Brent Jones talks wrestling and future with TOM

Brent Jones will be helping out at his Alma mater (University of Virginia) this year and is excited to add a new chapter to his life. Jones finished his career as the all-time pin leader at Virginia and 4th for all-time wins. He is now focused on coaching and training for his international career.

TOM: What is the biggest personal or wrestling-related obstacle you have had to overcome?

Jones: I have had many obstacles to overcome in my wrestling career, after all it wouldn’t be wrestling without having to face adversity. I have had 2 personal obstacles and 2 wrestling-related obstacles that come to mind as being my biggest challenges, but I cant differentiate between them. My 2 biggest personal obstacles involved having to fight through family deaths. I literally had to watch my grandma and uncle pass away in front of my eyes at the beginning of wrestling seasons. Death of a loved one is never something that can be taken lightly, especially if you literally watch it happen in front of your eyes, but its the way you deal with it that can make or break you. You always have to find the good in the bad and run with it. That’s what I did and I had great seasons those years for my lost ones.

The 2 wrestling- related obstacles were injuries and mental aspects of the sport. I fractured my scaphoid bone in my wrist and my thumb on the opposite side, but I choose to not let it affect my season and get surgery 6 months after the fracture. I was told I was crazy by doctors, but hey I am strong and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me I can’t do something. The mental aspect was learning how to control my style of wrestling. The university world championships really showed me that wrestling controlled and powerful is the best way to win the big matches. It was hard because I loved to go out there and throw everything at my opponent and I would over think everything. My coaches helped me to calm down and just wrestle, which forever changed my style for the best

TOM: To date what is your most memorable match and why?

Jones: Again I am indecisive with this one because I have had many big matches that have affected me both bad and good, but if I had to narrow the field down I would be left with 2 that stick out a lot. First, one of my biggest matches of all time would have to be my first match in the 2008 Olympic Trials. It was my first time on the big stage and I was like a deer in headlights being on the same mat as a lot of our sports legends. Also, the person I was wrestling, Konrad Duziak, always seemed to have my number. In the end, I was able to gather my composure and grab the victory to advance to the quarterfinals of the Olympic trials. The other match that brings about a great memory was the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship finals against Hudson Taylor. No one thought I had a chance in this match but my teammates, coaches, and family. I remember going to Coach Garland before the finals started and saying, “coach I am going to launch him if I can”. Usually coach tells me not to force things, but this time he said “you’re already going to nationals so go have fun!” That’s exactly what I did. Within the first couple of second of the match I decided to fulfill my promise and hit a highflying headlock. It was kind of surreal wants we hit the mat, but I just remember thinking squeeze as hard as possible its almost over, even as he rips my headgear off and fish hooks my mouth as hard as he could. Once the refs hand hit the mat after 28 seconds of wrestling, I ran over to my coaches for a joyous embrace followed by a beating from euphoric teammates that had ran out of the crowd. That moment allowed me to be voted the outstanding wrestler in the ACC and the pictures of the celebratory mayhem that ensued with always be immortalized in the wrestling offices at UVA.

TOM: If you could wrestle anyone from the past who would it be and why?

Jones: This is a very easy question to answer. Everyone I lose to, because I hate to lose. However, I think it would be awesome to have an old school verse new school wrestling match against Dan Gable just to see the conflicting wrestling styles of then and now.

TOM: What brought you to the University of Virginia?

Jones: I am staying on here to coach because I had helped build this program up from almost getting dropped to a top 15 ranked program, and I simply can not stop until we are at the top. I have seen many changes within our program over the year, I have seen the bad and the good, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is love for this program and my drive to make it the best in the country. Also, since Coach Garland has taken over the program, he has brought some of the most important people into my life. This program and everyone involved with it has become apart of my family, and I simply cant walk away from family when they need me.

TOM: What are you most looking forward to this upcoming season?

Jones: I am most looking forward to taking that next big step in my life and seeing how it all turns out. It is a huge step to go from wrestler to coach. Its an eye opener and you really get to see all the hard work that happens behind the scenes in order to make a program successful. I have coached the Virginia junior and cadet national teams for 5 years now, but that is high school and this is college. When you’re a wrestler in the program you just worry about winning. When you’re a coach in a program, you worry about every aspect of winning for every kid, not just on the mat but off of it. I love coaching and I think there is no better gratification in life than to see those you care about do well, win, and be truly happy. I have a feeling I will see plenty of that. I also am looking forward to taking that next step in my wrestling career and making a run at the best in the world. I have forever had the dream to become a world and Olympic champion, but dreamers only dream while winners live the dream. That’s what I plan to do.

TOM: How have you improved from last season to this one? What helped that improvement?

Jones: This year I have gotten a lot stronger, physical, and powerful in my positions. Coaching has allowed me to fine tune the little mechanical problems in my technique, while also learning how to implement the right balanced attack. I am good in a lot of positions, but I am very good in a lot of other positions that I used to resort to when all else failed. I have learned from the world team trials that I need to get to these positions the whole match and win the match big or fast, rather than allowing my opponent the chance to stay in the match with me. That is when you lose the matches you have no business losing. Assert your dominance from the get go and never look back.

TOM: What is your favorite sport, besides wrestling?

Jones: This is a hard question because I love all sports. I always am constantly keeping up with all UVA sports, ESPN, and reading stats and news on all sports. If I had to pick one that is my ultimate favorite I would go with Football. I have had great success in it when I was in playing high school ball, and it was just a blast to play. When I am not watching wrestling, I am watching college football, no matter who’s playing. If it’s a good game, I have it on.

TOM: What are your long term goals in wrestling?

Jones: My career goals have already been discussed. I want to become a world and Olympic champ. Dreams never come true unless you live the dream.
My coaching goals are to coach national champions and national championship teams, but also to make a difference in individuals in order to help them live their dreams.

TOM: MMA good or bad for wrestling and why?

Jones: I think MMA is actually good for the sport. If you look at MMA results, you see that the people that do the best in the sport are usually those with wrestling backgrounds. The announcers and athletes who have this background, like to let it be known. This brings attention to the sport we love and I have often seen that it makes people want to learn how to wrestle. I have friends fighting MMA and those without wrestling backgrounds are always asking me for help, and also sending their students to wrestle. This is great for our sport because it brings people to our sport and to watch our sport. I have never had someone come to a wrestling match or start wrestling and not like it. So, let MMA bring to wrestling, wrestling will keep them hooked.

TOM: Have you considered a MMA career after you are done competing?

Jones: I have been told I should fight many times, by a lot of people. A lot of people thinks it will be perfect for me. On the mat I am mean and ruthless, off the mat I am one of the most caring people you can meet. I was raised a southern gentleman and a stereotypical nice guy. A big teddy bear basically, but that changes once the shoes get laced up. It would be interesting to do, and it is fun to mess around with, but I also have a dream of becoming a doctor. I have taken med school classes and worked in a hospital for a couple of years, and I cant get enough of making people smile. Wrestling is my first passion so I will do that until my body gives, than I will go on to satisfy my second passion of making people happy by becoming a doctor.

TOM: What advice would you give to an up and coming wrestler?

Jones: The most important thing you need to know is to have fun. When the thing that got you into the sport in the first place leaves, you will find yourself start to slip and fall back down that mountain of success your climbing. You need to find that perfect balance of fun and hard work. That is the secret to success. If you can’t find fun in what you do, than why do you do it?

TOM: As a recruit what were the main things you considered when picking a school?

Jones: Academics…unfortunately we can not all wrestle our whole lives…as much as we want to, we will eventually have to move on. A degree, or two, from one of the top schools in the country sounds like a nice insurance plan for me when my body says no more.

I wanted to be apart of building a national powerhouse, instead of being just another name on the wall. Its something special to say I was a stepping-stone that helped make a program one of the best in the country. You will always be remembered for that. Leave your mark on a program.

Where am I most comfortable? Do the people here really want to see me succeed and have the same goals I do for the program and myself? Can I call this place home and these people my family?

….all these questions and concerns were laid to rest at The University of Virginia!!

TOM: What person has had the biggest impact on your wrestling career and why?

Jones: Out of all of the coaches I have had in my life, all of the friends and loved ones that have put everything into seeing me succeed, and out of those that I have lost and promised I would do my best to make them proud looking down on me, I would have to say my father (Rick Jones) has had the biggest impact on my wrestling career. After all, I had to beg him for 3 years before he decided to let me even wrestle. He has invested so much time and money into taking me to all the best tournaments around the country and driving me an hr to practice 3 times a week when I was younger. He has coached me since the first day I stepped on the mat. There has been times when he would push me past my breaking point and I would say I hated him at the time, but looking back at it you can truly see that everything he did has made me the man I am today, and the wrestler I am today. Although sometimes it doesn’t seem so at the time, but when you have someone pushing you past your breaking point and constantly on you to be better and work harder than you think is possible, it allows you to see that you can truly do anything. Also at the end of the day, no matter the outcome, there will always be at least one person there that I know is proud of me, and that is my father.

TOM: List three things fans may not know about you but should?

Jones: I may look like a big red headed goon, but I am a very caring person who loves to go out of his way to make people smile. I am always opened minded and looking for fun where fun is to be had. I started the peer mediation program at my high school to help people find happiness in dark times. (hints wanting to be a doctor)
2. I love everything about the country and I am a thrill seeker.
3. I love to dance. Don’t let this big body fool you, there is more to me than meets the eyes, and I can break it down ha.