Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1082442
I f you said Vincenzo Joseph was quick on his feet, you wouldn't necessarily have to be talking about wrestling. The Penn State junior, who is a two- time defending NCAA champion at 165 pounds, has proven on the mat time and time again that he is a very good wrestler, but the Pittsburgh Central Catholic graduate is also known for his quick wit and dry sense of humor. And good timing, too. Just two days prior to the team's biggest match of the year – a No. 1 vs. No. 2 (tournament power index ratings) showdown against Ohio State in Columbus on Feb. 8 – Joseph and teammate Bo Pipher pre- sented a pre-practice PowerPoint on team dodgeball rankings. The squad typ- ically plays a rousing game of dodgeball prior to daily practice sessions to loosen up and get the competitive juices flowing. "Me and Bo Pipher sat down and made dodgeball power rank- ings on our team. And we ranked everybody on our team, gave them a nickname and descrip- tion from 35 to 1, and we showed the PowerPoint before practice today," Joseph said on the weekly Penn State wrestling radio show on Feb. 6. "Keep in mind that me and Bo Pipher made them, and I was listed at No. 2. I do win a lot, so everyone backed my rankings so I didn't feel like a scumbag about it." Even better was Joseph's recent "21 Questions" interview with Barstool Sports in which he said he "throws on" one of his self-help audio books that he keeps on his phone to help calm his nerves. Or that his coaches make him practice talking to people in public – "which makes me more stressed than anything," he said in the interview. Or that he role-plays with coaches after W R E S T L I N G SERIOUS FUN Lighthearted o! the mat, Vincenzo Joseph is strictly business on it – and business is good | TITLE HOPEFUL Joseph will be going for his third national champi- onship later this year at the NCAA tournament. Photo by Mark Selders/ Penn State Athletics