Wrestler overcomes the mat, life hardships

Senior Raymond Jordan has had many career wins.

By Nick Forrester

Published April 30, 2009

Senior Raymond Jordan has never had an easy life. Before age 7, both of his parents died within a year of each other. Before graduating from high school, his grandmother who had become his guardian died. Before seeing a spot in Missouri's wrestling starting lineup, Jordan had to deal with going against two-time National Champion Ben Askren everyday. Now, all of those difficulties are paying off for Jordan.

"I think it made me more of an independent, self-reliant person," Jordan said of losing his parents. "I honestly can't tell you what type of person I would be if my parents were here because I've never known what it's like to be around my parents."

Jordan said dealing with that tragedy helped when he was a freshman at Missouri and when he had to deal with wrestlers such as Askren and All-Americans Matt Pell and Tyron Woodley on the wrestling mat.

"I'd come in here and they'd kick my ass," Jordan said. "In the grand scheme of things, getting your butt beat every day in the practice room, is that as bad as losing your parents at 6? I don't think so. I used to get down on myself, but the coaches would come up to me and tell me that I was practicing with some of the best guys in the nation."

When Jordan got to Missouri, losing wrestling matches was something totally new for him. In high school, he was a three-time North Carolina State Champion and took third place his freshman year. He also had over 200 career wins through his four years in high school.

"Raymond is just a tough, tough kid," Askren said. "He wasn't really impressive as a freshman, but when I would hit a move on guys, a lot of people just rolled over, and he would be the one guy who would just keep fighting. I was scared for his health sometimes because I felt like I was going to rip his arm or his neck off with some stuff. He would just always fight, and that's why he was so successful."

Jordan finally cracked the lineup in his second year at MU, but had to move up an additional weight class to 184 pounds because Askren already occupied the 174-pound weight class spot. Despite wrestling against opponents much bigger than him, Jordan qualified for the NCAA Tournament that year. He followed up the next season by qualifying again. In his third season in the lineup, he cracked All-American status, claiming fifth place.

After the season ended last year, Jordan and coach Brian Smith got together and decided that it would be best for Jordan and the team as a whole for Jordan to drop down a weight class to pounds, which was more of a natural weight for him.

"For him, strength-wise and power, I think he's getting the most of it at 174 because that's really his natural weight," Smith said.

Jordan finished his final season as a Tiger by capturing third place at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in March. In his bout for third place, Jordan avenged his loss in the Big 12 Championship to Nebraska's Brandon Browne. Browne defeated Jordan in the Big 12 Championship match two weeks earlier, but on this day, it was Jordan who just dominated the match, shutting out Browne and winning 4-0.

"It's a good feeling," Jordan said. "Obviously my goal was to be a national champion, but when things don't happen the way you want them to, you have to put that behind you. I was really disappointed (after losing to Michigan's Steve Luke), but I had to come out and just have some fun."

Jordan's only loss of the tournament came in double overtime to Luke, the eventual national champion, during their semi-final bout.

In addition to being a leader on the mat for the wrestling team, Jordan is also the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, the third Missouri wrestler to hold the title of president in five years.

"He's almost like the big brother on the team," Smith said. "You never really ever hear him picking on anybody. He's had to go through so many struggles in his life that he's there to help people. He wants to see people succeed because he's been given the opportunity to succeed. He's very committed to everything that he does in life. That's why when you hear his name announced in a dual meet, why people all go crazy, because he's truly something special."

After he graduates in May, Jordan is looking to return to North Carolina to take a job as a wrestling coach.