University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Taylor Lujan Wrestled With Making Sport Fun
1/16/2017 8:35:00 AM | Wrestling
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – UNI wrestler Taylor Lujan chose UNI because it felt like home, and he got the added bonus of having a little piece of home join him.
Assistant coach Lee Roper accepted a job at UNI while Lujan was picking his college to attend.
"He didn't tell me what school he was going to, because he wanted me to go to a school where I wanted to go," said Lujan. "He almost knows me better than I know me. So I didn't come here because he was coming here, I came here for the sole fact that I just loved it."
He immediately picked up on the atmosphere in the wrestling room. It was about getting better, having fun and letting loose.
"You know, it felt like home. I remember I came here on a visit and I just hung out with the guys. We went out to eat, typical visit stuff. After being around Jake Hodges and Dylan Peters, I was like 'Yep I'm coming here.' After that, it just clicked, and the next day I committed to the office," said Lujan.
He also has witnessed a deeper fan appreciation of the sport in Iowa.
"Back home, football is really big. Here, wrestling is a big deal. You can tell the people and the fans are talking about it, it's just comforting," said Lujan. "We are all one big team. I think we all get along with each other. The team drives me, because you are in there every day with each other and cutting weight, wrestling, drilling, whatever it is. We are in there every day, and it's not fair for me to cheat those guys."
Roper is helping Lujan with more than just the technical side of wrestling. He helps calm Lujan down when he is nervous or anxious and explains how there is more to it than just wins and losses.
"He says, 'Taylor, don't get pinned!' And I say, 'Alright,' and it seems to help, and he's been saying it for years," Lujan said. "His joking around makes me joke around, and I end up super relaxed.
"He also preaches that wrestling shouldn't define you, what defines you is your character and what you do in there. Not the wins and losses, but it's like the hustling to the center of the mat, the stance in the drills, stuff like that. It's more philosophy stuff now. He still teaches me a lot of technique stuff, but it's more mental stuff he does now with me."
Lujan became the first Panther this season to earn MAC Wrestler of the Week honors Dec. 8, 2016. He knocked off No. 8 Zac Brunson of Illinois for a UNI Open title at 174 pounds. He was happy for the award, but he has his mind set on bigger goals than that.
"It felt good, I think it's cool seeing that and being recognized but then again it doesn't mean as much to me because it wasn't one of my main goals for the season," said Lujan.
Dylan Peters and Cooper Moore are two guys whom Lujan looks up to for support and motivation.
"Dylan Peters: He's a great guy," said Lujan. "I really like him a lot, and he fires me up. Still Cooper Moore, he's a guy you can go talk to if you're going through a rough patch, and he'll help you. He's been there and done that and tells you what's going to happen. He'll pick you up. I really look up to Cooper."
Some of his goals include winning the MAC Championships and the NCAA tournament, but he knows the competition is fierce.
"In college you're wrestling grown men, and people have more of a chip on their shoulder," said Lujan. "Everyone has the tools in college to make themselves really good at wrestling. Sometimes in high school you had a small room or not many practice partners, but in college anywhere you have the tools to be good."
Lujan has been successful for a long time, being a four-time state champion in the state of Georgia and starting successfully at UNI early in his career. However, he has had to refocus this year and take a step back to be able to leap forward in his wrestling success.
"I think I'm getting back to my roots," he said. "It may sound weird, but like at the Compound (a club team from Georgia that Lujan was apart of), it's all about getting better, having fun and letting loose. It's about having fun and enjoying the process. I think last year I got caught up in wanting to win and all the expectations. This year we just talked about having fun with it, and it felt like I just let go of a big weight and I can really enjoy wrestling now. I didn't feel like felt like it was dragging last year but I can now see there's more of purpose to it now."
Assistant coach Lee Roper accepted a job at UNI while Lujan was picking his college to attend.
"He didn't tell me what school he was going to, because he wanted me to go to a school where I wanted to go," said Lujan. "He almost knows me better than I know me. So I didn't come here because he was coming here, I came here for the sole fact that I just loved it."
He immediately picked up on the atmosphere in the wrestling room. It was about getting better, having fun and letting loose.
"You know, it felt like home. I remember I came here on a visit and I just hung out with the guys. We went out to eat, typical visit stuff. After being around Jake Hodges and Dylan Peters, I was like 'Yep I'm coming here.' After that, it just clicked, and the next day I committed to the office," said Lujan.
He also has witnessed a deeper fan appreciation of the sport in Iowa.
"Back home, football is really big. Here, wrestling is a big deal. You can tell the people and the fans are talking about it, it's just comforting," said Lujan. "We are all one big team. I think we all get along with each other. The team drives me, because you are in there every day with each other and cutting weight, wrestling, drilling, whatever it is. We are in there every day, and it's not fair for me to cheat those guys."
Roper is helping Lujan with more than just the technical side of wrestling. He helps calm Lujan down when he is nervous or anxious and explains how there is more to it than just wins and losses.
"He says, 'Taylor, don't get pinned!' And I say, 'Alright,' and it seems to help, and he's been saying it for years," Lujan said. "His joking around makes me joke around, and I end up super relaxed.
"He also preaches that wrestling shouldn't define you, what defines you is your character and what you do in there. Not the wins and losses, but it's like the hustling to the center of the mat, the stance in the drills, stuff like that. It's more philosophy stuff now. He still teaches me a lot of technique stuff, but it's more mental stuff he does now with me."
Lujan became the first Panther this season to earn MAC Wrestler of the Week honors Dec. 8, 2016. He knocked off No. 8 Zac Brunson of Illinois for a UNI Open title at 174 pounds. He was happy for the award, but he has his mind set on bigger goals than that.
"It felt good, I think it's cool seeing that and being recognized but then again it doesn't mean as much to me because it wasn't one of my main goals for the season," said Lujan.
Dylan Peters and Cooper Moore are two guys whom Lujan looks up to for support and motivation.
"Dylan Peters: He's a great guy," said Lujan. "I really like him a lot, and he fires me up. Still Cooper Moore, he's a guy you can go talk to if you're going through a rough patch, and he'll help you. He's been there and done that and tells you what's going to happen. He'll pick you up. I really look up to Cooper."
Some of his goals include winning the MAC Championships and the NCAA tournament, but he knows the competition is fierce.
"In college you're wrestling grown men, and people have more of a chip on their shoulder," said Lujan. "Everyone has the tools in college to make themselves really good at wrestling. Sometimes in high school you had a small room or not many practice partners, but in college anywhere you have the tools to be good."
Lujan has been successful for a long time, being a four-time state champion in the state of Georgia and starting successfully at UNI early in his career. However, he has had to refocus this year and take a step back to be able to leap forward in his wrestling success.
"I think I'm getting back to my roots," he said. "It may sound weird, but like at the Compound (a club team from Georgia that Lujan was apart of), it's all about getting better, having fun and letting loose. It's about having fun and enjoying the process. I think last year I got caught up in wanting to win and all the expectations. This year we just talked about having fun with it, and it felt like I just let go of a big weight and I can really enjoy wrestling now. I didn't feel like felt like it was dragging last year but I can now see there's more of purpose to it now."
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