Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/478201
possibly working in government/presi- dential administration a2er he concludes his wrestling career, which could include a run at the 2016 Summer Olympics. "He's a leader just by example – aca- demically, socially," Sanderson said. "He's not a guy we have to worry about outside the room. He's a guy who's going to be very suc- cessful in life." On the mat, every match, consistently, he's known for his heavy hands, front headlocks and penchant for giving op- ponents a sore neck the next day; in the practice room, Brown is known for his everyday's-the-same work ethic. And that approach has a ripple effect on his teammates. "We came [to PSU] in the same class, me and Matt Brown," 157-pounder Luke Frey said. "I didn't know what to expect, but once I saw him in the room, he was always hard-going, nonstop, always, and pushing the pace. Always trying to get better to get to that next step." Heavyweight Jimmy Lawson, who came to Penn State one year a2er Brown arrived, credits his fellow transfer student with helping him re-adjust to wrestling a2er spending a couple seasons playing college football at Monmouth. "You can't feel like you're having a bad day in the wrestling room when you've got somebody around like Matt Brown, who has the same pace day-in and day- out," Lawson said. "It's great to have him in the room. He knows how to motivate you. He doesn't have to say anything. You just watch him work and you're motivated to push that much harder." It's a trait that Dave has seen in Matt since childhood. "If you were to see him when he played baseball or football, or see him in the ROTC environment – whatever he does – he always works hard," Dave said. "I think it's just something that he grew up with. He realized if you're going to succeed – whether it's in the classroom or in ROTC or in wrestling or whatever sport – you've got to work hard." ARM RAISED In his four seasons with the Nittany Lions since transferring from Iowa State, Brown has twice achieved All-America recogni- tion. Photo by PennStateLive