Junior Joe Caramanica is ranked No. 6 in the country at 141 pounds, but he is not the most dominant wrestler in N.C. State’s program. Sophomore Darrion Caldwell boasts a record of 27-3, but he’s not the best either.
That distinction belongs to assistant wrestling coach Jerrod Sanders.
Red-shirt junior Jalil Dozier has worked with Sanders for four years and the pair often wrestles at practice.
“Usually it’s one-sided — with him winning most of the time,” Dozier said. “I try to get my licks in when I can. I’ve gotten a few takedowns but I’ve never actually beaten him. I’d like to think I’m getting closer, but maybe I’m not. It’s tough for us college guys to try to beat him.”
Sanders spent his college career at Oklahoma State University and was an All-American his senior year as a part of the Cowboys’ 2003 NCAA championship team. In 2005, he placed at the U.S. Open Championships and qualified for the 2005 World Team Trials.
He also dabbles in jujitsu and mixed martial arts and plans to compete at the U.S. Open in April, in hopes of earning a spot at the Olympic Team Trials.
According to coach Carter Jordan, no wrestler on the team can compete with Sanders.
“Nobody can come close, not even heavyweight,” he said. “They’re very lucky to have somebody of that caliber that they can work out with. They need to be asking to wrestle with him more. You are only going to get better if you wrestle with guys who are better than you.”
As soon as Sanders graduated from college, he got a call from his coach at Oklahoma State regarding a coaching vacancy with the Wolfpack. He told Sanders that State was looking to fill the position for about 1-2 years.
Sanders is now in his fifth season with the Pack.
“I didn’t think I would be here for this long, but I’m still here,” Sanders said. “[Jordan and I] get along real good. I have a good relationship with the kids. It’s like another family, so it’s kind of cool.”
And those “kids” have benefited from the intangibles that Sanders brings to State’s program.
Under Sanders’ guidance, Caldwell garnered several honors at the 2007 ACC championships and is currently ranked No. 9 nationally. He said one of his goals is to beat Sanders by the time he graduates.
“From high school to now, he’s been a big part of my improvement,” Caldwell said. “He’s one of the only guys in the room that beats up on me. And I definitely need that to stay humble.”
By eighth grade, Sanders earned the reputation of a “tough guy”. It wasn’t long before the wrestling coach heard about him and asked him to join the team. Though he excelled at first, he was humbled when he began to compete at a higher level.
Now, when he takes on State’s wrestlers, he’s just trying to return the favor.
“It made me more mentally strong to where I can do anything now,” Sanders said. “If I didn’t have this job, I would land on my feet. I can be a success in anything. I don’t really think I can fail. That’s that attitude you need — a kick-ass attitude. You have to have a swagger, a confidence about yourself. I’ve got that.”
