Ohio State's J Jaggers back for more, looking to repeat as NCAA champion
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by Craig Sesker
In the photo: A bad ankle and a black eye didn't stop J Jaggers from winning the NCAA title at 141 pounds last season.
Shortly after Tom Ryan was hired as the wrestling coach at Ohio State in 2006, J Jaggers was among a group of Buckeye wrestlers who were asked to make a significant sacrifice.
Ryan asked them if they would be willing to restructure their athletic scholarships and take less money.
That would allow the program to build more depth while trying to split up the 9.9 full scholarships the NCAA allows each Division I school for wrestling.
Jaggers, one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, agreed to take less money. So did every other returning scholarship athlete on the OSU roster. Less than two years later, the move already started paying dividends when the Buckeyes finished second at the 2008 NCAA Championships.
Jaggers won an NCAA title last March. So did Mike Pucillo, an athlete OSU landed in large part because of the scholarship money Jaggers and his teammates agreed to give back.
"It was a group sacrifice, and it paid off," Jaggers said. "We all gave money back. That's what we needed to do to get a guy like Pucillo. There were about 8 to 10 guys that gave back. I was tired of going into dual meets and only winning 3 out of 10 matches. When Coach Ryan asked us if we were willing to sacrifice, we said we will do whatever it takes to start winning more matches."
When Ryan was hired to replace Russ Hellickson in the spring of 2006, Jaggers was among the wrestlers who embraced the change in the coaching staff.
A member of the school's Search Committee for a new head coach, Jaggers endorsed the hiring of Ryan along with assistant coaches Lou Rosselli, Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett.
Jaggers has thrived under the current OSU coaching staff. He placed seventh in the 2007 NCAA tournament before winning a national title in 2008 at 141 pounds.
"J wins the old-fashioned way, he works hard," Ryan said. "He has a strong inner belief system and he's very good at peaking for big events. He loves the sport and has a deep passion for the sport. And he loves to practice. It's great to have one of your studs pushing so hard in practice."
Jaggers said Ryan, who came to Ohio State after a successful run at Hofstra, was the perfect guy to lead the Buckeye program.
"Tom Ryan is one of the most passionate guys about the sport that you will ever see," Jaggers said. "He will spend 100 man hours if it means getting four extra people in the stands to watch us. He loves Ohio State. He acts like a guy who went to school here and grew up 10 minutes away from the campus. It's great to see."
Ryan said guys like Jaggers, who is from Northfield, Ohio, made his transition to OSU much easier.
"J bought in immediately when the new staff came in," Ryan said. "From Day 1, he was a believer. He completely embraced the change in staff and he gave a big chunk of his scholarship back to help the program. That's the type of guy J is."
Much of Jaggers' development on the mat is a direct result of his relationship with Rosselli, a past Olympian who also has served as a U.S. World Team coach in freestyle wrestling.
"I didn't know Lou at all when he came in here," Jaggers said. "From Day 1 that Lou got on campus, he's been the most influential person with my wrestling. I agree with everything he says wholeheartedly. Lou's technique is the best I've ever seen. His outlook on the sport and what he thinks it takes to win is refreshing to hear. We hit it off right away."
Rosselli's impact was most noticeable when the sixth-seeded Jaggers made a surprising run to the 2008 NCAA title in St. Louis.
Jaggers actually lost his very first postseason match of 2008 - a 6-2 setback to Minnesota's Manuel Rivera in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championships - before storming back to place third.
"Losing to Rivera, he's a stud, so there was no shame in that," Jaggers said. "I beat him in a dual two weeks before that. Once I got that loss out of my system, I avenged a loss to (Iowa's Dan) LeClere and came back to take third. I really felt I was going in the right direction going into nationals."
Jaggers was not considered one of the favorites when the NCAA brackets were released the Monday before the biggest tournament of the season.
Cal Poly's Chad Mendes was seeded No. 1, followed by Hofstra's Charles Griffin and Big Ten champion Kellen Russell of Michigan.
"The number next to my name on the bracket sheet didn't make much of a difference to me," Jaggers said. "I was comfortable with the draw I had. Someone had to stand on top of the podium, so why shouldn't it be me? I felt I deserved it because I work as hard as anyone else."
Jaggers followed his plan as the No. 6 seed at nationals. He opened with a pair of wins over unseeded wrestlers before matching up with Russell, a talented freshman, in the quarterfinals. Jaggers earned a 5-3 win over the No. 3 seed.
He followed with an 11-9 win over the second-seeded Griffin in the semifinals.
One of the most memorable matches of the 2008 NCAA finals came at 141 when Jaggers outlasted Mendes 5-2 in the finals.
Late in the match, Jaggers was in the top position when Mendes grabbed the left ankle of Jaggers. The ankle bent awkwardly and Jaggers screamed in agony as he heard something pop.
Following an injury timeout, Jaggers was able to finish the final 16 seconds of the match. He hobbled off the mat in obvious pain after his arm was raised as NCAA champion.
"It obviously was very painful - I tore two ligaments," said Jaggers, who initially thought he had broken his ankle. "It was like my ankle was slowly being torqued, like a rubber band stretching to its limit. I heard it popping a bunch of times. I don't think your heel is supposed to bend up and touch your shin. It's definitely something I don't want to go through again."
His name is Jeff Jaggers Jr., but he's been known mainly as J Jaggers.
"Ever since the day I got home from the hospital I've been called J," Jaggers said. "A friend of my mom's said I was too skinny and looked like a little bird that needed to be fed. They said I looked like a J-bird, and I've been know as J ever since then."
The Buckeyes open this season ranked No. 2 nationally behind Big Ten rival Iowa. The Hawkeyes captured the NCAA team title in 2008, and bring back five All-Americans from that squad.
"Iowa is the team to beat," Jaggers said. "They beat us by over 30 points last year. We're looking to catch them. This is the most productive preseason we've had since I've been here. Everybody is working really hard toward the common goal. The work ethic and the attitude, it's been great. Everybody in our room is concentrating on the goal of being national champions."
Ohio State returns three All-Americans, led by returning national champions in Jaggers and Pucillo (184 pounds). Two-time All-American Lance Palmer (149) also is back. National qualifiers Nikko Triggas (125), Reece Humphrey (133) and Jason Johnstone (157) also return along with starters Colt Sponseller (165) and John Weakley (197).
The Buckeyes also picked up Dave Rella (174), a national qualifier for Penn State last season. Cody Gardner (197), a transfer from Virginia Tech, beat Weakley in a recent Wrestle-Off.
Pucillo, a junior, has emerged as one of the leaders on the Buckeye squad.
"Mike Pucillo is one kid I really look up to, even though he's younger than me," Jaggers said. "His will to win is impressive. I've seen him get mad playing Monopoly because he wants to win so badly. He wants to be a champion and that inspires me."
Pucillo and Jaggers are scheduled to compete in the college all-star dual next month at Ohio State. The top-ranked Jaggers is set to face second-ranked Nick Gallick of Iowa State.
"It's awesome, it's exciting to have it in our backyard," he said. "We hope to put on a good show for the fans."
Ryan said Jaggers hopes to become a coach.
"I think he will make a good coach," Ryan said. "He's personable, recruits love him and he's a good leader. He's a cool kid and is very likeable. We always have him involved when we bring recruits in."
Jaggers was asked how different this season would be since he starts his senior season ranked No. 1.
"Everybody wants to beat a returning national champion," he said. "I'm sure I will see a lot of different game plans and get a lot of people's best matches. I'm happy with what happened last year, but if I don't win nationals again, everything will be a disappointment.
Shortly after Tom Ryan was hired as the wrestling coach at Ohio State in 2006, J Jaggers was among a group of Buckeye wrestlers who were asked to make a significant sacrifice.
Ryan asked them if they would be willing to restructure their athletic scholarships and take less money.
That would allow the program to build more depth while trying to split up the 9.9 full scholarships the NCAA allows each Division I school for wrestling.
Jaggers, one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, agreed to take less money. So did every other returning scholarship athlete on the OSU roster. Less than two years later, the move already started paying dividends when the Buckeyes finished second at the 2008 NCAA Championships.
Jaggers won an NCAA title last March. So did Mike Pucillo, an athlete OSU landed in large part because of the scholarship money Jaggers and his teammates agreed to give back.
"It was a group sacrifice, and it paid off," Jaggers said. "We all gave money back. That's what we needed to do to get a guy like Pucillo. There were about 8 to 10 guys that gave back. I was tired of going into dual meets and only winning 3 out of 10 matches. When Coach Ryan asked us if we were willing to sacrifice, we said we will do whatever it takes to start winning more matches."
When Ryan was hired to replace Russ Hellickson in the spring of 2006, Jaggers was among the wrestlers who embraced the change in the coaching staff.
A member of the school's Search Committee for a new head coach, Jaggers endorsed the hiring of Ryan along with assistant coaches Lou Rosselli, Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett.
Jaggers has thrived under the current OSU coaching staff. He placed seventh in the 2007 NCAA tournament before winning a national title in 2008 at 141 pounds.
"J wins the old-fashioned way, he works hard," Ryan said. "He has a strong inner belief system and he's very good at peaking for big events. He loves the sport and has a deep passion for the sport. And he loves to practice. It's great to have one of your studs pushing so hard in practice."
Jaggers said Ryan, who came to Ohio State after a successful run at Hofstra, was the perfect guy to lead the Buckeye program.
"Tom Ryan is one of the most passionate guys about the sport that you will ever see," Jaggers said. "He will spend 100 man hours if it means getting four extra people in the stands to watch us. He loves Ohio State. He acts like a guy who went to school here and grew up 10 minutes away from the campus. It's great to see."
Ryan said guys like Jaggers, who is from Northfield, Ohio, made his transition to OSU much easier.
"J bought in immediately when the new staff came in," Ryan said. "From Day 1, he was a believer. He completely embraced the change in staff and he gave a big chunk of his scholarship back to help the program. That's the type of guy J is."
Much of Jaggers' development on the mat is a direct result of his relationship with Rosselli, a past Olympian who also has served as a U.S. World Team coach in freestyle wrestling.
"I didn't know Lou at all when he came in here," Jaggers said. "From Day 1 that Lou got on campus, he's been the most influential person with my wrestling. I agree with everything he says wholeheartedly. Lou's technique is the best I've ever seen. His outlook on the sport and what he thinks it takes to win is refreshing to hear. We hit it off right away."
Rosselli's impact was most noticeable when the sixth-seeded Jaggers made a surprising run to the 2008 NCAA title in St. Louis.
Jaggers actually lost his very first postseason match of 2008 - a 6-2 setback to Minnesota's Manuel Rivera in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championships - before storming back to place third.
"Losing to Rivera, he's a stud, so there was no shame in that," Jaggers said. "I beat him in a dual two weeks before that. Once I got that loss out of my system, I avenged a loss to (Iowa's Dan) LeClere and came back to take third. I really felt I was going in the right direction going into nationals."
Jaggers was not considered one of the favorites when the NCAA brackets were released the Monday before the biggest tournament of the season.
Cal Poly's Chad Mendes was seeded No. 1, followed by Hofstra's Charles Griffin and Big Ten champion Kellen Russell of Michigan.
"The number next to my name on the bracket sheet didn't make much of a difference to me," Jaggers said. "I was comfortable with the draw I had. Someone had to stand on top of the podium, so why shouldn't it be me? I felt I deserved it because I work as hard as anyone else."
Jaggers followed his plan as the No. 6 seed at nationals. He opened with a pair of wins over unseeded wrestlers before matching up with Russell, a talented freshman, in the quarterfinals. Jaggers earned a 5-3 win over the No. 3 seed.
He followed with an 11-9 win over the second-seeded Griffin in the semifinals.
One of the most memorable matches of the 2008 NCAA finals came at 141 when Jaggers outlasted Mendes 5-2 in the finals.
Late in the match, Jaggers was in the top position when Mendes grabbed the left ankle of Jaggers. The ankle bent awkwardly and Jaggers screamed in agony as he heard something pop.
Following an injury timeout, Jaggers was able to finish the final 16 seconds of the match. He hobbled off the mat in obvious pain after his arm was raised as NCAA champion.
"It obviously was very painful - I tore two ligaments," said Jaggers, who initially thought he had broken his ankle. "It was like my ankle was slowly being torqued, like a rubber band stretching to its limit. I heard it popping a bunch of times. I don't think your heel is supposed to bend up and touch your shin. It's definitely something I don't want to go through again."
His name is Jeff Jaggers Jr., but he's been known mainly as J Jaggers.
"Ever since the day I got home from the hospital I've been called J," Jaggers said. "A friend of my mom's said I was too skinny and looked like a little bird that needed to be fed. They said I looked like a J-bird, and I've been know as J ever since then."
The Buckeyes open this season ranked No. 2 nationally behind Big Ten rival Iowa. The Hawkeyes captured the NCAA team title in 2008, and bring back five All-Americans from that squad.
"Iowa is the team to beat," Jaggers said. "They beat us by over 30 points last year. We're looking to catch them. This is the most productive preseason we've had since I've been here. Everybody is working really hard toward the common goal. The work ethic and the attitude, it's been great. Everybody in our room is concentrating on the goal of being national champions."
Ohio State returns three All-Americans, led by returning national champions in Jaggers and Pucillo (184 pounds). Two-time All-American Lance Palmer (149) also is back. National qualifiers Nikko Triggas (125), Reece Humphrey (133) and Jason Johnstone (157) also return along with starters Colt Sponseller (165) and John Weakley (197).
The Buckeyes also picked up Dave Rella (174), a national qualifier for Penn State last season. Cody Gardner (197), a transfer from Virginia Tech, beat Weakley in a recent Wrestle-Off.
Pucillo, a junior, has emerged as one of the leaders on the Buckeye squad.
"Mike Pucillo is one kid I really look up to, even though he's younger than me," Jaggers said. "His will to win is impressive. I've seen him get mad playing Monopoly because he wants to win so badly. He wants to be a champion and that inspires me."
Pucillo and Jaggers are scheduled to compete in the college all-star dual next month at Ohio State. The top-ranked Jaggers is set to face second-ranked Nick Gallick of Iowa State.
"It's awesome, it's exciting to have it in our backyard," he said. "We hope to put on a good show for the fans."
Ryan said Jaggers hopes to become a coach.
"I think he will make a good coach," Ryan said. "He's personable, recruits love him and he's a good leader. He's a cool kid and is very likeable. We always have him involved when we bring recruits in."
Jaggers was asked how different this season would be since he starts his senior season ranked No. 1.
"Everybody wants to beat a returning national champion," he said. "I'm sure I will see a lot of different game plans and get a lot of people's best matches. I'm happy with what happened last year, but if I don't win nationals again, everything will be a disappointment.
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