Shakur Rasheed Finally Feeling Good For 8-Man
Shakur Rasheed Finally Feeling Good For 8-Man
Shakur Rasheed's career was riddled with injuries, but he's finally healthy and ready to make noise on October 31.
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Shakur Rasheed had a roller coaster of a college career. He finished on the NCAA podium at 197 lbs as a sophomore but had to fight for his spot in the lineup and against a series of injuries throughout his time in State College. Now, he's finally feeling healthy and ready to go for the 195 lb 8-man bracket this weekend.
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After wrestling in an old school high school program in Coram, New York, Rasheed joined the innovative Nittany Lions at Penn State. He used some of his old school mentality to make the cut to 165 during his redshirt freshman season.
That weight cut was brutal for Shakur and had a negative impact on his performance. On a recent episode of The Bader Show, he explained his decision to cut that weight and the challenges of that season.
During that season, Rasheed battled for the starting spot at 165 but ultimately, Geno Morelli got the nod for the post season. After Shakur took a medical redshirt the following year, he found himself in another lineup battle as a sophomore, this time with eventual NCAA champ Anthony Cassar.
That lineup battle was especially difficult because of Rasheed and Cassar's friendship. The two traded solid showings up until the last dual of the season when Rasheed was named the post-season starter. Shakur took advantage of his first opportunity to compete at the NCAA Championships finishing as an All-American in 7th place.
His junior year was injury-filled, and while he made an effort to compete throughout the season, he clearly wasn't full strength. As a senior, he saw limited action, again battling injuries until he, like everyone else, missed his opportunity to compete at NCAAs when they were canceled due to COVID-19.
The season of quarantine was a blessing in disguise for Shakur as it gave him a chance to heal up. He had his first match since March recently at Wrestling Underground agains Sammy Brooks. While Shakur lost that match 8-6, he was clearly healthy and dangerous.
When he competes in the 195 lb 8-man bracket this weekend, we'll finally be watching a healthy version of Shakur. Facing many challenges in college has given Shakur a gratefulness for his ability to compete, and he's especially looking forward to this 8-man bracket. The $20,000 prize for the champ is a nice incentive, but mostly, he just wants to scrap.
