At the beginning of his freshman year in high school, redshirt junior wrestler Darrius Little had never even thought of wrestling at the high school level, much less the collegiate level.
He participated in three different sports during his freshman year: basketball, track and field and football.But Little said wrestling was something he just stumbled upon after a friend told him about trying out.
“One of my boys was a wrestler in high school,” Little said. “When I was in middle school one of my friends kept telling me that I should try the sport, and I didn’t really want to until I finally tried out my freshman year. I started really enjoying it, so I stuck with it.”
While his mother has always been a supporter, Little said she initially was not a big fan of him wrestling at N.C. State. Many of Little’s family members are supporters of UNC-Chapel Hill, making it difficult for them to support a member of the Wolfpack.
“My family is Carolina all the way,” Little said. “A lot of family members attend, or have attended, Carolina. So when I chose N.C. State, they weren’t exactly thrilled at first, but they have always been supportive. They are behind me 100 percent now.”
In fact, Little’s uncle, Wiley Little, is actually a former wrestler for the Tarheels. And after being dismissed from the junior varsity basketball team in high school, Little credits his friends, as well as his uncle, as the reason he began wrestling.
“I had always heard that my uncle was a wrestler throughout middle school, but I had never really gotten into it because I played track and football,” Little said. “But then when I started wrestling, my uncle gave me some advice along the way.”
So far this year, Little has gone undefeated against ACC opponents, which is something he has not been able to accomplish during his first three years at State. While an undefeated conference record is not everything in wrestling, it can help a wrestler gain a much higher seed during the ACC Championships in March.
Coach Carter Jordan said Little’s 19-6 record this year is no fluke, but rather an example of what hard work can do for a wrestler.
“This sport, more than any other sport, is incredibly mentally challenging,” Jordan said. “Darrius [Little] has a lot more pressure on him this year due to expectations. But, instead of folding, he has been working harder than he ever has, asking more questions than he ever has, and it is showing out there when he wrestles.”
In years past, Little has had difficulty with his weight class, not only winning matches, but also with keeping his weight down. His career record entering this season was 36-33 in the 133-pound weight class, but that record has improved drastically with his performance so far this season.
Little said it is not only easier competing in his new weight class, but the move from 133 pounds to 141 has also helped him find a new love for wrestling.
“The reason why I moved up initially was because there was a spot to fill,” Little said. “But now that I have moved up, I’m finding that I’m enjoying not having to worry as much about what I eat. Sometimes I get kind of greedy and want to eat whatever, so moving up a weight class has helped me enjoy this season a lot more.”
Little says he has loved the sport of wrestling since he began in high school, but he has enjoyed this season much more. Harnessing new skills the coaching staff has taught him has been one of the contributing factors toward Little’s success.
“My biggest reason why I’m doing a lot better is the coaching staff,” Little said. “Having their support and having them behind me is a big help. They are doing a great job and I really appreciate all of their support.”
Pack fans can come out and see Little wrestle as he aims for his 20th win of the season Saturday in Reynolds Coliseum as State takes on Campbell at 4 p.m. and Ohio at 7 p.m.
