James Green | Episode 11

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.

Shane Sparks: And welcome to Stories from the Resilite. Hard to believe it's already episode 11. We've had on Jordan Burroughs, Ben Askren, Kyle Dake, most recently Kyle Snyder. It has been so much fun. I love to hear the stories of Perseverance, another legend today. Four-time All-American, Big Ten champion, World Bronze and World Silver. And if I am correct, he just made his eighth World Team, 33 years young. James Green, Nebraska legend. James, it is great to see you. How are you?

James Green: I'm good, thank you. The incredible introduction. I appreciate that. Thanks for thinking about me. Thanks for inviting me on the show. And I'm here at the training center right now, so it's obviously perfect time to get to catch up and get the people filled in on what I've been up to since Final X.

Shane Sparks: It is awesome to have you, James, and doing some research for this interview. It's really hard to comprehend your level of sustained excellence. 2015, we'll talk about freestyle wrestling as you're getting ready for the World Championships. You're in Colorado Springs. 2015 World Bronze. Here we are, over a decade later, what's it like being the old guy and being back in Colorado Springs prepping for another world championship all these years later?

James Green: It's it's kind of surreal, I guess, because I don't think that I had planned to be wrestling this long, like I wanted to wrestle long competitively, and obviously with over the when I medaled in 2017, and then I had one surgery, and then I haven't medaled since. So there was always some ifs or ands or buts and questions about how long I'll be competing? Obviously, I made teams in between, and then the whole Olympic weight, and then going up or down. So, family, everything outside of wrestling, just playing its part, and to still be coming back. Obviously, I was coaching here at one point during my time away from wrestling, so to come back and be a part of the training, be on the world team, seeing that we have some U17 or U20 guys are here right now, kind of getting ready for there. It's just it's it's surreal. I wouldn't be able to believe it if you told me that I'd be here, you know, 2015, 10 years from now, that I would be like, I guess, I guess so, maybe, but it's it's good to be back, good to be trained. It's always nice to be around like-minded people trying to get better. We're all aiming for the same goals, so it's cool.

Shane Sparks: When you reflect on this journey over so many years on the freestyle side of things, what is something, James, that you've really come to appreciate?

James Green: Um, so I, I mean, the camaraderie. I've appreciate just the relationships that I've have come to create, and the people I've met, the places I've been, and I've always tell people like that's kind of the thing that had got me started in wrestling, and I think that's what helps me continue to wrestle because that's what I enjoy: meeting new people, seeing new places, trying new things, eating new food. So those were a big part of my growing up in the sport, and I'm still doing it at 33 years old, and now I have my family with me, experiencing some new things, seeing some new places, so it makes it even more exciting. And I mean, that's just my biggest takeaway. It's still fun. I still enjoy it. I'm still learning. I think I'm still getting better. So yeah, that's just my biggest takeaway. Just the experiences, the people, and the places I've been.

Shane Sparks: Obviously, you have a lot of great contacts, former teammates, and athletes at Nebraska there in Lincoln. But you go into this room in Colorado Springs. I mean, these are like-minded people, the best of the best in the United States. Who are some guys over the years that you've developed close relationships with that maybe you would not have expected 10, 15 years ago,

James Green: I say big. A lot of times with the traveling, and sometimes more so when you're going to competitions. I'd say like a guy like Mike Macchiavello. He's just a great guy. He is me and him. I always consider myself a nomad. Sometimes when I go on the road and I might be the odd man out, and he was also the odd guy out. And we ended up being training partners, or just drilling and warming up and getting ready to compete. You know, Joey McKenna, he's a Jersey guy, but he's been we were wrestling ever since we were little together. We've been on a bunch. Trips together, so I mean, just all these guys that have been on the national team have been on a circuit that you know we were talking off the camera. It's just that when you're competing for your university, you don't think that you're gonna at the end of the day or at the end of your competition be friends with these guys or have some type of relationship with them. So just over the years, I say when I get here and going on the road and going to different countries with a lot of these guys, it's it's been good. So I like to think that I have a great relationship with a lot of the with a lot of the athletes around here.

Shane Sparks: What is your most memorable overseas trip?

James Green: Um. man, I'd say there's two. I and I can go back and forth, but I went to Russia and it's enough. Mike Mike was on that trip too. Mike Macchiavello, but we went to Russia and the Alans International. It was it was there in Vladikavkaz, and I mean, just the environment, how they treated us, you know, showing us around. We got to eat dinner with some World Olympic champions. I mean, I couldn't tell you who was all there, but there's just so many people that are walking around, and they're yeah, World Olympic champ or World Cup champ or Russian national champ. So to be surrounded by just greatness of the sport is such a amazing thing to be a part of. And I think, and I hope things get better. But I think every wrestler should experience competing in Russia. The fans they love the sport. They don't care, you know where you're from? They just want to see good wrestling, and they'll cheer you on. So that's definitely one place or one of the trips that comes to mind, especially just going out to eat, going around the town. People know who you are. It's kind of is definitely cool. And then going to Iran for my first time, and we had the World Cup there, kind of when the band was going on. How we traveled and being there with Jordan and seeing just how people respected him and how he was held in such high regard. I mean, it's amazing to see just how many people just love the guy. You know, they want to be around him. They want to take pictures all the time, and just to be a part of that, I think we took third that trip. But the travel, the experience of food, the culture, Kermanshaw was great. And another place where you know, wrestler, if you're going to be a part of wrestling or wanting to compete overseas, I wish everyone could get the experience because you know outside of wrestling and the politics and stuff, it's just a whole different experience when you're there face to face with people and everyone's on the same page and it's just a good experience.

Shane Sparks: Do you, James, have a favorites all time international wrestler outside of the United States,

James Green: favorite all-time international wrestler, and I always tell people this. I when I started wrestling, you know, not too many people had wrestled in my family, or no one wrestled in my family, so I don't, I didn't really have a history of it, and then when I was coming up, I just wanted to compete. So I wasn't, say, let's say, a fan of the sport. I didn't even realize, like, or understand who Dan Gable was, Kale Sanderson. So my my knowledge of the sport wasn't that great. So as I'm getting older, as I'm watching, as I'm becoming a coach, I feel like my appreciation has definitely changed, and what I consider who who's good and who I was watching and who I admire from afar has definitely changed over time. But I'd say that one of the people that I liked watching, or I like to throw in their highlight. Obviously, is like Saitiev, just the way he made it look like a art form,

Shane Sparks: just

James Green: beautiful. And then, surprisingly enough, I was a big fan of Frank Chamizo, and we're the same age. He was just, he just made things look. You know, he had great defense, good offense. He could score when he needed to. Great hips. So I really watch. I really like watching a lot of his matches and just how he controlled position and how he scored and didn't get scored on.

Shane Sparks: Finally. He beat David Carr, up and comer, super talented wrestler. You won the first match he won. The second match you won. The third match. Where was that match won?

James Green: Um, positionally, really, just being able to, uh, you know, withstand a lot of offense. You know, he was firing off. A lot of attacks, and then I'd say just there was little, you know, mental adjustments, and or not even mental, but just positional technique, situational awareness to where I was at in a match, especially like the last match, getting a push out. I thought I had done it before the shot clock expired, but regardless, getting a push out to make the match two scores instead of one scenario was a big difference. And yeah, I think that was really it. I watched a lot of film on David, and also I was feeling good. I'm up a weight class, so I didn't have to really cut weight and could just focus on wrestling. But yeah, David's great competitor. I'm glad I got to wrestle him. I hope wish I would have got it done in two, but that's what makes for good stories. So here we are.

Shane Sparks: You've wrestled in some big time matches from the NCAA's couple times for a Big Ten title, you won won a Big Ten title. That's on your resume. Medal matches at the World Championships final acts. What is going through your mind, James, as you're stepping to the mat in these big matches? I mean, what do you tell yourself?

James Green: It's funny Because I feel like up into up until I step on the mat, I'm I think about all kind of like the negative things. Not and not to say like I'm negative of myself, but I think about like, oh man, this person wants to beat me. They they probably can beat me. Um, you know, anyone could be beat. Oh, this person, he might have a better gas tank. Like all these things are kind of go through my mind. But then, once the whistle blows, and it's like you know, you make the first contact, and then it's like, okay, this is just a regular match. It's not. I'm gonna either get to the first score, even if I if the first flurry, you kind of could get a feel for the ebb and the flow of the match. Like, all right, it's not, it's not what I built it up in my head to be. And also, I do that too, so I don't make it seem like the match could be easier than I expect. So it's not like I'm thinking about going out there and not getting scored on, and I'm gonna do all the scoring. But I kind of think about, well, this guy he doesn't want to lose. He's gonna hold great position. He's not gonna let me finish anything easy. Damn, I'm gonna have to work really hard, man. I'm gonna have to get really tired. Do I really want to do this? Yes, I do. Like those, those are the kind of things that go through my mind. And obviously, I don't want to lose. So yeah, just a lot of, lot of self talk, and then I kind of feel like right at the end I flip it a little bit and just remind myself like just do a little smile, and you know it just all goes away, and then boom, we're locked in.

Shane Sparks: What are a couple of dog fights, good scraps you've been in over the years that stand out the most to you. You got two or three just absolute brawls that you recall.

James Green: Well, way back when the Jason Welch at the Open, I think we had it was like 14 or 12 or some something like that. We were scrapping. Yeah, a lot of he was he had a great shuck by the little Abbess little shuck, and then yeah he would always be very he was very good in scramble positions kind of rolled me through. So that was a dog fight up there in all my matches I've had, and then a couple battles with Jason Nolf. He just always attacking. He's foot on the gas. He can get to your legs different ways. So anytime I wrestled him, it was like I knew I was gonna have to wrestle full six minutes, full seven minutes, because he was gonna be coming, coming hard. So yeah, I'd say I think you know freestyle side north matches and then Jason Welch match definitely comes to mind.

Shane Sparks: What about in college?

James Green: In college, man, St. John we had a bunch of battles. I didn't win, but me and I-Mar our matches were were decided by riding time. So, just a couple wars there. Yeah, those two for sure.

Shane Sparks: I was looking back at the Big Tens. I think it was 2014 Big Tens. You had you, Isaac Jordan, Brian Murphy from Michigan was an All-American. Dylan Alton from Penn State, St. John Dylan Ness, Taylor Walsh of Indiana. He was a national finalist. I mean, that was quite that was quite the bracket, and you won that Big Ten title. What do you remember from that run winning the Big? 10s and how cool was it to win amongst all those studs?

James Green: Oh man, I just remember being-I was really pissed because Isaac Jordan he had that great weekend, and I was at the time dealing with a lot of stuff as far as my my hips and my back. And anyway, we got that figured out going into the tournament. He was the number one seed, I think. And you're

Shane Sparks: talking about that weekend. If I recall, James, that was in Madison. I'm a big Matt return guy. I think Matt returned you 15 times. So that was on a Friday. He beat you, and then I think on that Sunday, did he did he beat St. John?

James Green: Yeah, he beat St. John. Okay,

Shane Sparks: yeah, he did have a great weekend.

James Green: Yeah, yeah. I remember that freaking match. I was like so frustrated, and that's one of those like I want to get my get back, but I had to wait. So then I was at Big Ten's, and you don't look too far ahead, but that was like the biggest. I'm like, oh, I hope he makes it. I hope he can wrestle again, and I ended up wrestling St. John in the finals. But yeah, that's that's kind of my mindset going into that tournament. Like, man, I hope I get to wrestle this guy again, and I think I was feeling great, so I was hoping to showcase like, oh, you know you got me on a good on a good weekend, but we didn't wrestle. And then I actually remember that's kind of when I started committing to like just top wrestling and working turns and stuff like that. So I think I made a big jump in my wrestling going into NCAA's, and I yeah I got riding time on St. John. That was so compared to the first time when I beat him in Lee. I don't think I had riding time, but I took him down enough times, and that was like our big takeaway. Like going to NCAA's, going to Big Tens, you got to commit on top. And I don't know, just clicked. And even at NCAA's, I on the backside I ended up wrestling Isaac, and I think I-I mean, I don't know if he was hurt, but I ended up like I think I don't know if I majored him or attacked him, but it was like on top with tilt. So that's kind of my that was like my emphasis going into Big Ten's like top wrestling, get some turns, and trying to wrestle Isaac Jordan again.

Shane Sparks: And you know this, James. Being an athlete and now being a coach, I mean, the bottom line is when it's the top 1% to the top 1% it is a results-driven business. You win or you lose, and the reality is nobody cares. Like nobody cares who doesn't feel good. It just it just doesn't matter at this level, you talked about that match with Jordan. You said you were going through some some things. Like, what were you dealing with at that point? And how do you overcome things when you don't have your best stuff? When you don't feel good? When you got other issues going on off the mat? Like, how do you deal with that,

James Green: man? That I that was like the start of my whole where we were like nailing down my back and or I guess at that point we didn't know but a lot I had a lot of pain struggle with my back and my hips so you know hindsight 2020 we knew at that time we didn't know that my labrum was torn. We just thought I had a slight bulging disc. So for a long time in college, I was wrestling with the torn labrum, which was causing my hips and my back to lock up and get tight. So I remember after all those mat returns, and I was like trying to my back was locked up, and I was like trying to go. When you're supposed to cool down, I could not. I could not move my legs. I just fall. I just fell in the hall. I'm like, you got to get the trainer here. And my back and my legs were so locked up and tight. I like. I was just yeah. I was out of commission. I couldn't do anything. So at that point, I feel like when they say you don't make excuses, it was easier to get over that match because I knew like okay something is way off like my back is messed up I'm you know I'm all jacked up so I can't really think too negative negatively about that match like I stepped out there tried to wrestle I lost all right let's move on don't dwell on it, get your body right, and then just do the things that you know you can do. So once we figured that out, I might have got another a shot up or something like that. Cortisone, I can't remember, but once we got all that figured out, then I was right mentally. And like I said, I was going into the Big Ten's. Like, all right, you feel good now. Now it's time to put the pedal to the metal. And like you said, though, you know, I think with the whole athletes, when you're in a competitive mindset, nobody care. Nobody knows what you're going through. Nobody knows what's going on, especially when you step on the line. So everyone thinks, okay, you're fine. You put your foot on the line, you're you're fine. Problem, but in reality, it's like, well, my back is hurt. I didn't have this. I had to take this time off. You know, we're not like the NFL where they have the inside scoop and they're like, well, he's been dealing with this for, you know, this the whole week. So, um, and I think that gives me a little bit of like at the same time, I think about like, well, this is nobody knows what's going on, but I'm gonna still do it. I'm still I'm tough because I know other people wouldn't be able to do this, so it kind of gives me a little extra drive. I feel like, but that's just me.

Shane Sparks: Is there a match that stands out, James, when your back was against the wall? Whatever it might have been, when you just found a way to get it

James Green: done, I feel like as recently it's the Open, and then that first match against David Carr, because I got when he got the takedown, I got my bell rung, I hit the table with like my face. I hit the scores table with my face, and that kind of mentally, I was like dazed. I was shocked. I think you go back and I tried to stand up, and they're like walk, and I was kind of just out of it. And I remember they're just like, hey, you know, just do or head and hands, move your feet. So I'm like, all right, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm definitely gonna try. And they're like, just go forward, and you know, Manning and Snyder just like, you're a tough man, you can, you can do this. But I was like really out of it because after that match, me and Manny were trying to walk back to the hotel, and I, I was like, the lights were too bright. I'm like, I need some glasses. I, I thought I was concussed for a little bit there, and um, but, and again, back to the whole thing. Like, nobody knows, nobody cares. They think like, okay, you got up, so you're okay. But like, that was that was a lot, kind of in that short time, just to be like, well, I don't want to, I don't want to. One, you know, you're in the whole concussion protocol, the break. Like, I don't want to take it, but I want to get back out there, get it over. But at the same time, I don't want to put myself in a bad predicament as far as I was off balance. I was didn't have my bearings with me. So, yeah, in that moment, and then at the U.S. Open, I was just sick. I, I don't know what happened. I got there doing my travel. I was like, man, I can't. I couldn't really sleep. I don't. I think I just had. I had a bad. I don't know what was going on, but probably the worst I felt just wrestling, and I was just kind of getting by after my first match, after my second match with Joe Sealey, you know, they're just like, "Are you all right? And I'm like, "We're gonna keep trying. And I'm just trying to put down fluids. And I think every match just felt like the hardest match ever ever wrestled. And then my body was beat up the whole, you know, just from having to make weight and watch my weight, and not really as someone that's going, you know, you're sick. You're supposed to refuel and stuff like that, but you can't in the middle of a wrestling tournament. So, yeah, as of as of late, those two for sure.

Shane Sparks: Stories from the Resilite episode number 11, James Green, and I added that. You can see the towel behind me, James, Nebraska wrestling, Red Kingdom. I mean, you're a Nebraska legend. How did you end up in Lincoln, Nebraska?

James Green: Um. So I, I, our first little conversation. I remember when, um, I was in high school and I'd bounce around to different clubs and just try and get in to where I could with some good practice partners and good family friend of mine, mentor, friend, uncle, whatever you want to consider. Bob Acosta, he was always looking for looking for people to beat me up in a practice room. Like, so we ended up going to Easton, Easton wrestling room practice one time, and that's where some great wrestlers are from: Jordan Oliver, Bryan Snyder, District 11 guys. But I went to a practice, and I had a good practice, and Snyder's dad was in there, and they called like, "Hey, you got to come check out this kid. He's from Jersey. He's pretty. He did it. Had a pretty good practice. I think you guys would like him. So we kind of started from there, and also within my recruiting at the time, there was just some guys around the country, or in the class before me, that we were all the same weight class. So at that time, you know, some schools they had 9.9 scholarships, others didn't. So they had to be smart with their money, and I feel like at that time I didn't want to stay. Title Nebraska was just like you're our guy. We see you here. We want you to be at 157. And that year, I was wrestling 145, 140. So I was like, wow, I don't have to cut weight. I can grow into it. And then at the same time, JB is coming off of his medical redshirt year, I think, and they're like, "Hey, Jordan Burroughs, he's from New Jersey, and like this kind of goes back to what I was saying as far as me not being a fan of the sport. Like, I didn't really recognize or know who JB was at the time, and I watched college wrestling, but I didn't really follow like that. My first NCAA tournament was was in Philly. I went to what was that 20? That was

Shane Sparks: 2011.

James Green: Oh, so in my in my senior year. Yep, 2011,

Shane Sparks: and that was when I mean 2011, going off a memory.

James Green: Bubba Jenkins won. Yeah, Bubba

Shane Sparks: Jenkins won. Yeah, Pinned Taylor that year in Philly. Yep, Anthony Robles beat McDonough. That was a big

James Green: one. Yeah, yeah. And then JB had won his title, so they're like, you know, kind of. I was getting recruited before that, but going into that year, they're like, Jordan's going for his second title, and then you know he could be a world champ, Olympic champ, and I was like, "Oh yeah, that'd be great. And he's from New Jersey, so right there. And my mom, she didn't want me to go for the longest time just because it was far. I'm the oldest boy of three kids, and I was just like, "Mom, I'm going to Nebraska. I don't even think I had to go on a visit. I just feel I was like, "I this is just where I need to be, and here we are. It worked out for the best.

Shane Sparks: So you did not go on any other visits.

James Green: I went to. I went on an unofficial. I mean, not a unofficial. I would drive out to Penn State a couple times, but then they had just signed the Alton twins the year before me. They had a great class, and it just wouldn't have worked out. Obviously, they had David Taylor coming in, so, and then I went. I was taught. I didn't go. I went to visit Clarion because at the time, my one of my coaches, Mike Cole, he was Clarion legend there. He wrestled for them, coach them for a little bit, and coach me in high school. So I went there officially, but other than that, just Nebraska and Clarion, so were my official visits.

Shane Sparks: Wow! Tell me about the first time you met Coach Mark Manning.

James Green: The first time I met Manning, I can't remember if they came to my high school or if we just met at my house. But they came to Jersey and just met. You know, man. If anyone knows, man, he just full of energy and he's just nice, firm handshake. Gave me the little stance of motion, like he was going to take me down. You know, brought brought it in, but yeah, that was like the first time I met Manning, and I always tell people that on my visit. I remember going out there and watching him in practice, and everyone always tries to say like, obviously he's older now, but even back then they're like, oh, he's he's he gets on a mat and he tries to roll around. I remember watching him wrestle with some guys. I'm like, he would never, I would never let him do that to me. I would never let him wrestle. Then fast forward to me getting on campus, and he was good on top. He'd throw a leg in. I'm like, oh my god, he's got those damn keg legs. So, but no, man is great. He's full of energy. He's very passionate about the sport. He's going to treat every match, every event like it's the NCAA championship finals or the world championship finals. He's going to coach with that much energy, drive, passion. So he he really rides. Go he goes through a brick wall for all his guys, and you know he's he's one of the greats I consider of coaches because he's been around. He can develop guys, and he just brings energy wherever he's at. So

Shane Sparks: I really appreciate Coach Manning and the love he has for his guys, the self belief. I mean, he wrestles every single second in that corner, and it doesn't matter if it's James Green or some guy that's 10 matches under 500. I mean, he is into it. Do you have a favorite corner story with Coach Manning?

James Green: Well, it's funny because I, you know, the past three years have been coaching with them, and one thing you learn, one thing I learned is like you don't want to sit between Manning or Snyder because they both wrestle in the corner, so you'll find yourself wrestling. You're whether you're trying to leg fight or you're leaning into each other. They're definitely. Definitely go hard, but one one of the crazy. I don't even know if it's crazy, but it's surprising, especially if you know Manning, and he has all the energy and he's very passionate. But at Big Ten's when Lenny Pinto wrestled, who was it? Illinois, maybe, or how to say? It might have been Illinois, and there was a bunch of challenges, and it got crazy. Snyder's yelling, Tervel's yelling, I'm yelling. Manny was the most the calmest person in the corner. Didn't didn't raise his voice. Didn't do anything. It was a. It's like, and what he would always say is, "I've been doing this for 25 years, so he always tries to act calm, cool and collected, and that's kind of one of the funniest things that I remember because it's like uncharacteristic of him to not be in a rest phase in that moment, and yeah, that was hilarious.

Shane Sparks: What will be the biggest thing that you take away from him in your coaching?

James Green: Like you said, just the as far as how he's passionate with whether it's your national champ guy or the guy that walked in on the team or the guy that might be below 500 record. Just how he spends time with everyone in the lineup, out the lineup. He's always willing to come in early, stay late. So I think it's attention to detail with just every athlete and making sure that you have a relationship with, you know, not just the guy that's winning the Big Ten titles or the national championships, but that guy that's coming in and doing the right things on the team because that's what's going to make your team. You're only as good as your weakest link, so you got to spend time with everybody.

Shane Sparks: One guy who I hear a ton of people talk about is Tervel Dlagnev. I know it's Tervel a little bit, but I mean he's got so much respect in the wrestling community. What kind of impact has he had on you?

James Green: He's very, just very intelligent. It's very how he thinks about the sport, how he can kind of make it. You know, you we try and make it as smaller than what it actually is, right? So you don't want to get caught up in the moment, in the crowd, in the environment. But he tries to shrink the actual match mentally and make it a little bit easier, right? So sometimes whenever you speak with them. You leave like you leave knowing that oh, it's not that it's not as hard as I'm making it out to be. And I try and I try and do that with the guys that I work with now. Just trying to come across and explain the wrestling, the mental side, the physical side, and make it obviously it's easier said than done, but it's not. It doesn't have to be as hard as you think it is. And trying to make every situation a little easier on yourself, right? Sometimes, as far as when you're tense up in the match, you want to be able to just be loose and fluid throughout the whole six, seven minutes, however long you're wrestling. And he just brings that side of calmness, right? There's never, it's never really too high or low, but just right in the middle, and you know he knows how to keep you calm, even keeled, and get you through your match. So a lot of respect from Tervel, and I loved being around him and wrestling with him too. So,

Shane Sparks: and you got Bryan Snyder in the mix as well. He was your your weight class national finalist, four-time All American. He's a hammer as well. Doctor Bryan Snyder, great wrestling mind as well. What you know? What do you appreciate most about what he brings to the table,

James Green: man? Doc Snyder, he's my guy. I mean, we he was my workout partner, like you said when I was an athlete there. Even once I was just on the senior circuit, we wrestled, trained together a lot. Spent a lot of time with them. And another thing, yeah, just same thing. Like with Manny, just being able to have a relationship with all the guys on the team, get be having that different perspective, being someone to bounce your ideas off of, and then really, yeah, just it's funny because it's just like outside of the sport of wrestling, you know how you handle yourself, and he's a doctor, so you want to strive to kind of do more outside of you know just the mat work. So really, a lot of respect and love for Coach Snyder, Doc Snyder, and I, I always, I'm, I'm hoping both him and Manny can make the trip to World Championships, and that, that just you know, goes to show how much respect and appreciation we have for each other. Yeah, love those guys.

Shane Sparks: What will you miss most about coaching at Nebraska?

James Green: Coaching at Nebraska. I mean, really, I feel like when I was there for the past three years, it was just I felt like I was still on the team. So I think that's kind of one of those things. Like as much as I coach, I felt like I was on the team. I was just one of the guys. My relationship with the athletes there, especially being have since I did it there, could give them some insight, more of a big brother approach, and then just the community there. Obviously, everyone knew that I was athlete there. Everyone knew that I was coaching there. So it was good to just kind of go and have my daughters. And I, you know, they see my face up on the walls, and they know that Nebraska. You know, I wrestled there and did pretty well. So yeah, it's you know just my second home, so I'm gonna miss it a lot.

Shane Sparks: Why was Virginia Tech the place?

James Green: Virginia Tech. Well, that's during COVID. That was where I went. We moved to, and really, it was we had our first daughter, Glory, and I made a world team. And then for like the first couple months there, I wasn't like I was traveling in and out. We had people coming and give my wife a hand with Glory, and obviously Lincoln's not easy place to get to, so all that stuff adds up. So we just wanted to be closer, at least within driving distance, with you know the people that we know and the grandparents, the aunts, the uncles, the cousins. We're big into families, so that's what we looked at, and that was a big part. And then obviously they had a great room and a good bunch of guys at my weight class back during the COVID time. So I mean, fast forward now, it's just very similar. But I'm I'm coaching. They have a great lineup. We have two kids now. We're closer to home. My cousins and the people that I grew up are having kids as well. We got kids the same age, so they get to spend time with each other on the weekends and go see them up and down the coast. So it's just a combination of things that came together, and I've always had respect for the coaching staff. Kept a good relationship with Frayer and Coach Robie. We got Ty Walz back now, so yeah, it's just a everything a snowball effect. Every just kind of great timing and is worked out, and I can really appreciate how they run the program. They've been right there throughout the years, and yeah, right now the time to strike while the iron's hot, and I'm glad I get to be a part of it.

Shane Sparks: What is your wife's name?

James Green: Shandell.

Shane Sparks: Chandell, and how long have you been married?

James Green: I always tell people we've been married for 16 years. So we met in high school. You met

Shane Sparks: in high school. You remember your first encounter with her?

James Green: Well, I so her locker was like adjacent to mine, and my first encounter was just like she was there was like other people around her, and I was like, hey, I gotta back up. This my wife, and like that was that was I was like, yeah, this. I would always joke at the time, like, hey, y'all gotta back up. This is my wife. Y'all too close, and yeah, turned out to be true. So,

Shane Sparks: what is your favorite thing about her?

James Green: Oh man, she's it's she's my best friend. Like we're we're kind of two peas in a pod. We're very relaxed, kind of homebodies that we can, you know, go out and have fun. It all depends on who we're around, but she's very selfless too, and she's self-driven. You know, one of the things that she told me because she's a twin, and they went to school for a year, but then she came out to Nebraska and she's just like, you know, regardless if this works or works out or not, I'm you know I'm gonna succeed with or without you. Like she had her own her mindset, and she's actually in a PhD program right now. So very self driven, very hard worker as far as on the education side. So I got the athletic part, and she got the brains, and you know we got two beautiful daughters now. So yeah, I mean she's I could go on and on, and that's just my best friend. We we can communicate without communicating. It's the craziest thing, but it's I love the fact that we've kind of got to you know watch. Each other grow in in life, you know, from high school to college, and do life together. So it's been a great time, and I love that she gets to take care of me and the girls, and even do her own thing. So, yeah.

Shane Sparks: Describe to us James Green, girl dad.

James Green: I try and act like I'm a tough guy, but as you know, something about being the girl dad-they just know how to soften you up a little bit. But at the same time, they're they, my daughters are rough too. They play around. I find myself telling to stop or be careful or not. But they're like, "What are you talking about? We're okay, but this is what we like doing. We're having fun. So they wrestle a lot at home, and they getting into some other things. Like my oldest, she was doing some tennis camps, and then they love swimming. Way better swimmers than I am, which is crazy. But yeah, they love swimming and very goofy. Oh man, they're they're kind of the opposite of me. They're goofy. They love trying to be make people laugh. Very caring. So definitely get to soften me up. But I love we love hanging out, watching movies, watching TV, and then our new thing is going outside and going for walks, a lot of deer in our community. So we go and we get to see some deers on our walks, and yeah, they love Virginia, so it's cool.

Shane Sparks: One thing with this podcast, James, it's stories of perseverance overcoming.

James Green: Yeah,

Shane Sparks: your story is amazing. I first learned about it with the Flo film. Who is James Green? I mean, I was I was ticked off of myself that while I'm broadcasting in the Big Ten Network, I never knew this about you. You had real tragedy as a 10 year old. James Green Senior, your father was was murdered. When you think back to being a 10-year-old on that day and getting through that, I mean, how did you do

James Green: it? Um, it's, I mean, I, I feel like I did it, but by kind of at that time, like running away from it, I would say, because like, I just found myself like not wanting to be home. So, you know, I'm always act. I was always asking my mom if I could go outside or go to my friend's house. You know, the people that kind of were around our family and what knew my dad and you know my friends. They had both their parents in their lives at that time, and you know, I could continue to do what we were doing when he was alive. I could go to my football practices, the track practices, get to wrestling. So I just wanted to try and be out of my own environment and get to something that was similar to what I knew at that time. And I felt like that kind of helped me get through it because also I was around my friends. They knew what I was going through, and they did things that I like to do. So with the sports, wrestling, football, track, and then also yeah, just the other adults in the community. They kept me going, giving me rides, picking me up, getting to getting me where I needed to be, and now as an adult, and you know, I was always talking to my wife about it. It's like I can't. I'm even understanding how hard it must have been at the time. Didn't know how hard it was. Now I'm understanding that it's extremely hard. Like for my mom, what she was doing by herself with the community, raising three kids, and like I got two kids, and I'm like, oh man, my mom did it for three. So you know, just a big shout out to my mom. Mama, what's your

Shane Sparks: mom's name?

James Green: Joyce.

Shane Sparks: Joyce.

James Green: Yeah. So, yeah, that was. I just kept kept involved, and I think that really helped me get through it. Just being able to stay involved with the sports and out of the house and stay happy. So,

Shane Sparks: what was the coolest thing about your dad?

James Green: I'd say the coolest thing. Well, my dad, he was actually a producer, so my family, my dad and my uncle, they built and made a studio in our Brooklyn house, and it's still there actually. And it was in a flow documentary. They still use it. Like my uncle will rent it out. People still use it, so that was the coolest thing at the time. You know, when I was growing up, like, oh, my dad makes music, and putting his their CDs in the in the car and listening to their music, like, oh, my dad made this, and then obviously when you're going on as many road trips as we do for wrestling. That was just like cool. Like, dang, you put in a CD, and oh, my dad helped make this, so that was really cool. And then he was also an athlete himself, so I always admired that he could play basketball. You know, he would. He was fast. He ran track, so I always appreciated that. That he was just like, yeah, it's like an older app version of me. I'm like this. This guy's a. I hope to be as athletic as him and doing the things that he did at his age when I get there. So,

Shane Sparks: what kind of music did you guys listen to when you were traveling the country?

James Green: So just like reggae music, my dad and that side of the family there from Jamaica. They came over when he was in high school, so a lot of reggae, a lot of hip hop, but mostly reggae when we were in his his car. So,

Shane Sparks: what do you listen to now?

James Green: More than much of the same, like hip hop, reggae. Trying to get my daughters cultured, and then eventually take them down there. We haven't we haven't got to go, but like when I was a kid, we from when the school would let out to like a month before school started, we'd go to Jamaica, my grandparents' house. We stay down there all summer. So trying to get them back into that fold, but it's obviously tough now that I'm still competing, still wrestling, but they get to see some other other countries. They got to go to Albania, and then my kids they'll they'll come to Kazakhstan. So pretty cool.

Shane Sparks: When you look at what you've done on the mat, and now you're married, you have two daughters, beautiful family. What would your dad say?

James Green: Um. I think he he'd he'd be happy for sure. I think he'd probably be telling me like to slow down on competing, make sure you at home with your kids, and be able to spend some time with them, and because that was one of he. It's funny, like he would make sure that yeah, as as much as possible that we could just be around our family. So he was very big on family, and I think that's kind of what where we are now is like making sure they get to be around their family, get to see their cousins, get to know their culture. So that's yeah, one of the things he'd be he'd be happy. He's like, all right, now it's like, let's try and get them get them to Jamaica. Let's get make sure they see their grandparents, make sure they see their uncles. He was yeah, real big on family, getting everyone together.

Shane Sparks: Well, he'd be real proud of you, James. I mean, no doubt about it. It's it's an amazing story of perseverance, and I mean, I can only imagine what that must have been like. And I'm sure you miss him to this day, and you carry on his his legacy.

James Green: Yeah, yeah. It's it's cool, just because now even I my kids ask about you know their grandparents and I get to just tell them and try to explain to them what happened and yeah they pretty much know which is is like crazy to think about but being honest and being able to talk to them about that and even explaining like how I grew up and how they're growing up different, and they should be mindful and appreciative of that they have, you know, both parents in their life, stuff like that. So it just all comes together, and it's great lessons. And I'm sure he'd be proud. Um, and my whole family's proud and happy, and we're still very still close, so that's good.

Shane Sparks: Wrestling is such an interesting sport because it humbles humbles us all. I mean, you've had an amazing career, you've had some awesome victories, and some some disappointments.

James Green: Oh yeah,

Shane Sparks: and I'm always big, James. I'm just always so big into guys that find a way when it's easy to quit and you want to quit. And with you looking at my notes here, that would have been 2013. You're the number four seed, and you get beat by Kyle Bradley, Missouri. I believe in the tiebreakers, and you gotta find a way to come back. You come back for seventh place. That was great, but here's here's another one I love. 2014, you're the number one seed. You get pinned in the corners by Dylan Ness. Like, what do you remember from those two setbacks? And again, finding a way to come back and win that last last match in 2013 as the four seed, you finish seventh, and then in 2014 as the one seed, you come back and take my thing. Place James third place. Third place speaks to me.

James Green: Oh man! Well, the first one going back to Coach Manning, and again, I'll I'll never forget getting how he prepares guys. And at the time, I was a little stubborn, not listening. But he's like, "Hey, this guy's not gonna do too much wrestling. He's gonna try and slow you down and da da da. Make sure you're ready to go. And I was like, I was feeling myself. I'm like, I just well, I was winning Big Ten Finals got reversed, got pinned by Welch. Like I was, I was kind of feeling myself way too much. But I'm like, I had the fourth seed, Welch and St. John. I, I think at that time they both had one loss, which was to me. And like I was looking in the bracket, I'm looking too far ahead. I'm like, man, this is, I'm the fourth seed, but I'm definitely the one. I just had a the way that worked out. I was the best guy at the time in my head. Like, I'm I'm gonna win this thing, and overlooked Kyle Bradley. Found myself in a freaking super overtime, and I lost. And I was just like, "Okay, now, manic was right. I should have been real right. I should have got up. I should have got over overly prepared for this match, and you know, just kind of taking that anger, frustration out on the backside, and just you know, when people lose, especially at the NCAA tournament, a lot of them, like you said, it's mentally like, man, it's hard for me. I, who a guy that I was second in Big Ten, thinking I'm gonna win this thing, and now I can't. And that goes for a lot of people. Like they kind of get broken mentally. Like I gotta wake up the next day, gotta wrestle. So you kind of know that going into your matches, and you're like, well, this guy doesn't want to be here. I definitely don't want to be here, but let's let's let's let's keep going and make let's help him out. Not be let's help him out, not be here because he don't want to be here. But I want to be here a little bit more. So yeah, I wrestled back, and then same thing going into the 2014. Number one seed felt great. Was a good year. I just the week before at Big Ten's beat Dylan Ness I don't know. I beat him pretty good, so I knew that going in there, and I was like, he's going to try and everything that you that he does, he gonna try and hit the gator bacon on you. All you gotta do is he didn't get close to hitting you with it, and boom, yep, it happened. And I was like, I was on a man on a mission at that point that year. That's I think I bonus everyone on the backside. Well, here's

Shane Sparks: here's a great stat. Okay, I mean, I love stats and things that give it a level set. If my math is correct and if the brackets I saw were accurate, you get hit by Ness as the number one seed again. Easy time to quit. Feel sorry for yourself. You don't want to be there. You smashed your Way James, 40 to 340, to three. You outscored those guys in route to third place. I mean that to me, James.

James Green: Yeah,

Shane Sparks: that is the thing that when when when somebody asks me about James Green in 15 years, that's the stat I'll give him.

James Green: Yeah, because that

Shane Sparks: is that is being a man right there, I

James Green: was a man on a mission. I remember I that again that year I had committed to just being my top wrestling, and that's I mean that was it right there. I take people down, tilt them, get riding time, yeah, take them down. So I was a man on a mission that year, but I think that also not getting what I wanted had helped me just kind of propel into the senior circuit too. Because the next year I lost in the semis to I-Mar third again. I didn't win. I took third at Big Tens. I lost to Ness that year. So yeah, that kind of propelled me. Like, man, I gotta go. I gotta keep going. I'm hungry as ever, and from third place at the NCAA is the third in the world at world championships, and yeah, ever since I feel like and when there's a point where you have these. I had. I don't know how many losses I had in college, but you don't want to lose. But then you kind of get used, like used to handling. Like, okay, I lost. All right, onto like, let's go. It ain't the. It ain't the first time you lost. Let's keep going. Don't don't even think about it. We're we okay. So I always tell people I never. Question my wrestling ever. I've always thought I was one of the best wrestlers in a bracket when I enter. So it's just all about how my body feels at the time, and then well now, or I guess previously before I moved up, it was like and making sure my weight was good. But I never questioned you know my wrestling ability and how I could compete against the best in the country, the best in the world.

Shane Sparks: From a technical standpoint, James, was that where you made the biggest gains in college? Was on the top.

James Green: Yes, yeah. So my first two years, I didn't really commit to, you know, top wrestling, and then even we're talking about 2013. The when I lost to Kyle Bradley, is I don't think I wrote him or whatever like that or something like that. He had more riding time than me, so that was just a big, big thing. Like you can make the match easier if you get a turn, and that's the same thing in freestyle too. The if you can get a turn, a takedown and a turn, your chances, your probability of winning go through the roof. So being able to do that helped helped me a lot. And then once you graduate, all these things get a lot easier. So I'm now as a coach, I'm like putting my leg in, I'm doing a crab ride, stuff like that. So yeah, I wish I could have done those things in college, but it all it all helps and makes other people better, and you can use it to advance the next person.

Shane Sparks: You spent a little over a year a few years back as the USA wrestling develop developmental coach.

James Green: Yes.

Shane Sparks: What are these young kids doing now that just blows your mind from a technique standpoint.

James Green: Uh, not not too much. It's nothing technical, but I would say the lifestyle. They're just young professionals at 15, 16 years old. They're young professionals, especially when I think about myself, like these guys are getting to bed early. They're eating the right stuff. They're studying film, all things that I didn't do. So, and then wrestling is just kind of there's they have so much exposure to wrestling. You know, they got the apps, they got YouTube flow. I could remember, you know, I'm at the age where you go to a wrestling tour and you had to get the VHS, and they had all these technique tape. So, like, and then it kind of went to like DVDs. So to have it at your in your hand, being able to record your match, watch it, or record someone else's matches, and that was like when I was growing up. My dad, if we're wrestling and I got beat, he would record whoever beat me. He would record their matches, and then we'd like bring that back home. But now it's like you can just pick up your phone, you see someone in the bracket, look them up, try and find some video on them. So it's just so much more accessible to these guys that they already have headed a curve by a long shot. So that's it. It's it's not really like technique. And I always talk about this at like wrestling camps and clinics. It's like wrestling's the oldest sport. They've been doing they were doing double legs at the beginning. Jordan Burroughs was doing double legs for his amazing career, and you know I do double legs, single legs at the beginning. So it's not really technical, but just the lifestyle, how they how they live, how they approach the sport has it's it's impressive at such a young age.

Shane Sparks: Who are your favorite athletes growing up?

James Green: Favorite athletes growing up, Man, you know Kobe, Allen Iverson, Mike Tyson. I was a big fan of Mike Tyson. Roy Jones, Mayweather, Carl Lewis was is from my high school, so I mean, I didn't really get to watch him actively, but you know, just kind of we're big track programs, so kind of watching those athletes and their background. So, did you have

Shane Sparks: any posters of athletes in your bedroom growing up?

James Green: No, I didn't have it. I wasn't into the posters, but you know the magazines, the Sports Illustrated had those. Just following all the different sports, trying to be like those guys, have them sweat. Iverson was probably like up there as far as just you know the braids. I had braids, wanted to have the armband, the sleeve. So Randy Moss, yeah, all that.

Shane Sparks: If there was a James Green poster, what move is it, and on who? What's the slickest move you ever hit on somebody?

James Green: Um, my favorite picture poster is 20. 16 World Cup. I was I had a leg lace on the where is he from Georgia maybe, but like his it looked like I broke his back and I was like I'm grinning but it looks like I'm smiling so like that's probably one of my favorite like if we could make it a poster that'd be my favorite one.

Shane Sparks: This is Stories from the Resilite. I call pins slap of the Resolite. Give us your most memorable pin in your career.

James Green: 2015. I don't. I don't. I don't have too many pins, but 2015 World Championships. I got a pin for my bronze medal, so and then you know my family friends were there in Vegas.

James Green: Yeah, in Vegas, kind of right. It's a it's a picture of me like looking at them. You could kind of see it. So yeah, that's one of my most memorable pins.

Shane Sparks: If you had to take a trip from New Jersey to Lincoln, Nebraska, in a car, James, you get to pick three people that you've never met. You get to pick three people you've never met, dead or alive. What three people are you taking on that trip?

James Green: Um, I want to take. Some of my favorite athletes, I guess. I feel like I'd want to be in a car ride with Mike Tyson. He's probably got so many great stories from his lifetime, and just hearing his mindset: Mike Tyson, LeBron James, and then Dave Chappelle. Oh

Shane Sparks: man, you'd be laughing. I mean, Dave Chappelle is so funny. I was watching some clips of him literally like a couple of nights ago, just by myself, and my shirt was wet from the tears because he's so funny. That would be, you know, what? Throw me in the trunk if there's a little bit of room. That'd be a that'd be a fun trip. That'd be a fun trip. Last question for you, James. What's been the coolest parts about your journey when you sit back and reflect?

James Green: The coolest part, the. coolest part is the traveling. I'd say just like you don't realize how much traveling you done, but I was looking on my United app since I've started. Like United, I have like 400,000 or 500,000 air miles with United alone, that's a that's a lot. So it's like I've been I've been fortunate to just travel and see a lot of different places, and now again and how I said like with wrestling attached to it is like I get to bring my family with me, so that's kind of the coolest parts. I'm excited to go to Kazakhstan and bring my daughters. Like outside of wrestling, that's one of the things I just look to I want to just be I just want to watch how they react. Like I just want to see if they love to get on a plane. Like how they enjoy the experience. Like it doesn't matter if our bags get lost, or you know. Like I'm just there for because I know it just makes for great stories. It makes for great time, good trip. They're going to be happy. So I feel like that's the best part of my journey so far. And the traveling is traveling the experiences, the stories, yeah,

Shane Sparks: memories that will last a lifetime for sure.

James Green: Yeah, for no doubt

Shane Sparks: about it. Well, James, really appreciate the time. I mean, you are one of the truly good guys in this sport. I want to, I want to tell everybody this, James. This is another thing. I gave you the story before about you're the number one seed. You lose. You come back and win 40 to three, take third place. That's great. I remember that. But I'll give you another one. When I text you, you get back to me within a minute. I mean, is that something you always do? I mean, that's incredible.

James Green: I mean, it just the I have to because I do have I yeah I would say you're probably a lucky one, but because if I don't, then I tend to forget. So that's how

Shane Sparks: I am.

James Green: Yeah, and it's it's really when it comes to like you know when you're asking, oh, can you do an interview or whatever? That's easier. But if if if there's a question. You know, more in depth question or something. I try not to respond fast because I want some time to think about it.

Shane Sparks: Sure, sure. So,

James Green: but then I get in trouble because then I'll forget. So it just depends. It just depends on what the what you know what it is. But more more time than it's like, hey, you want to hop on, and I'm like, oh, you know, first of all, thank you for thinking about me. Of course, you know it's not every time you don't get asked if you want to hop on and do a you know interview. So I always jump at the jump on and love to share stories and get people to know or fill people in on you know my life outside of wrestling, and it's important because I'll, especially in wrestling, I'll go around and someone I'll see someone there and be like, "Hey, how you doing? So, what's you up to now? I'm like, "Well, I just made my eighth World Team. So it's funny with wrestling fans sometimes, but yeah, thank you. Well, I'll tell

Shane Sparks: you this, James. People always say you remember how they make you know how somebody makes you feel, and you getting back to me really quick made me feel really good. Like made my day. Like this is James Green, and he doesn't know me anything, and he's getting back to me. And then coming on here, spending over an hour, really cool. This has been awesome, and wishing you the best at the World Championships and this next chapter at Virginia Tech, you're going to smash it. So thank you so much.

James Green: Thank you, I appreciate it.