National Wrestling Hall of Fame

The only advantage that Eric Guerrero had as a wrestler was a family that always supported and believed in him. Sebastian, Eric's father, wrestled in high school and father and son faced off at every possible opportunity. Said Eric's mother Virginia, "They just move the coffee table and go at it on the living room floor." By 10, Eric was enrolled in the San Jose Jets wrestling club. That doesn't mean that Guerrero's outstanding performances ever came easily. Although his wrestling career got an early boost from his family, it is his unwillingness to accept defeat and his eagerness to learn from mistakes which best define his mat success. A graduate of Independence High School in San Jose, Calif., Eric put together an enviable high school career. In 1993, he won a Cadet World title. He was a two-time first-team ASICS All-American and in 1995, he took home a junior national title and was named California Male Athlete-of-the-Year. Coach John Smith at Oklahoma State University admits he recruited Eric Guerrero not because of his high school record, but because of his drive to improve on the mat. Said Coach Smith, "The first time I watched him, he got beat." What got Smith's attention was Guerrero's response. "You could tell it truly hurt him. I like to see pain after a loss instead of somebody saying, 'No big deal, tomorrow's another day.'" Why? Because the Oklahoma State coach, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, knows that a smart wrestler will take that pain as motivation to figure out how to improve and, next time, to win. This was never more true than when as an 18-year-old freshman, Guerrero marched into the NCAA Championships seeded fourth at 126 pounds. Rolling over his first two opponents, he stumbled against the fifth seed. Then in the consolations, he ran off two victories before narrowly losing to the seventh seed from Cal State Bakersfield. Most first-year university wrestlers would be proud to return to Stillwater with a fifth-place finish and All- America honors. Not Eric. Simply put, he was an NCAA champion for the rest of his college career. Few athletes practiced or trained harder than Guerrero and, most importantly, few continued to get better every year. As a senior, Guerrero boasted a perfect 31-0 record going into nationals. When he graduated, he was not just a three- time NCAA champ and four-time All- American; he was a team leader. From the end of his freshman year, the Cowboys won every dual until he graduated -- 68 straight dual victories over four years! Sometimes referred to as the "energizer bunny" by his teammates, Eric Guerrero did not have an off switch. After hours of grueling practice, he was known for returning to his dorm room to analyze films of his favorite wrestlers. When he graduated from OSU, however, he was just getting started. He won U.S Open titles in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004; and in 2002 was named the Outstanding Wrestler. He competed in the Freestyle World Championships four times and won the World Cup in 2003. He was named to Team USA for the Athens Olympics in 2004. Those who got to watch Guerrero wrestle saw a supreme tactician who used speed and conditioning to plow through his opponents' defense. If he lost a few points in a match, you could be sure to see him the next day at practice learning the strategies necessary to not let it happen again. A relentless opponent who knew that strength or attitude alone were rarely the path to victory, Guerrero learned early on that a wrestler always must be mentally prepared for whatever opponents might throw his way. It is these same characteristics that have served Eric Guerrero as a promising and successful associate head coach at Oklahoma State. While he has come a long way from wrestling his father on the living room floor, his road to success has been determined time and again by a dedication to the sport of wrestling. Even though he would be the first to tell you he still has much to learn, the commitment, dedication, and energy this Latino wrestler generates from one day to the next already have defined Eric Guerrero as one of the most promising of the newest generation of wrestling coaches. Wrestled 1996-1999 Oklahoma State University 126lbs // 133lbs ERIC GUERRERO 24 | NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM LATINO WRESTLING EXPERIENCE

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