Imagine three months of constantly banging your body full-throttle against an opposing “giant” lined up directly across from you. Then picture another three months of pushing around other 250-pound men. The thought of each scenario hurts by itself.

Football and wrestling are debilitating sports. The physical skill and mental toughness required for both activities seems too difficult — but it is nothing sophomore Joe Goetz can’t handle.

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From the gridiron to the mat

We talked with sophomore Joe Goetz about how he decided to play both football to wrestling, and how he adjusts between the sports.

The 260-pound Goetz is one of Head Coach Marty Nichols’ prized pupils in the slew of successful young wrestlers on his 2007-08 roster. Along with wrestling, Goetz is also a starting defensive lineman on the football team.

“It’s tough, especially going from a fall to a winter sport,” Goetz said. “At first it was a tough transition, especially freshman year. But now as a sophomore it’s going pretty well for me … and I love it.”

His career numbers go to show the difficulties he encountered his freshman season. Last year, Goetz went 8–13 overall and 2–9 in dual meets. He posted only three pin falls.

So far this season he is 12–4 overall and 6–2 in dual meets. He has one major decision, one takedown and three falls, matching his season total from last year.

The technique Goetz uses in wrestling is similar to what he uses when he plays football. The way he stares down his opponent standing up on the mat is reminiscent of going face to face with an opposing offensive lineman.

As he grasps the wrestler he is competing against, it is as if he is using his hands to blow past an offensive lineman in his way of sacking the quarterback.

Goetz’s original plan as a senior at New Hyde Park Memorial High School was just to play football in college. That plan was pretty much set in stone until Nichols saw him wrestle in the New York State Tournament before Goetz made his college decision and asked him to wrestle for the Bombers.

At that point, all plans changed. Nichols was able to get him a clearance to apply late and Goetz was on his way to being a wrestler at Ithaca College.

“He just applied a little late,” Nichols said. “The college worked with us on that. We got a copy of his transcript, and he was a good student in high school. It wasn’t really a problem.”

Goetz still had aspirations to play college football. Goetz got in contact with Head Coach Mike Welch and officially became a two-sport college athlete.

“Joe’s an athlete through and through,” 125-pound sophomore wrestler Jon Gregory said. “He displays it on the football field. He’s able to take what he does on the football field and translate [that] into wrestling. He’s able to take what he does in wrestling and translate it to the football field.”

Goetz has been playing football since fifth grade at the pee-wee level and has been wrestling since seventh grade. Even now, he does not prefer one sport over the other.

“It’s definitely got to be both,” Goetz said. “For me wrestling and football go hand in hand.”

Goetz said there are benefits to competing in both sports. Wrestling helps his balance and coordination, and football is more for mental toughness.

Nichols said he approves of what Goetz does athletically, both as a positive thing for the college and as a football player.

“The wrestling part probably helps the football more and vice versa,” Nichols said.

 Gregory also said Goetz prides himself on staying in top physical shape and condition, which is easy because he never gets a break.

He arrives in Ithaca in August for football training camp, and when the season is over, he takes his pads off, puts his headgear on and hits the mats.

“For those that have seen Joe Goetz wrestle, he is probably one of the more conditioned heavyweights on the mat,” Gregory said.

Once winter break rolls around, he heads home to New Hyde Park, N.Y., for eight or nine days and returns to Ithaca to prepare for the early January wrestling tournaments. After the season is completed, it is once again on to offseason training, where he is lifting for football and conditioning for wrestling.

His offseason schedule consists of running in the morning, lifting and working out in the afternoon and wrestling at night either with his club team or open mat at Ithaca.

“It’s a never-ending cycle for me,” Goetz said.

Nichols said he could not be happier to have such a competitor and overall solid person in his program.

“He’s a great kid,” Nichols said. “He’s a hard worker, and we love to have him on this team. [He’s a] very positive guy.”