weight for their coaching reasons and planning for weight classes, but maybe they have a plan for the weight they might want him to wrestle at which may be a bit above whatever weight he working for football, to keep him from yo yo'ing weight. I don't know and do not know of the wrestling room plans for him.
For sure. Both coaches are on board so long as they are letting him try it who's anyone else to say he shouldn't? I just wonder how after 2 or 3 yrs or so how that'll look. Maybe he'll put on 40 lbs and end up a DE instead of a LB and that'll make wrestling heavyweight easier to navigate. If he's hoping to keep his playing weight for football at around 220 that complicates his wrestling part I would think. But he doesn't have to figure everything out yr 1. He's probably redshirting in both sports and will have a better idea after this yr how he wants to proceed.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Didn't work out for Connor McCaffrey very well. Or Brody Brecht. Just a really hard thing to navigate.
I think Charlie Ward at FSU played basketball at a reasonably good level and was a star football player, but that is pretty rare and that was a long time ago.
Generally, this only works out if its football and track. Track does not require as much of a commitment to the craft as other sports. You either run really fast or you don't, and it is a sport you can get into close to top form in a couple months of training.
I think Charlie Ward at FSU played basketball at a reasonably good level and was a star football player, but that is pretty rare and that was a long time ago.
Generally, this only works out if its football and track. Track does not require as much of a commitment to the craft as other sports. You either run really fast or you don't, and it is a sport you can get into close to top form in a couple months of training.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
The weight thing probably is a little overblown. Kueter could keep his weight around 225-230 and stay there for LB and wrestling heavyweight. He wouldn't need to have drastic fluctuations. Kyle Snyder was a multiple champion at around 220 lbs.
Fryowa
Administrator
Just to be clear, I say 100% more power to him on doing what makes him happy.
He’s an in-between weight that doesn’t exist in collegiate wrestling and can’t play football at 197 lbs. Tom Brands is not going to give a roster spot to a guy who shows up to wrestle on January 2nd. It’s not going to happen. Big Tens and Nationals start shortly after that.
Ben Kueter deserves lots of props for his determination but he’s going to be a football player. I guarantee you he knows it too.
Sidebar…even though it would have no effect on Kueter being able to wrestle and play football at the same time, the NCAA needs to add 220 as a weight class. Going straight from 197 to 285 is one of the top 5 dumbest things in sports.
He’s an in-between weight that doesn’t exist in collegiate wrestling and can’t play football at 197 lbs. Tom Brands is not going to give a roster spot to a guy who shows up to wrestle on January 2nd. It’s not going to happen. Big Tens and Nationals start shortly after that.
Ben Kueter deserves lots of props for his determination but he’s going to be a football player. I guarantee you he knows it too.
Sidebar…even though it would have no effect on Kueter being able to wrestle and play football at the same time, the NCAA needs to add 220 as a weight class. Going straight from 197 to 285 is one of the top 5 dumbest things in sports.
Fryowa
Administrator
1) Kyle Snyder also trained 24/7/365 in both freestyle and folk, and he’s a freak. Keuter’s good but he ain’t that good, especially not just showing up in January.
2) Ask Cassioppi how wrestling under 285 went for him. It wasn’t a good deal.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
I tend to agree with Fry that the likelihood of his showing up midseason in a Top 5 program and earning mat time seems pretty unlikely. The competition is pretty fierce. That said, this could benefit his football career. Engaging in a tough, physical, hand fighting and explosive alternative sport during the offseason could increase the skills he needs to be a great LB at Iowa. Let him do this for a couple years and see where it goes.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Not implying that he's Kyle Snyder. Just pointing out that you can have success being somewhat underweight if you are a good enough athlete.
It definitely will be an uphill climb for him to wrestle showing up late, but knowing Brands, if he is thinking along those lines, he would have already told him so. Brands is about as straightforward as they come. He wouldn't allow Kueter to live in a delusion.
And, I completely agree with you about adding a 220-230# wt. class, and have been saying it for years. That gap has always been ridiculous.
Fryowa
Administrator
I guarantee you Ferentz and Brands have laid out on the table for him. I was told by two different people closely associated with HWC that Kueter wasn't going anywhere to play football unless he was told he could dual sport. As in he wouldn't be at Iowa right now. It stands to reason that Ferentz wanted him and Brands took him on to get him to commit, knowing full well that Kueter is young and thinks he's superman (not an insult...that's a great trait to have in life most of the time), and he's too youthfully ignorant to understand that there's zero chance you can be elite in two different P5 sports.
I've known Tom and Terry very well since the 80s, and there is absolutely no way he would tell one of his wrestlers, "when it's football season go play football..." if he was planning on him being on the team. No way. Hawkeye wrestling is a year-round endeavor and T & T tell people that when they come for visits. They've told a lot of really, really good recruits over the years that the Iowa wrestling program isn't for them unless they are making a life commitment for 5 years. Josh Ihnen from Sheldon is one example, all-American at nebraska and won over 100 matches in the B1G, visited Iowa and wanted to wrestle there but Tom didn't think he was a fit for the way he runs the program and was honest about it.
Again, Kueter is a better dude than I'll ever be and I admire his talent and drive. 100% honest. I never had a bazillionth of his athletic or academic talent. Wish the best for him and I hope someday he gets a big NFL contract.
