Jake Walker, a multi-sport senior from Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa recently announced his commitment to Wartburg College in Iowa for both wrestling and football. He was courted by the likes of Northern Iowa, Navy and Iowa, among other schools for these two sports and will be competing in them for Wartburg at the Division III level.
Growing up in Waverly-Shell Rock, Jake had an impressive prep career in both football and wrestling. On the mats, he was a formidable presence as a four-time state medalist and three-time Class 3A state finalist with a 139-24 career record. He also contributed immensely to the school’s three traditional state team championships and three more state duals crowns. He earned All-American honors at both the 16U and Junior national championships, and twice finished in the top-six at the Cadet freestyle world team trials.
In football, Walker was a force at defensive tackle and earned first-team All-Iowa honors last season. In the past two seasons alone, Walker has managed an impressive 56 combined tackles, including 22.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
After weighing his options with other schools, Walker decided to stay close to home and play both sports at Wartburg. He knows the coaching staff at Wartburg well and likes the fact that he can stay close to his family. He also likes that Wartburg has a solid history of success nationally in terms of both wrestling and football. On top of that, Wartburg is committed to helping him find the balance between the two sports.
Wartburg’s wrestling program has been one of the most successful Division III programs in the country since 1993. They have won an impressive 15 titles and 10 runner-up finishes. On the football front, Wartburg has made four postseason appearances in the past five seasons and have reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and the semifinal round this past season.
Jake Walker’s commitment to both wrestling and football to Wartburg is an inspiring story and it definitely serves as a good reminder that anything is possible if you put in the hard work and dedication. Walker’s example should also remind us that it is indeed possible for young athletes to pursue their passion for multiple sports and that there are now places where they can continue doing so safely and successfully.
