More than half of the 448 wrestlers entered in the Tennessee Division I wrestling tournament are first–time qualifiers.
Count among that number Austin Robinson. The Notre Dame sophomore is among the 262 rookies, but he also is in a rather obscure group. While he is one of 15 103-pounders making initial state tournament appearances, he also is likely the only one that is also a first-year wrestler.
“He is a little bit of a surprise for some people,” Notre Dame coach John Mullin said. “He plays football and although he hasn’t seen much starting time he has a fearless attitude on the field. Our football coaches are hoping he’ll grow into a bigger package and eventually help in the defensive backfield.”
A year ago despite pleas from Mullin and Irish wrestling assistant Tim Voiles, Robinson chose to swap his cleats for high-top sneakers and give basketball a try.
“This year we were able to convince him to give wrestling a try,” Mullin said.