Aggressiveness in athletics is, in most cases, a learned behavior,
but in time it can become locked into a player’s personality. If an
athlete uses aggressiveness to achieve success and trains the mind
that way, it will become a part of his or her persona. The Brands boys
at the University of Iowa are a perfect example of that, as was Dick
Butkus on the football field.
During his three years as an All-American linebacker at the University
of Illinois and as a perennial All-Pro with the Chicago Bears, Butkus
developed a reputation for an aggressive style of play that has become
the standard for measuring all tough players in the NFL.
“The name Butkus has come to be virtually synonymous with pro
football violence,” wrote Bob Rubin (1973) in his book Football’s
Toughest Ten. Rubin said that most players in the NFL stood in awe
of him and that even his teammates didn’t know what to think of his
aloof manner and vicious play.
“When he doesn’t think something’s important, he’s shy and withdrawn,”
said Bears Coach Abe Gibron. “But then, the whistle blows and he sort
of goes crazy. In my 22 years in the league, I’ve never seen a player with
greater desire. Sometimes we have to literally pull him back in practice.
He’s a once-in-a-generation player” (Rubin 1973, 27).
That type of mental approach to the sport has its roots in environment,
and an athlete can learn it. But it probably has to come at an early age.
As a young boy growing up in Rapid City, South Dakota, Randy Lewis
received some stern advice from his father, Larry--advice that he never
forgot. The words changed the way he thought about everything,
including the sport of wrestling.
“I was about 10, and was wrestling with a boy who was a lot bigger than me,”
said Randy in 2002. “We were in my living room. He got on top of me and held
me down. I couldn’t get up. He said, ‘If you give up, I’ll let you up.’
So, I said ‘I give up.’
“My dad was watching and he took me aside and told me, ‘A Lewis never
gives up, under any circumstances. You always battle your way out of a
predicament like that.’”
Randy paused while telling the story, a serious look on his face. He went
on to say, “And I’ve never given up since. Never. In every workout and in
every match, I’ve always fought for every takedown, and every point.
Sure, I’ve lost takedowns and matches, but I’ve never given up.”
Anyone who saw Randy Lewis wrestle in high school, in college, or in
freestyle competition, all the way up through the world champion-ships
and Olympic Games, knows the truth of that statement. He was 89-0
with 83 pins in his last three years in high school, and he went on to win
junior national and junior world titles. At the University of Iowa, he was
a crowd-pleasing two-time NCAA champion, always going for the pin.
The pinnacle of his career came in 1984 when he won an Olympic
gold medal at 136.5 pounds. In the finals he outscored his opponent
from Japan, 24-11.
“I would rather lose 16-14 than win 1-0,” said Lewis. “Wrestling isn’t about
stalling and holding back; it’s about going out there, man to man, and seeing
who can score the most points. That’s what it’s all about . . . scoring as many
points as you can.”
Lewis was the perfect example of an athlete with an aggressive mind-set.
That mind-set made him a big crowd favorite during his days as a
Hawkeyes star.
“I loved to wrestle in front of those huge crowds. That really turned me on,”
said Lewis, flashing a big grin. “I wanted to go out there and entertain the
fans by scoring as many points as I could, and more than the other guy could.”
Many of the most successful stars in sport, from Muhammad Ali and Sugar
Ray Leonard in boxing to Curt Schilling in major league baseball, expressed
the same attitude. “The bigger the game, the better,” said Schilling. “I’m an
adrenaline junkie. I feed off big crowds and noise.”
Wrestlers come in many different personality types. Lewis and Wade Schalles
epitomized the colorful style of going for broke. Lee Kemp and Chris Bono liked
to control the tempo of the match and keep the score close all the way, staying
in control of their opponents and winning with a carefully executed plan.
Some of the greatest champions are by nature combat oriented, so it is no
surprise to find them performing at a high level every time they step on a mat.
For them, aggressiveness is part of their genetic makeup or their environment
acting on them. For others, being aggressive is a learned trait.
“I realized if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive,”
said Michael Jordan. “I had to get out there and go for it. I don’t believe you can
achieve anything by being passive” (Jordan 1998, 9).
No athletes personified that in the world of wrestling more than the Brands twins,
Tom and Terry. “They went all out, all the time, every match,” said Lewis, shaking
his head in appreciation. “I never saw the Brands boys back off, in practice or in a
match. Never! That’s impossible to believe for some people, but it’s true.”
“As I look back on their intensity, I’m amazed by it,” said Gable one day while
reflecting on his great stars of the past. “The Brands boys gave it their all, all
the time, every time. It’s amazing to think back on how intense they were,
it really is.”
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