I can’t wait to just be a regular college kid. Life is so easy for them. They don’t have to miss out on anything. They get to eat whenever; they get to party; and practice is never in the way of their plans. They don’t have to try to write 10-page papers after working out four times in a day.

This is a conversation that I have had with many teammates throughout my four years at N.C. State.

I always wondered what it would be like to be a normal student instead of a student athlete. Was I missing out on the college experience? Was I missing out on opportunities that could help me later in life?

Well now that my wrestling career is over, I am a regular student, and the truth is – I want to be a student athlete again.

Even if I knew in advance that I would experience the pain I have felt as a varsity athlete at State, I wouldn’t think twice about my decision to wrestle in college. Nothing could be better than the time I spent with Wolfpack wrestling.

These feelings are not due to any great wrestling success I had at State. As a college wrestler, it would be generous of someone to call me mediocre. I had potential, but after a list of injuries that would make even Grant Hill cringe and some lost confidence, I turned out to be the Ryan Leaf of wrestling recruits.

I wouldn’t trade my time wrestling because of the friendships and memories I made with my teammates. The wrestling team is very close — so, close that two of my best friends on the team were the guys that were trying to take my starting spot away from me. Even after one of them finally did, there were no hard feelings. I just wanted him to succeed, so the team would succeed.

I miss the sweat, blood and tears involved with training. I miss running the stadium stairs at Carter-Finley Stadium until I was mentally and physically broken. These are the moments that bring a team together. There is an inexplicable connection between people when they battle through adversity like that together. I miss that.

I miss the feeling of knowing I am down to weight. I miss the anticipation and the nerves that I felt before stepping on the mat. I miss competition. Without these things in my life, there is void.

In an effort to fill that void, I have tried to stay as busy as possible here at Technician. I have only been on staff here for a short time, but it has been a great time. There is nothing better than getting to talk sports with a group of guys.

I have the opportunity to see athletics at State from all perspectives. I can view stories from the view point of an athlete, or I can step back and experience events as a student and reporter. As a writer, I have even more access to some places than I did as an athlete, and I get paid to do it all. The only thing better would be still competing.

Since this is serving as my farewell to State, I have a few people I need to thank.

To use a Carter Jordan phrase, ” I would be remise” if I did not thank the athletic training staff, especially Brian Dallas, for helping me rehab and come back from two reconstructive surgeries. Without them I would not have been able to make the memories I have made.

I want to thank all my coaches for the time they spent trying to make me a better athlete and person. A special thank you goes to Bob Guzzo and Carter Jordan for believing in me from the beginning, taking a chance on me and sticking with me to the end.

One last thank you goes to the athletic academic support staff for helping me balance both school and wrestling.

I hope all the student-athletes at State realize how special of an opportunity they have, and I hope they get as much out of their time here as I have.