Stirred But Not Shaken: Sammy Sasso Still Stuns Us
Ohio State has proven to the NCAA that they are not here to play. With their wins this past month in the College Football Playoffs and the D1A National Jazz National Championship, they have shown their dominance in the world of sports. Today, they have another big match—however this time it is on the mat: the Ohio State Buckeyes versus the University of Michigan Wolverines face off to wrestle. With this big match coming up, it is important to highlight an inspiring key player of the Buckeyes: Sammy Sasso.
Sammy Sasso After His Win Against Beau Bartlett of Penn State - Feb. 04, 2022 (Getty Images)
Sammy Sasso is to college wrestling as Taylor Swift is to pop music. He is a relentless athlete who inspires anyone who knows his story.
Born and raised in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, his career in wrestling kicked off at a young age. He started wrestling in first grade, around age 6 and has had a passion for the sport ever since. In high school he racked up quite the resume: Two-time Pennsylvania AAA state champion, top 5 recruit, 180-11 overall record, Fargo freestyle champion, and Flo Nationals champion, and that's just to name a few of his accomplishments.
Sammy Representing the United States in Wrestling - Aug. 19, 2023 (Wrestlers Are Warriors)
Sammy chose to take his talents to Ohio State. As a freshman he was ready to go all in, but his coaches insisted on him redshirting. Sammy did not let this stop him. That year he still contributed to the team through battling it out in practice and pushing his teammates to be better. He ended that season with a 19-2 record and earned his way to the World Team Trials. As time went on, he just kept getting better.
The Ohio State Wrestling program instills a core value of achievement. They have a tradition where you earn the right to wear your ‘black shirt’. In practice, everyone wears either their grey or white shirt unless they have been awarded the black shirt. In asking Sammy to explain what this means he said,
“Black shirt is just a way for a guy to kinda stand out on the team. Someone you look towards in training, practice, and competition. Someone who competes really hard.”
This tradition of the ‘black shirt’ is in place of a black belt. By working hard, the blood and sweat stain your belt black. Similarly, by working hard and being a savage (showing you have a deep love and passion for the sport) you ‘stain’ or rather earn your black shirt. Head Coach of the Buckeyes, Tom Ryan states,
“You cannot get a black shirt just because you’re a straight-A student, do 10 hours of community service, are a great example to your community, and pick people up when they’re down. The only way to get a black shirt is to be a savage…The shirts are a visual cue that there’s a standard that’s extremely high.”
By his second year of being on the team, Sammy achieved his right to wear the ‘black shirt’.
Sammy Repping His Black Shirt While Stretching Before Practice (@wrestlingbucks Instagram)
He has gone on to become a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, two-time Big Ten champion, and the list goes on. After winning his second Big Ten Championship, Sammy geared up for nationals, ready and eager to compete when tragedy struck.
On August 18th, 2023, near the Ohio State’s campus, Sammy was innocently involved in a shooting incident. He was shot near his spine which resulted in severe nerve damage to his leg. After spending three days in the ICU, he was relocated to another unit to receive additional treatment. With a shattered L5, a spinal infusion from his L4 to S1, and over 40 days in the hospital, his spirits were low and he couldn’t move his leg. He knew there was going to be a lot ahead of him to recover.
“I was just going to be happy if I was able to walk.”
I asked Sammy what his motivation was and how he was mentally able to stay focused.
“I was in the prime of my career when it happened. I had just won Big Tens, I had just made the U23 World team, I had just made Team USA for the third time, and the itch to compete was still there. I couldn’t just lay there and accept what happened. I love competing and I love wrestling. My career ending was not going to be decided by someone else. That’s just not who I am.”
Sammy had to relearn how to do everything, not just wrestling. By setting small incremental goals, he gained strides. With resilience and unwavering determination, Sammy came back. A little over a year later, he won his first match back.
Sammy Attests to His Strength After Winning His First Match Back - Nov. 14, 2024 (Columbus Dispatch)
This is Sammy’s last year at Ohio State, and this is the message he wants to leave with:
“Stay true to yourself, and do not change for anyone else. If you live your life trying to be like everyone else reality will strike, and you will be lost.”
With many bumps along the road including: being redshirted his freshman year, COVID-19 abruptly ending his sophomore year, and then being shot his junior year, Sasso embodies bravery and relentless vigor. Through example, he teaches us all that even though tragedy strikes we can have the mindset to, as Taylor Swift says, “shake it off, shake it off" and keep striving towards our goals and passions.
Sammy Greets His Young Fans After His Inspiring First Match Back - Nov. 14, 2024 (Columbus Dispatch)