A word of advice for any wrestlers who step onto the mat with NIU’s Josh Wooton — don’t disrespect him. Mike Billings from Waldorf College learned that the hard way.

At the 141-pound championship at the Pointer Open in November, Wooton and Billings were only separated by a single point after one period. Going into the second period, Billings chose neutral position, looked back at his coach and said, “Neutral. I can take him down.”

Upon hearing the insult, something in Wooton’s head snapped and he immediately thought, “You can’t take me down, what are you talking about?” Wooton’s anger quickly manifested itself in his performance, as the senior co-captain routed Billings 15-6 and added another championship to his impressive career.

As the lone senior in NIU’s starting lineup, Wooton is approaching the end of his wrestling road. Ranked third in career wins in NIU history, the three-time national qualifier is driven to succeed and knows this is his last chance at the elusive title of All-American.

The numbers speak volumes about the quality wrestler Wooton is. With 101 career victories, he ranks only behind Sam Hiatt and two-time All-American Scott Owen. His lightning-quick attacks and impenetrable defense have confounded MAC opponents for years, as Wooton has compiled an 18-1 career record in conference matches.

But don’t be fooled by appearances. Wooton’s soft-spoken demeanor off the mat belies his intensity on it. The Urbana, Ohio native admits he wasn’t always on his best behavior when he wrestled in high school.

“I used to [wrestle angry] a lot in high school,” Wooton said. “Crowds hated me in high school and booed me all the time. But I think I’ve matured and calmed down now. I walk out there real slow and calm and just stay relaxed.”

And then there are the matches when the calm and cool exterior won’t hold up, such as in the Pointer Open Final. But underneath it all, anger isn’t what Wooton is all about. It’s determination.

“The greatest thing about Josh is he’s a competitor,” junior teammate Mike Grimes said. “He’ll never let you get anything easy on him. Wrestling is a matter of pride with him.”

Wooton’s competitive streak has not gone unnoticed. With a 23-6 record and wins over multiple ranked opponents, the senior is ranked 11th in the country at 141 pounds. But with his last days staring him in the face, Wooton feels some desperation to reach the only goal he has not yet accomplished since he started wrestling in second grade.

“In years past,” Wooton said, “I wouldn’t say I wasn’t trying, but I knew in the back of my head that I had another chance. Now it’s all over with. So I’m going to go into the tournament and leave everything on the line. I can’t hold back for next year because there is no next year.”

With All-American status on his mind, Wooton said there is one way he wants to be remembered at NIU for years to come: “That I was one tough S.O.B.,” Wooton said smiling. “The best scrambler in town.”