Samad Al-Khatib '22 Recruiting Profile

It was Dan Gable who has been quoted to say: "hard work beats talent, when talent does not work hard." As a wrestler, I live by this quote. Never taking talent for granted, I continue to work hard to improve.  I strongly believe in a well rounded approach to the sport of wrestling. This includes, strength and conditioning, agility training, nutrition, and lots of mat time. As my coaches and parents often say: "success does not happen by accident, but, rather is a culmination of hard work, dedication, persistence, and a drive to win".  My collegiate goals are to be a National Champion. Understanding that is far easier said than done, but, like others before me, it starts with the off-season work and a laser focus. 

In the classroom I strive to learn. I clearly understand that my education is extremely important, of which, I will take no short cuts. With both my parents having advanced degrees, and my father being the first in his family to receive a college degree;  I have an obligation to myself and my family to work as hard in the class room as I do on the mat. 

As a wrestler, I compete all year around, to include both Free Style and Greco Roman. The additional styles help me to improve on my overall body position, as well as explosiveness to the take down.  I review videos of myself frequently with my coaches, trying to ensure that I improve match to match. As part of this regular evaluation is an honest assessment of my weaknesses. of which, we spend significant time addressing.  By doing this, I am committed to getting better each day, and see myself as a student of wrestling as well as a competitive athlete.