Get to Know Your Raiders: Tyler Erdman

A two-time Division III All-American at Elizabethtown before transferring to Shippensburg, senior wrestler Tyler Erdman hopes to make the most of his lone season on the mat for the Raiders in 2012-13.

A native of Herndon, Erdman is 2-2 this season – including a pin last week against Millersville – while wrestling up at 141 pounds. As a 125-pounder at E-Town, Erdman finished seventh at the NCAA Championships in 2009 before earning runner-up honors in 2010.

Erdman is active in SU’s ROTC and plans to commission as an Army Officer in the spring when he graduates with a degree in English. He also finished fourth at at the 2011 U.S. Greco-Roman Team Trials and hopes to continue his Greco-Roman career after graduation.

Erdman and his teammates get back on the mat this Saturday at the 70^th annual PSAC Wrestling Championships from Kutztown’s Keystone Arena. More information on the championships can be found here.

Get to know Tyler Erdman…

What is your favorite pre-game ritual?

I like to pace back and forth before matches and just try to relax while preparing myself mentally. I wrestle best when I control my adrenaline and keep my composure in matches. 

What part of Shippensburg, either the campus or the town, do you most enjoy?

I enjoy my apartment just off campus. It’s close enough that I can walk to classes but far enough to have some peace and quiet at the end of the day when I’m done with school and practice.

What is the best class you've taken at Shippensburg?

As geeky as it sounds, my favorite class I have taken while at Shippensburg probably has to be ENG 376 – Studies in Medieval Literature. We read about dragons, knights, magic, chivalry, monsters, sword fights, comedy and other topics related to that time period. We even got to read some Old English, too. It’s cool stuff you probably won’t experience in other English classes or any other classes while at Shippensburg.

If you weren't majoring in English, what would your major be?

I would probably be an education major with an English concentration. I have a few education credits but I had to switch to a straight English major to graduate next spring. Another possibility was biology – I originally started out as a bio major while I was at Elizabethtown, but changed over to education while I was there.

What is your favorite day of the week, and why?

My favorite day of the week is usually Friday. On Sunday I know classes and a new week will be starting again. On Friday, once my last class is over and I finish practice, I know I get to relax and slow down the tempo from a usually busy week.      

Which are your favorite PSAC schools to compete against, and why?

I would have to say Millersville is one of them because I went to Elizabethtown and those schools are only about a half-hour apart. Kutztown and East Stroudsburg are big rivals and our matches against them always go back and forth each year.

If we asked your teammates to say a few words about you, what do you think they would say?

They would probably say something along the lines of me being “Captain America” or “G.I. Joe” because they know I take ROTC seriously and that I’m getting ready to commission as an Army Officer in May.

Which individual athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?

I would say my fourth place finish at the U.S. Open in Greco-Roman wrestling is one of my favorites. I lost my opening match 1-0, 2-0 to the guy that went on to finish second and then I won four straight matches in the wrestle backs before losing 1-0, 2-0 in the third-place bout to finish fourth. It was one of my best performances in Greco and I gained a lot of respect from some of the best Greco wrestlers in the country. I also made my Greco coaches Gino Frank and Brad Brosius proud because they put a lot of time and effort into my training so I could succeed.   

What's the most difficult part of being a student-athlete?

A lot of people say time management is the hardest part of being a student-athlete, but I disagree with that. The hardest part is making sacrifices to succeed. One of my favorite articles to read is “The Art of Sacrifice” by Jim Gruenwald. Choosing to do homework or extra workouts over video games, going out with friends or just hanging out isn’t time management, its commitment. That’s what separates student-athletes from students and great athletes from athletes.   

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned being a student-athlete?

The biggest thing I’ve learned and am still learning while being a student, an athlete and a cadet here at Shippensburg is to be confident in your abilities. If you go to class, study hard for an exam and put total effort into a paper, you will succeed academically. If you train hard, listen to your coaches and commit to your individual athletic skills, you will succeed in sports. If you present yourself respectfully, professionally and well-poised to your peers, you will succeed as a leader.

What piece of advice stays with you at all times?

In high school one of my coaches told me to always “let it fly” on the mat. Basically, it means to always go out, have fun and leave nothing on the mat. The other advice I always keep with myself is to “lead from the front.” I try my best to set a good example and help my teammates and fellow cadets become successful.  

If you could talk to children who are just beginning to show an interest in wrestling, what would you tell them they should focus on? 

To just have fun. While winning is important, you need to learn to have fun and enjoy the sport. Aside from that, the next most important thing is detail. The difference between having a good takedown and the best takedown in the country may be adjusting your hand two inches on your opponent’s leg. Listen to your coaches and train for perfection.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind for future athletes at Shippensburg?

This is my one and only season wrestling for the Raiders. Our team has a lot of talent this year, so I am going to help push my teammates and myself to place high at nationals in March. The team placed third back in 2006, which was its highest finish ever. Individually, I hope to get a third All-American plaque while at Ship and then continue my Greco-Roman wrestling career once I graduate in the spring.