Not every sport gives an athlete the opportunity to express himself and come into his own at a young age. But for OCU’s Teagan Franco, wrestling did just that.
Franco began wrestling because he needed to stand up for himself. The sport later grew into a discipline and a passion, something he wanted to explore more in his native town of Spanaway, Wash.
“I got bullied when I was in elementary school and got beat up a few times. Since I couldn’t do martial arts I took up wrestling,” Franco said. “It allowed me to defend myself at first, but then it became a discipline… a passion… an outlet.”
Franco said he was a quiet and shy boy who liked to sneak out of the house and wonder in the woods instead of going to the playground with friends.
“Growing up, I wanted to do martial arts, but for whatever reason my mother kept me away from it,” Franco said. “When I was in first grade I received a wrestling flier from the Bethel Allstars, one of the premiere junior league programs in the state. I’ve been wrestling ever since.”
Franco also played baseball in various junior leagues and on club teams for about six years. He also played football in junior high and high school.
Franco decided in his junior year to focus on wrestling, hoping to compete at the collegiate level.
“My high school coach played a big role in getting me into college wrestling because he put so much time and effort working with me,” Franco said. “He helped me building that mental toughness I was lacking at the time.
“When I saw how much he believed in me, I started to believe in myself too and realized that I could definitely compete at the next level.”
A 184-pound Franco took eighth in the nation after a year at Yakima Valley Community College in Yakima, Wash.
Schools in Montana, California and Missouri recruited Franco, but he decided to visit Oklahoma City University.
“I saw OCU as an opportunity to test myself academically and take on something more challenging for my student-athlete career,” Franco said. “I’m entering my third year, and it’s been a great experience so far. I love the school.”
Franco took All-American honors during the 2012-13 season. It was the second time in his college career.
Franco’s teammates appreciate his impact on the team and look up to him.
“Franco a great person—very calm and relax, and a heck of a wrestler,” sophomore wrestler Zach Skates said. “He’s a leader on our team, not really the vocal type but the type that leads by the example. He works hard every day. It’s always important to have a guy like that on the team.”
Franco, a kinesiology student, plans to red shirt this year to keep a year of eligibility for his senior year. He wants to be a physical therapist and personal trainer after graduation.
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