UNI wrestler Harrison also a singer, actor and worker
By KEVIN EVANS, Executive Sports Editor
CEDAR FALLS — Jeff Harrison is one of the best collegiate wrestlers in the nation.
He’s ranked No. 6 in the country at 149 pounds, and earlier this season he finished third in the prestigious Midlands tournament.
In high school he won three individual state championships.
But he’s more than just another jock.
The Northern Iowa senior from Sloan is a song-writer, a singer, an actor, and he holds down a nearly full-time job while finishing up his degree.
He does, however, still make time for wrestling.
If he doesn’t sound like a typical big-time college wrestler, he’s not.
“People are a little surprised, but I like doing it all, “Harrison said. “I like acting and stuff. Any of that stuff is fun for me and a total change from what I am used to in wrestling.
“I can go from beating the crap out of people to singing and acting. It is a good change.”
Harrison’s singing isn’t confined to the shower, either.
He writes a wrestling song each year before the wrestling season. In seasons past, the tune has been played in the West Gym when the Panthers take to the mat.
He and teammate Steve Ertl have built a recording studio in Ertl’s basement, and the two of them took a shot at gaining fame on “American Idol “last summer. They went to Cleveland to audition for the show on FOX television.
“We had a great experience, “said Harrison.
“There were like 20,000 people out there at the Cleveland Browns’ stadium, and I think we were the last ones in line. There were people there two days early.”
The pair arrived at the stadium and spent the night there waiting to show their stuff.
“There were people everywhere. It was total chaos, “he said.
Harrison decided something special was needed set them apart from the masses.
“We needed to set ourselves apart or we would be nobody to them, “he said.
So off they went to Wal-Mart for a couple of pillow cases. They were told they would be awakened each morning with TV cameras on them so what better way to draw attention.
“I drew this big drawing of Simon’s face with big growly teeth, just like a third-grade little kid’s drawing, “said Harrison. “That ended up being our golden ticket.”
To draw attention Harrison would smack the pillow around saying stuff like “this guy, you think he’s tough.”
“It was just constant interviews and the camera’s taking pictures and stuff, “he said. “There were FOX cameras everywhere.”
Eventually the official singing audition came, and both advanced through the first round to a group of 500.
They came back another day to made it to the final 300.
“I ended up getting cut, but that round was with the big American Idol background and cameras everywhere. It was good. It was fun, “said Harrison.
Most performers, he said, spent two or three minutes, but he worked his audition out to about 15 minutes.
“I put on the sales routine, trying to talk my way in, “he said with a chuckle.
“I sang once, and he stopped me. He was sitting there, and he said ‘You know, you are almost there, you are just not performing.’
“I started talking to him and he listened. He said since I waited all day to sing he would wait for me to sing again. I sang another song, and he kind of sat there a little longer and said, ‘Sorry, I don’t think so.'”
Harrison, always the showman, wasn’t about to give up. He walked around the table and sat next to the judge and started talking. He eventually got one more crack at it before finally getting cut.
“It was fun. I might do it again next year if it is on a weekend, “said Harrison.
That experience was during the summer and even though he is bearing down on a May graduation and his final crack at an NCAA wrestling championship, his life is not consumed by the sport.
A typical day for Harrison starts with a workout at 6 a.m. He’s acting as a personal trainer for his boss, Jim Mudd Jr.
He’s off to work at the Mudd Group at 11 a.m. until wrestling practice at 3 p.m. After that he is back at work until about eight.
He has classes Tuesday and Thursday morning before work and one on Monday night. He has to work his music in somewhere, and for the last year or so he’s been spending time at least once a week with Pastor Ken Klingman of Trinity Wesleyan Church.
“I attribute a lot of my success since I started meeting with him, “said Harrison. “We meet at least once a week and talk about everything. It puts a lot of things into perspective. Most of all what I come to learn out of it is when I go out there and wrestle, I wrestle for God rather than myself. I have all the more motivation to go out there. I am a Christian, and I want other people to see that, and I am out there to glorify Him. If other people see that, it is awesome.”
It all just gives Harrison a balance in his life he believes is necessary.
“I think it is easy to get burned out by concentrating on something too much, “he said. “I think you need other things in your life to kind of distract you away so you are not so focused you get worn down.”
Harrison admits he sometimes has a hard time selling coach Brad Penrith on his methods.
“He comes from Iowa where it is completely full-bore, “he said. “I love to get the (practice) room laughing and stuff when we are warming up. I think that is why our team is so much closer than any team I have ever seen.
“I couldn’t seriously imagine wrestling at a different place than Northern Iowa. Our team gets along so well, and it keeps a relaxed atmosphere where you know you can have a good time. It makes wrestling fun. You don’t feel like it is something that has to be done. It is something that is fun doing that you want to do.”
Part of the fun is playing some of Harrison’s songs during practice and before meets. He has written a song each year about the wrestling team, including one this year that hasn’t been played publicly yet.
The last chance will be the Feb. 19 home meet against Air Force.
One other thing Harrison has yet to do in his career is sing the national anthem before a wrestling meet. He has done it before volleyball games and has a date in April to sing for another event on campus. So far, however, he hasn’t asked Penrith about singing before a home wrestling meet.
“I don’t really get too worked up anyway for a match, “he said. “It is better for me to do something else. If I sit and watch wrestling I feel like I get myself tired.”
If he gets to sing before the last home dual meet or not, Harrison realizes the end of his wrestling life is near. It is something he’s been doing since he was 4.
“My dad said I came out of the womb shooting a double leg, “he chuckled.
“It is a scary thing, but I also have to smile about (the end). Everything I have worked for, all my hard work over the years comes down to this season. This is my real opportunity to shine.”
Harrison wants to be a national champion in the worst way, but he can be happy walking away with less.
“I know if I go out there and just wrestle my butt off, wrestle every match as hard as I possibly can I have got to be satisfied, “he said. “I pray that the results are going to be good for me, that I am not going to go out and just beat people, but dominate them, make a name for myself there.”
Kevin Evans can be contacted at (319) 291-1469 or [email protected]
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