Local Wrestler To Compete For Olympic Gold In London
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A North Allegheny wrestler is competing in the 2012 London games
Jake Herbert has the chance to win a gold medal in the 185-pound freestyle weight class.
"Red, white and blue and black and gold – that's what I keep telling people," he said. "It's amazing – not just being an Olympian for the United States which is the greatest country in the world, but to represent the City of Pittsburgh and all that.
"I'm going to have my black and gold wrestling shoes on, that I have the whole city behind me because it's such an awesome town and we're the city of champions, you know, so I have to bring back a championship for the city because that's what's expected of me."
Herbert started at North Allegheny High School, then dominated at Northwestern with a 149-4 record, two NCAA championships, along with the 2009 Hodge trophy which is the wrestling equivalent of the Heisman.
He knows what he'll be thinking when he takes the mat in London.
"I get pumped up," he said. "I psych myself up. It's like two minutes and it's a lot of cursing at myself. It's a lot of telling myself how much harder I've worked, telling how much I've sacrificed and then I start to get offended and mad about what that guy's done. Like, 'He hasn't worked as hard as me!'…"
Jake's family and friends will be there to support him, but you can support him by buying a t-shirt at JakeHerbert.com. The shirt says: "From Steel City to London Gold."
"I take a lot of pride where I come from," he said.
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