rom NJ state champion… to Division I football… to the NFL… and back to coaching the next generation.

Kevin Landolt joins New Jersey Mat Chat to tell the full story of his journey through wrestling, football, and life after sports.

In this episode we cover:

• Old-school NJ wrestling before clubs existed

• Winning a state title at Holy Cross

• Playing football at West Virginia

• Getting drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars

• Wrestling’s role in building NFL toughness

• Coaching today’s wrestlers and raising the next generation

Kevin also shares stories about the NFL Combine, the pressure of making a roster, his famous sack against Donovan McNabb, and why mindset still separates good athletes from great ones.

This is a must-watch for wrestlers, football players, parents, and coaches.

🤼‍♂️ NJ Wrestling

🏈 West Virginia Football & Jacksonville Jaguars

🧠 Mindset • Toughness • Leadership

Check out Champion Athletes - https://champion-athletes.com

00:00 – Champion Athletes Nutrition Sponsor Segment

01:25 – Meet Kevin Landolt

01:38 – Growing Up in Burlington Township

02:03 – Wrestling Family & Early Influence From His Dad

02:35 – Finding the Willingboro Wrestling Program

03:05 – Coaches & Mentors Who Shaped Him

04:07 – Wrestling Before Clubs Existed

04:53 – How Elite Wrestlers Trained Back Then

05:04 – Choosing Holy Cross High School

05:47 – Freshman Year Struggles & Wrestling Up a Weight

06:47 – Building a Winning Program at Holy Cross

07:47 – State Tournament Experience & Mentality Shift

08:28 – The Mindset Difference Between Winning & Losing

09:10 – Wrestling Before YouTube & TrackWrestling

10:09 – Holy Cross Football Success Begins

10:50 – Winning State Titles in Football

11:08 – Choosing Football Over Wrestling in College

12:21 – Why West Virginia Was the Right Choice

13:14 – Life Inside a Division I Football Program

14:41 – Wrestling’s Advantage in Football

15:17 – Why Wrestling Was Harder Than Football

16:05 – Big Sack vs Donovan McNabb & Favorite Memories

17:18 – Realizing the NFL Was Possible

18:17 – NFL Combine & Draft Process

19:46 – Getting Drafted by the Jaguars

21:05 – NFL Training Camp & Mental Pressure

21:29 – First NFL Paycheck Story

23:05 – Making the Jaguars Roster

23:50 – Beating the 49ers & NFL Rookie Season

24:37 – How Wrestling Built NFL Toughness

25:52 – Life After Football & The XFL

27:26 – Returning to Wrestling as a Coach

28:05 – Coaching at Riverside & Developing Wrestlers

29:04 – Coaching His Daughter in Wrestling

30:24 – Biggest Differences in Wrestling Today

31:31 – Advice for Wrestlers Chasing Greatness

32:33 – Final Thoughts & Outro