Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were the originals back in 1968. But at first glance, Mike Grimes and Danny Burk easily could be recast in the NIU version of “The Odd Couple.”

First, there is the blond-haired Grimes — a brash and outspoken 149-pound wrestler who loves to argue above anything, according to Burk. Then there is the brown-haired Burk — a soft-spoken 174-pound wrestler who prefers to read books and possesses voluminous knowledge of little sports facts, according to Grimes.

And of course, the juniors are roommates as well as teammates on the NIU wrestling team. Smell a sitcom?

But upon closer investigation, this odd couple has a lot in common in the journey to wrestling stardom. Both originally were walk-ons at NIU and now two years later, Grimes and Burk lead NIU wrestling into the season-ending MAC tournament as captains.

Where it all started

Growing up in a blue-collar Peoria family, Burk was born into wrestling. His father was a wrestling coach at Notre Dame High School, and even though Burk played multiple sports, he gravitated toward wrestling.

“I was around it all the time,” Burk said. “His athletes were my idols when I was a kid. So when I got a chance to actually wrestle, I thought it would be awesome. It was a bond between me and my dad.”

The World Wrestling Federation and a fat kid from third grade drew Mike Grimes into the sport. He became a quick study of the game and eventually a two-time state champion for Montini High School.

But with no serious scholarship offers from other schools, the Villa Park native came to DeKalb as a walk-on.

“I had high expectations for myself, and I knew a lot of people did back home,” Grimes said. “That was a big part of what drives me now because I could tell a lot of people didn’t expect much out of me.”

Burk found himself in the same situation. As a walk-on, he knew he’d have to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches to even have a chance at the starting lineup.

The 2004-05 season proved critical for both wrestlers. Despite being undersized in his class, Burk won a starting spot at 174 pounds and was named the team’s most improved wrestler at year’s end.

Grimes also saw his stock soar after preseason battles with national qualifier Josh Wooton that earned him the 149-pound position. From there, he compiled a 22-13 record and won two matches at the NCAA Championships.

Driven

For college athletes with big ambitions, going pro and signing an endorsement deal is what fuels them. But when it comes to wrestling, the national championships at the collegiate level is as high as it goes.

Despite having no professional career in wrestling to look forward to, Grimes and Burk remain driven by the family and friends that got them there.

“When I step on that mat,” Grimes said, “I’m looking to succeed not just for me, but for all the people who gave me a chance and pushed me and helped me and guided me in my life. I want to succeed as a thank you to those people.”

That drive to succeed was apparent to coach Dave Grant in the weight room and on the mat. In the wake of their improvement, Grant named Burk and Grimes as team captains, following in the footsteps of Sam Hiatt and All-Americans Ben Heizer and Scott Owen.

“They’re both positive role models for the younger wrestlers,” Grant said. “What convinced me to make them captains was their work ethic, commitment and willingness to sacrifice for the team.”

Grant’s confidence has not gone unrewarded. Grimes is currently the No. 14-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds with a record of 23-7, while Burk is 18-10 with five pins.

While both wrestlers are very self-motivated, Grimes and Burk both credit each other in pushing themselves to the next level.

“Living with each other is awesome,” Burk said, “because if I need someone to work out with, I got him. If I need someone to talk to about wrestling or life, I got him. It’s just awesome to have someone there that cares just as much as I do about the sport.”