Rise Above It: Talking Wrestling with Brian Roddy, Collin Palmer, and Jamie Clark. Part II of a two-part interview series.

OWS: How would each of you describe your style?

RODDY: It definitely has changed over the years. When I first started out in high school I was more of a brawler than a technician. I have merged the two styles, I really just want to score points – that’s my biggest thing.

OWS: Jamie?

CLARK: Offensive. In your face. Don’t quit.

OWS: Collin?

PALMER: I don’t know….. I just go out with the attitude I am going to beat my opponent up and most of the time that is what I do.

OWS: What has been your key to success?

RODDY: Keeping a level head. There are ups and downs with everything you do and I like keeping a level head. I think that’s the key and it translates into everything. Over a season or as short a time period as a month, there’s a lot of ups and dOWS:ns.

OWS: Like your final last year against Kilgore?
RODDY: Exactly. I started off losing and I was like “OK” – just keep scoring points…just keep wrestling and see what happens.

OWS: Jamie? Your key to success?
CLARK: Probably my hard work. Support from my family and coaches.

OWS: Collin – your key?
PALMER: My family. My Dad obviously has helped us with working out and doing different things to always try and make us better. Also the aerodyne bike [ everyone laughs ] I got 100 thousand miles on that thing.

(above): In last year's state finals, Tyler Lambert found himself here in one of the worst places a wrestler in this state can be...underneath Collin Palmer. Palmer won by major decision for his second straight title. Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News.

OWS: We know how much support your fathers have given you in helping make you the champions you are – tell me the role your moms have played in your wrestling success.

CLARK: My mom helps me stay relaxed and helps take some of the pressure away.

PALMER: My mom is the calm one – the person I can vent to.

RODDY: She’s a huge part of my success.

OWS: How did you guys get started wrestling?

RODDY: I started wrestling to try to get better in football. I think I was in the first grade. It wound up to be something I liked to do. At first, I hated it to start.

OWS: How did you learn to like it? By sticking with it?

RODDY: There were countless times throughout my career I think I tried to quit- maybe 10 times. After my first practice, I wanted to quit and my Dad told me if that’s what I want to do, I needed to go tell my coach I wanted to quit. I was like “I don’t want to talk with him”, so I kept with it.

CLARK: I think I was in kindergarten or first grade and there was this guy talking about it so brought home a flyer from school.

OWS: How about the Palmers?

PALMER: We are doing karate and I got pulled out because I was kicking my teacher and stuff [everyone laughs}. My dad mentioned wrestling to me so we tried it and after that it was hard work all the time.

OWS: Your Dad took you to tournaments all over the country and you were winning.

PALMER: I think my younger brother struggled a little because we would go to the big tournaments and he wouldn’t win so he thought what was the point? To work hard and you don’t win? So he quit for a while. My brother, Lance and I, were winning and working hard and having fun. Everything paid off for him and I am working for the same thing.

OWS: What was your greatest win?

BR: Probably my first State title in high school.

CLARK: I don’t think I have one.

OWS: Winning Fargo? Beating David Taylor? Those don’t qualify?

CLARK: I still don’t think I have one yet.

OWS: Collin?

PALMER: I would say freshman year in the finals, there was so much adrenaline flowing. Lance being there and winning his 4th title and everything. That was a special night.

OWS: Toughest loss?

RODDY: Freshman year in the semi-finals at the State tournament. I lost to a kid from Beavercreek.

OWS: You say that was a tougher loss than Kilgore in the State finals 2 years ago?

RODDY: Yes. I really wanted to be a 4 time State champ and losing as a freshman, I knew that dream would never happen.

CLARK: Losing at States and Fargo this year.

OWS: Name a match you want to do over.

CLARK: All the ones I lost.

RODDY: Ironman against Platt.

PALMER: My two Ironman losses – Triggas and Johnson.

OWS: What coaches have had the greatest impact on you?

RODDY: There have been tons of people who have had a huge impact on me. Coach Urbas. Coach Leonard. Coach Hefferman. One of the guys in Middle School, Dan Carcilli, has been a huge part of my success. I still wrestle with him all the time. The guy that helped me get lifting is Vic Voinovich – a State champ in 1989.

CLARK: Eric Burnett. Scott Burnett. Brian Dolph. Sonny Abe. Frank Jayne.

PALMER: Eric Burnett is the top. He has worked with me since I was little. Jeff Leonard used to work with me (laughs).

OWS: Why would you say used to? Doesn’t he still work with you?

PALMER: Cause now I am at St. Ed’s so he doesn’t have to worry about getting his butt kicked! A lot of my techniques and the way I drill I learned from Jeff Jordan. We would to go all his camps for years. Jeff is a great guy. Most of the time he has good kids dOWS:n there so that has helped me.

(above): Jamie Clark lost a heartbreaker in the state finals here against Sam White in a battle of two of the nation's top five 103's. Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News.

OWS: What has been your greatest achievement so far?

CLARK: It is yet to come.

PALMER: Getting offers from colleges and over the country.

OWS: What lessons has the sport taught you?

PALMER: Dedication is what you do. Setting priorities. Hard work.

CLARK: NOWS: matter hOWS: tough it is if you are persistent, and you work hard and have a good attitude, you can do anything.

RODDY: Perseverance is a big thing I have learned through the sport. Paying attention to detail. Sometimes people overlook small things and that can make a big difference.

OWS: Does the pressure of being nationally ranked bother you?

PALMER: I love it when people come after me. I wish sometimes I wasn’t ranked because then people will wrestle you and come after you a lot harder.

CLARK: They know how I am aggressive so they will put on their track shoes and run around the mat.

OWS: Taking nothing away from Sammy White but the last two matches you lost, it seemed you were taking all the shots.

CLARK: I got called for stalling because I was shooting. The pressure doesn’t bother me.

OWS: Do you guys read the postings about you on the internet?

RODDY: If you are doing well, it’s nice to read, to see people are taking note of how well you are doing and supportive. Then at the same time you get people talking bad about you and that you shouldn’t have won that match.

CLARK: No, I don’t.

PALMER: Once in awhile, I’ll go online to see what they write about m brother in college or what they have written about me. Like Brian said the I disllike the negative posters that write how: I shouldn’t have won this or done that hide behind their fake names.

CLARK: I learned from the internet that I was going to Hoover High School this year.

OWS: They also have you going to Monroeville! I would like for each of you to describe what it is like to watch your team mates. What goes through your mind?

RODDY: When I watch Jamie wrestle I am just hoping he doesn’t make a mistake so he doesn’t have to go home and jump rope [ everyone laughs]! I mean with Jamie if he doesn’t get that takedown or if it doesn’t look pretty, he is jumping rope. When I watch Collin sometimes I am just hoping he doesn’t break the other kids neck. Then again, sometimes I am hoping he does [ laughs]! Watching Collin and Jamie is easy. You know: they are going to get their team points.

PALMER: When I watched Brian against Foore it was sweet. He just needs to wrestle the way he knows how to: and he did (winning) at states in the final points were flying back and forth. I know he knows what he is doing and he is going to get the job done. He also had a bad match at the Ironman, but he forgot about it and won everything else. I know Jamie is going to get his angles and if not, his Dad is going to let him know(laughs). I have confidence in Jamie and knows: he is going to get the job done. Last year he wrestled with the best kids in the country – all from Ohio. Stieber, White, Taylor, You know Sammy White is going to stall like crazy. Jamie was getting it done, but he didn’t win. He is a hard worker and I know he will win those titles.

CLARK: When I watch Brian he is intense. Relentless. Always attacking the other guy. Collin looks like he wants to kill the other guy.

(above): Roddy was on his way to a route against 3x state placewinner Dean Gaier here before Gaier injury defaulted. Photo Credit: Bob Tuneberg, Villager News.

OWS: What advice would you give to someone starting out in the sport?

PALMER: It is going to be hard. You are going to get beat up. You are going to run into kids that are tougher than you. In the end that is going to help you. Keep working hard and it will pay off.

RODDY: It is not a sport to take up if you just want to have fun. There is no money involved so if that your goal, you should probably take up playing golf or baseball. You don’t always get more out of it than you put in, but winning a wrestling match is better than winning anything else. I think the best advice is to just wrestle. The more times you wrestle the more experience you gain. It is really one big experience game.

CLARK: Learn everything you can. Work hard. You have to love what you are doing. If you don’t, wrestling is not the sport for you.

OWS: Thank you gentlemen for a great interview and best of luck in the upcoming season!

Note from the Author: Tom Elmer, also known around the internet as Big Fan 10, wrestled for Delbarton School in New Jersey back in the dark ages when uniforms had tights and participating in three sports was actually commong. He is a marketing consultant and a promotion products account executive specializing in helping high school wrestling teams get cool apparel and fund raising products including recently producing St Edward’s National Championship jackets. This is his first interview for Ohio Wrestling Site.

OWS Admin Note: A big thanks again to Tom Elmer for submitting this great interview!

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OhioWrestlingSite.com 2005