Penn State wrestling commit Aaron Brooks discusses life on and off the mat
Penn State wrestling commit Aaron Brooks, who’ll join the team next season, has a list of accolades a mile long.
He’s a four-time high school state champ from Maryland. He was a Cadet World champ before he won the silver at the Junior World Championships in September. And he’s currently at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The list goes on and on.
But, what does Brooks — who projects at 174 or 184 pounds for Penn State — do for fun when he isn’t wrestling?
Brooks recently took some time to unplug from wrestling and answer some questions with the Centre Daily Times on and off the mat.
How hard is it, as an athlete of your caliber, to stay focused with social media and everything extra like that?
Aaron Brooks: It’s really funny; I actually just called Coach Cael (Sanderson) and we talked about that. It’s hard. Nowadays, when you have people always telling you how great you are and how you could be this and be that, it can go to your head real quick. He told me, “You just have to stay humble with it. You got to say thank you, but remember there is still a lot to be done.” You accept it when people tell you these things or you see these things, but you can’t really let it hit you because that’s when you are not as humble or train as hard.
Nowadays, with social media and Flo, I feel like a lot of pressure is put on young athletes. You just got to know how to deal with it. Everybody stumbles up with it, no matter what level you are at. Even the greatest get caught up in it sometimes. You just got to remember it’s other people telling you that, and it’s great to hear, but it’s never really a completed mission until you retire. That is one thing that is always bouncing in and out, but you just got to handle it the right way or it could be really bad.
What is one thing you are looking forward to the most when you come to State College and Penn State?
AB: I’d say just overall improvement everywhere, just becoming a better man, better person and better wrestler. I think improving myself and being the best version of me that I can be in every situation and as a student as well, a student in school and student of the sport.
What would you say is your most memorable match or most memorable aspect of your wrestling career so far?
AB: There has been matches that have really put me out there on the national scene. For me, it was a whole tournament. It was Fargo 2017. I just lost at the Cadet World Team Trials. I was really hard on myself. I wanted to change up things that were going wrong. I went out to Fargo after training at the Olympic Training Center for a while. It was the first time being out there. There was a lot of stuff not in my favor. My club coach had passed away and I was feeling a little off.
But I remember that whole tournament, just finding a grit and sticking to it. It wasn’t an out-of-body type thing. I was capable of doing it, but the confidence was a whole new level. It was the first time that I really trusted in myself and just let things go loose. I ended up dominating everybody and bouncing back. I think that was a really big turning point for me.
What is your go-to music, genre or song?
AB: I like all types of music. Whenever I’m warming up, it’s not really a certain genre. A lot of people listen to “pump” music. Me, I like to listen to music that keeps me calm. Whatever is the trend, if its a song that relaxes me or some old ones.
What are some of the songs on your playlist currently?
AB: I have one made out for my warmup. Some stuff is Imagine Dragons, some stuff is Kevin Gates, some old Kayne West, Sia’s “The Greatest” and some Kodak Black. It’s just something that doesn’t amp me up too much but keeps me focused and calm.
Let’s say you didn’t have a stellar wrestling career like you have, is there another sport you could see yourself playing or competing in?
AB: I think I’d like to box. I think combat sports is really what I could do. It’s exciting for me. Martial arts, I’ve always been really excited about them. Just learning different combats is really what I love to do. I love to learn different things when it comes to martial arts, no matter what it is. I used to do jiu-jitsu when I was younger. I just loved learning new stuff. I could see me being a boxer.
Where have you seen the most improvement in your wrestling from when you left high school to where you are now, training at the Olympic Training Center?
AB: I would say mentally mainly. I’m becoming a bigger student of the sport. I feel like a lot of times in high school, a lot of stuff comes naturally or easy to a lot of people. When you get to the next level, you have to become a student of it and immerse yourself in it, even more than you have. Being more focused and even more coachable, is the biggest step I’ve made.
You are going to be coming in with some pretty stellar wrestlers. You are going to have yourself, Michael Beard and Seth Nevills. To come in with those guys and continue that Penn State tradition, how much does that mean to you? Or are you mostly there to get the best out of yourself and move forward with your wrestling career?
AB: I think it is great to have people like them alongside because those are the relationships you form with other teammates. So, anytime you have teammates who are looking to do the same things as you, it makes things a lot easier. It carves out a lot of distractions, so it is always great when you have teammates with you by your side. It’s almost impossible to do anything alone. It’s really important being surrounded by people that have the same mindset and assets as you.
What drove you to make your decision to join Penn State?
AB: When I look back at it, I think it was a little bit of everything for me. I was looking for somewhere that I could spend the next eight years at the max. I was looking for somewhere that felt like home. Penn State gave me that feeling with the environment, the coaching staff and the team. It’s not too far away from my actual hometown. I think the people and the environment and what it produces obviously, that’s why I say it was a little bit of everything.
What do you think the feeling is going to be like when you put that Penn State singlet on for the first time?
AB: I’m hyped for that. It is going to be amazing. I feel like I’m going to power up. Have you ever seen the video games where, Level 1, you put on a new suit and you just go to Level 50? Yeah, I’m excited for that.
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 8:46 PM.