The Purdue wrestling 2021-22 roster received some serious news this week as seniors Devin Schroder and Max Lyon announced their return to the program, while head coach Tony Ersland signed a pair of 2021 Indiana high school state champions. Schroder joined the Always Aggressive Podcast to talk about his return, the season and what lies ahead for the Boilermakers. 

While Lyon has been consistent in his intentions for 2021-22, Schroder walked a very different road this season. Having wavered between his desire to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native made a definitive decision to remain on the Boilermaker roster on Easter Sunday, and announced his decision via Twitter on Tuesday evening. 

Ersland and Schroder opened up about some of the varying challenges that the 2021 season brought to the table, including multiple extended layoffs from practice and competition, the all-Big Ten regular season schedule and inability to know day-to-day which training partners and coaches would be available. 

As announced Wednesday, Indiana natives Hayden Filipovich and Tristan Ruhlman officially joined the Boilermaker family, and Ersland and Schroder reflected on the recruiting process of the two, the importance of their addition to the roster and contributions to the team and culture. Schroder spoke about the team’s geographical diversity, what it lends to the program and some of the ways it has influenced him during his time in West Lafayette. 

0:00 - Welcome back, Devin Schroder

4:35 - COVID Challenges

11:34 - Schroder’s Announcement

13:21 - The two newest Boilermakers

14:56 - Introducing new kids to the culture

20:10 - Geographical diversity in the program

26:30 - Etc.