Hager wrestles for World Wrestling Entertainment as one of their superstars, and his character, “Jack Swagger,” is one of the top villains on the WWE’s television show Smackdown! that comes on every Friday night on the SyFy Network.

“It’s so crazy because I grew up watching the same guys I’m in the locker room with now,” Hager said. “I grew up idolizing Rey Mysterio, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Big Show; I mean these guys were on my TV every Monday night.”

Hager initially came to OU as a defensive tackle from high school wrestling powerhouse Perry. Hager appeared to be doing well, but hadn’t attained the level of success to which he was accustomed.

The former Oklahoma high school wrestling state champion turned his attention back to the mat and decided his best chances for national success would come in collegiate wrestling.

It was a rough transition for a young man, who was suddenly competing for one of the toughest college wrestling programs in the country.

“We wrestle one of the most competitive schedules in the country,” said OU wrestling coach Jack Spates. “He was coming in against beasts. He did have a transition because he didn’t start until later in college — very difficult for a guy to do that — by the end he was for real. He was tough.”

As a heavyweight in 2006, Hager was named an All-American after an impressive seventh-place finish in the NCAA championships and also defeated the eventual heavyweight national champion, Dustin Fox from Northwestern.

It was during this time he was introduced to WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross through former OU defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek, Hager’s close friend and college roommate.

Before WWE made the call, though, Hager was trying to find a job during his final semester on campus, but nothing caught his eye.

“I must have went through job interviews for six or seventh months, you know starting in January and that was just a nerve-wracking process,” Hager said. “I really wasn’t finding any opportunities out there. I found some jobs, but not what I thought were opportunities.”

After a nearly six-month process, Hager had finally come to terms with a firm in Dallas.

That’s when he got the phone call from Ross.

“I talked to JR and I talked to another guy, Jerry Briscoe, and they kind of set me down and told me about the opportunity I had in front of me with the WWE,” Hager said. “They sent me out to Atlanta for a one-week tryout at one of their developmental camps.

“I liked it, they liked me, so we signed a three-year developmental contract and I moved out to Atlanta by July of ’06.”

During his 2 1/2 year stay at multiple WWE affiliates, Hager worked on making the transition from amateur wrestler to professional wrestling.

He also worked on creating the character Hager portrays today in Swagger.

Hager started living his dream, playing the larger-than-life character Jack Swagger, “The All-American American”.

“That’s the thing, you know, when you’re coming up with a character for the WWE, they want it to be you but amplified. I think Jack Swagger and Jake Hager are very similar.”

Most describe the 6’6, 260-pound former All-American wrestler as the laid back, easygoing sort, but when the entrance music hits and the lights go up, it’s that amplified version of Hager that goes through the curtain. From that point forward it’s all Jack Swagger, the All-American American, the braggadocios villain of the WWE.

Swagger will add on a couple more Americans to his “All-American American” nickname when he is really trying to get the fans riled up, a far departure from the young wrestler that used to walk the campus at OU on his way to a bachelor’s degree in business finance in 2006.

“Jacob Hager is a great kid,” Spates said. “It’s so comical because when you see him on TV, he’s, and I don’t know if he would be characterized as a villain, but he certainly seems pretty villainous and he’s got that stare down — that evil stare. I have to laugh because Jacob Hager is the nicest, sweetest, most wonderful guy you could meet, but he plays a good part.”

It’s Hager’s amateur wrestling skills that have helped catapult him to the top of the heap in the WWE, and Hager is a part of special lineage that has passed through the hallowed wrestling rooms and moved on to the pro ranks.

Names like Danny Hodge, who went undefeated at his time at OU (1955-1957) while amassing a record of 46-0 with 36 pins. Hodge also won the 177-pound NCAA title and pinned all of his NCAA finalist opponents.

Hodge may be arguably the greatest amateur wrestler of all time, according to Ross, and is the only amateur wrestler to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.

There was also two-sport athlete “Dr. Death” Steve Williams. Williams was an All-American during his time as a football player at OU and also made the finals of the NCAA tournament in wrestling before be beaten by future Olympian Bruce Baumgartner.

Hager has known Hodge most of his life while living in their shared hometown of Perry, and Williams helped train Hager as a pro during his time Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Another former Sooner great, Ed “Wahoo” McDaniel, comes to mind that had a solid career in professional wrestling. McDaniel played football under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson in 1956 and played in the NFL before stepping inside the squared circle.

Ross, who also was Executive Vice President for the WWE and has been involved in pro wrestling since 1974, acknowledges the legacy Hager has to follow.

“He has huge shoes to fill because he’s been preceded by so many Oklahomans that have been stars in pro wrestling,” Ross said.

However, Hager already has taken a major step towards being remembered among the elite in Oklahoma’s history, and the journey started in Oklahoma City during the March 1 edition of WWE’s Monday Night Raw telecast.

Jack Swagger took on Santino Marella in a qualifying match for a spot in a match called “Money-in-the-Bank.” Swagger squashed Marella in less than 30 seconds in front of his hometown crowd.

Swagger went to the WWE’s premiere pay-per-view event, WrestleMania, and won the MITB match in front of over 72,000 people on March 28 in Glendale, Ariz.

Winning the match guaranteed Swagger a shot at WWE’s world titles at his discretion. Any time, any place, and Swagger could even take advantage of an injured champion.

Less than two days after Swagger went to a television taping of Smackdown! and cashed in the guaranteed contract, he successfully captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Chris Jericho.

For Hager, it was a great night for more than one reason.

“Man, what a feeling. Like when I came back through the curtain and everybody was on their feet cheering,” Hager said. “It happened to be in Las Vegas, so it was the perfect city. After I won it actually, I took my then-girlfriend out at the time and I proposed to her. So I had a world championship in one hand and a ring in another. Luckily, she said yes.”

The win came as a big shock to many, including his mentor Ross, as Hager is still considered green in the world of pro wrestling.

“I was proud of him,” Ross said. “Because it’s a sign of confidence that the company has in an athlete that they feel he is talented and responsible enough to be put in that position. So I was obviously proud for him and happy with him.

“I was surprised and pleasantly so.”

Jack Swagger was now carrying the title and wrestling as the main event night in and night out in front of sold-out arenas across the country.

There was nothing sweeter for Hager as the titlist. He eventually dropped the title to one of his heroes, Rey Mysterio, in a fatal four-way match.

“It was a life-long dream to accomplish that,” Hager said. “Oh man, that three or four months I held the title was going by really fast, but it was very surreal and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Now, as a former world champion, it’s up to Swagger the character and Jake Hager the man to build a legacy.

“You know what? Now is a real interesting time for me,” he said. “I have been the world heavyweight champion, but I’m still considered very new.

“You want to leave your mark on this business. Anybody who does this business does it because they love it. I have been wrestling since I was 5 years old, I played football and wrestled at Oklahoma, you do that and it’s a lot of hard work because you love it.

“Obviously, I can’t be a wrestler for the rest of my life. Your body won’t take it, so for the next 10 years I would like to passionately put everything I have into these performances and give it to the WWE universe and to the local that fans I have at OU and around the state of Oklahoma.

“Luckily, Jake Hager went to the great the University of Oklahoma, so he has class. He knows how to win because the Sooners win and they do it with class.”

First though for Hager is a trip home to OKC Friday night for a live television production of Smackdown! on the Syfy Network from the Ford Center.

Ross, who is sponsoring the live Smackdown!, hopes students and fans alike turn out to welcome Hager home.

“I know that on that Friday night before the OU-Texas game is a big night for him,” Ross said. “Cause I hope that for those who don’t trek to Dallas, that they will make the effort to go to the Ford Center to see him perform.

“This is like a home game for Swagger, and the WWE won’t be back the rest of this year at least.”

The WWE also is offering student tickets for the JRsBarBQ.com presents SmackDown! at the Ford Center for a discounted rate of $10 dollars with a student ID.

Villain or not though, Hager wants to hear the cheers when he comes home Friday.

“Well, hopefully since I am a world champion now, Norman and OU can really welcome home back one of their native sons,” Hager said.

Rio Hondo’s Jesse Cruz and Cody Bolliwger from Cerritos were wrestling when in the third round, Cruz was pinned down and he did not get up.

Soon after, he was unable to respond and he was treated and given CPR by Mt. Sac’s Athletic Trainer and paramedics.

Los Angeles Sheriff was notified about the incident at 11:33 a.m., he was transported by paramedics to San Dimas Community Hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead at 12:20 p.m.

Rick Silva, a close friend of Cruz, said, We love Jesse more than words can say. Jesse Cruz was, and will always be a special person in the lives of all he touched.

Soon after Cruz’s death, the Cruz family said in a statement, “Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Jesse is an amazing young man that will be greatly missed by his family and friends.”

Rio Hondo College President Ted Martinez Jr. said in a written statement, Cruz was in his second year with the wrestling team.

School officials stated, Jesse was the epitome of the ideal student-athlete, but in addition being an excellent student who maintained a high GPA, he was the All-American captain of the Rio Hondo College wrestling team and a superb leader. Even though the cause of his death is unknown, the coroner that examined Jesse’s body said in a statement they should have the result of his death this week.

To show appreciation for team members who sacrificed the time to succeed in their respective sport as well as academics, President Obama invited 38 college sports teams to the South Lawn on Monday to commemorate their successful seasons, all of which concluded with NCAA championships.

The president addressed the audience of more than 800 student-athletes and coaches in front of the White House and praised those in attendance for their accomplishments.

“You woke up early; you put in countless hours of practice for the love of the game and for the pride of your school,” the president said. “You rode those buses, and you carried those bags because you knew what it was going to take to be the best — and because every one of you has a competitive streak that’s about a mile wide.”

In the 2009-10 season, the Hawkeyes posted an undefeated dual record of 23-0 and extended their winning streak to 61 matches. The 2010 NCAA championship marked the second consecutive 23rd in school history.

“I see it as a tribute to the hard work that I put into the sport and my teammates put into the sport,” said former Iowa wrestler Ryan Morningstar, who competed in the 2009-10 season and finished with a 30-8 overall record. “It’s a tribute to everything that we’ve put into this sport. The hard work, the sacrifice and the blood, sweat, and tears.”

Morningstar, 24, said before the team’s departure that although he is honored by the opportunity to meet Obama, he is eager to return to training for the 2012 U.S. Olympic wrestling team.

“We are always working … we don’t let a day go by that we don’t try to improve,” the Lisbon, Iowa, native said. “Whether it’s hard wrestling goals, whether it’s just one day — maybe I just throw a tape in and watch old matches.”

Morningstar described wrestling as more of a lifestyle than a sport for him and his team and said that mentality is one of the key ingredients to the unheralded success and rich tradition of the Hawkeye wrestling program.

Hawkeye sophomore Matt McDonough said the experience at the White House will stick with him for the rest of his life.

“You try to stay grounded about [meeting the president],” said McDonough, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2010. “You realize that he is just a guy … But once you see him, it’s really a spectacle.”

After he congratulated the student-athletes who stood before him, Obama said the hard work and dedication shown in their championship runs will remain with the athletes for the rest of their lives.

“You’re always going to know what it means to compete and what it means to be a champion,” Obama said. “That’s something that nobody will ever be able to take away from you. And that is something that you should be extraordinarily proud of.”

Reiland has served as head wrestling coach at West for 12 years, and during that time, he has won four state dual-meet titles, two traditional state team titles, and eight Mississippi Valley Conference Tournament titles.

He has also been named the Southeast Iowa District 3A Coach of the Year five times, and he and his staff were named Coaches of the Year in the conference three times, including the 2010 season.

Reiland has also coached five Junior National champions, 18 Junior All-Americans, six Cadet National champions, and 19 Cadet All-Americans in Fargo during the past eight years.

“The biggest thing is that we do this for the kids,” he said in a release. “It is rewarding for that purpose. You don’t get into this sport for awards or to be recognized by your peers. It is the athletes who are driving me to do more for the sport.”

As a Hawkeye grappler, Reiland was an NCAA champion and two-time All American from 1989-1992. His 44 wins during the 1990-91 season ranks third all-time in Iowa history for wins in a single season, and his 45 career pins ranks eighth all-time.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is relieved to have one of the top fighters in history — U. Minnesota alumnus Brock Lesnar — back to fight interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin.

The two will fight for the title of undisputed heavyweight champion Saturday in a match billed as “the most anticipated heavyweight bout in UFC history.”

“This is a fight that we’ve all been waiting for,” UFC spokeswoman Jen Wenk said, “because it will decide who is the greatest heavyweight in the UFC.”

Lesnar is just happy to be healthy again, overcoming a bout with diverticulitis — an intestinal inflammation — last winter that left his fighting career in jeopardy. The 6-foot-3-inch 265-pound fighter collapsed at one of his homes in Canada in October after battling what he thought was a case of mononucleosis. He cancelled a scheduled fight with Carwin and increasing stomach pains led to the diverticulitis diagnosis.

Lesnar announced his return in January after receiving the OK to begin training and wrestle from several doctors, including those at the Mayo Clinic.

“I think the setback for me actually has been a good thing because it allowed me to sit back and really focus on my diet, the way I trained,” Lesnar said in a recent teleconference interview.

While Lesnar was out, Carwin beat Frank Mir to become the UFC interim heavyweight champion.

Beginning his wrestling career as a junior college national champion, Lesnar transferred to Minnesota where he finished his career with two Big Ten championships and an NCAA Division-I heavyweight championship.

The Webster, S.D., native has since wrestled all over the world, most notably for the fictionalized World Wrestling Entertainment — where he was a three-time champion — and UFC.

Carwin doesn’t pose the type of grudge match that would have been present had his opponent been Frank Mir . Lesnar said there is no animosity, but rather a mutual respect between the two competitors.

“Brock is a big, talented, athletic heavyweight and those are rare to find,” Carwin said. “These are the [fights that] you remember.”

Preparation, perspective

For his training, Lesnar has worked with former members of the Gophers wrestling family such as Cole Konrad and Marty Morgan . Morgan was an assistant coach for the Gophers who stepped away this season in order to help Lesnar train.

“I believe that’s what you have to do,” Lesnar said. “You have to surround yourself with people that are going to push you … You get what you put into it, and I’ve put my heart and soul and my whole life into this training camp.”

The changes he made weren’t only limited to his training staff and his diet. The condition did something to Brock that few wrestlers he’s come across have been able to do: lay him flat on his back.

“You definitely take a different approach on life,” Lesnar said. “You realize that there’s nothing more important in life than your family, and you really find out who your friends are.

“I’m excited. The fight is almost here, and it’s just a good day to be alive.”

Former U. Minnesota wrestler Cole Konrad, a two-time NCAA heavyweight champion, is beginning to make a name for himself in a new sport — mixed martial arts.

Konrad (2-0) will make his debut with Bellator Fighting Championships on Thursday night in Boston against Pat Bennett (1-0). The fight will be Konrad’s third MMA bout, but his first televised event.

“I plan to come out with some fire and kind of send a message,” Konrad said.

After defeating his first two opponents in the first round, Konrad signed a contract with Bellator in February. Bellator fights and highlights are broadcast nationally on Fox Sports Net and NBC.

“Some guys will fight 15 times before they get an opportunity like this,” Konrad said. “It was just encouraging to know that they noticed my potential and my skill.”

Bellator plans to add a heavyweight tournament in its third season, which begins in August. Konrad, 26, could earn a spot in the tournament if he continues to perform well.

Konrad got his first taste of MMA more than two years ago when he began training with another University alumnus, Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Prior to officially launching his own MMA career, Konrad had NFL aspirations, trying out with the New York Jets in 2007 and the Minnesota Vikings last spring as an offensive lineman. Konrad, who had not played football since his freshman year of high school, failed to make either squad.

Konrad primarily works out in Alexandria, Minn. at Lesnar’s private facility with head trainer and former Gophers wrestling assistant coach Marty Morgan. He has also trained at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis.

Minnesota Martial Arts Academy owner and head trainer, Greg Nelson, said that training alongside Lesnar has been a tremendous asset for Konrad.

“He’s definitely become a much more well-rounded fighter since he’s obviously working with one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division,” Nelson said.

Konrad said that he has been surprised how comfortable and relaxed he has felt competing in a new sport. He even told Gophers head assistant coach Joe Russell that he’s been less nervous before his MMA fights than his wrestling matches.

While his wrestling background has helped him transition into MMA, Konrad said he has enjoyed developing other aspects of his game and has become increasingly comfortable on his feet.

In his second bout, Konrad said he intentionally fought on his feet to acclimate himself to a different style. Konrad delivered a knockout blow to his opponent in the first round.

Nevertheless, Konrad’s wrestling roots could be his hallmark during his MMA career.

“I’m not going to say that my style is going to be strictly wrestling, but that’s obviously the thing that’s most natural to me,” Konrad said. “More times than not, I would assume that I’ll go to wrestling dominant positions to control the tempo and pace of the fight.”

Konrad has maintained strong ties to the University’s wrestling program and works as a part-time staff member, Russell said. His role with the team has him working with heavyweight wrestlers and doing occasional administrative tasks.

“He’s arguably one of our best wrestlers ever, so to have him around the younger guys is important just from a mentoring standpoint,” Russell said.

Konrad, who wrestled at 285 pounds in college, has had to drop down to 265 pounds for Thursday’s fight.

Heading into the contest, Konrad has watched tape of Bennett’s first fight, but said that he doesn’t want to over-strategize.

“You can game plan all day, but until you get out there and the bell rings, there’s no set thing that’s going to go down,” Konrad said.