There was just something about Columbia, Mo., when I came for the first time in August of 2001 that felt like home. I really bought into the vision that Brian Smith had for the wrestling program.
Ben Askren
TigerStyle, the mantra coined by Mizzou Wrestling head coach Brian Smith, encompasses a wide scope of character traits that have served as the foundation for one of the nation’s most dominant and consistent programs over the last decade. Comprised of five key pillars: Believe, Compete, One More, Expect to Win and lastly, TigerStyle, the coaching model has undoubtedly changed the scope of Mizzou Wrestling from a program that was once a Big 12 bottom-feeder into one that is routinely in the hunt for national championships.
There are countless Mizzou wrestlers who have embodied the TigerStyle traits over the years, but there was one who epitomized exactly what TigerStyle meant while helping mold Mizzou Wrestling into what it is today. That wrestler was two-time National Champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren.
Using the perfect blend of funk and confidence, Askren is arguably the most dominant athlete in Mizzou history. With an unmatched bravado, Askren did not just expect to win, he expected to dominate, and he made sure to let his opponents know that he would dominate them. And he did.
Askren’s journey with Mizzou Wrestling all started with a visit to Columbia in 2001. The Wisconsin native knew from that point forward that he could buy into Coach Smith’s TigerStyle vision.
“There was just something about Columbia, Mo., when I came for the first time in August of 2001 that felt like home,” Askren said. “I really bought into the vision that Brian Smith had for the wrestling program.”
Askren’s buy-in to Coach Smith’s vision parlayed perfectly into the first and most basic principle of the TigerStyle philosophy: believe. While Askren believed in Coach Smith, Coach Smith also believed in Askren as a wrestler who could attain the type of success that he had. Believe is built upon the ideas of setting goals, approaching every day with a positive attitude, loyalty, respect, preparation, commitment, discipline and trust. Askren embodied those in his first year with the program.
“Because I was able to earn a scholarship for wrestling at the University of Missouri, I was able to fully pursue my passion for the sport of wrestling,” Askren said. “I didn’t really have to worry about getting a job, I didn’t have to worry about a summer job, I could just focus on wrestling.”
Askren believed that he could win a national championship out of the gate as a freshman, but it didn’t happen overnight. Just as in any process, there were setbacks for Askren. As a freshman in 2004, Askren made it all the way to the national title bout at the NCAA Championships in his 174-pound weight class. Unfortunately for him, the setback was named Chris Pendleton. A standout at Oklahoma State, Pendleton defeated Askren in 2004 and had to settle for a runner-up finish.
As a sophomore, Askren again advanced to the national title bout at 174 pounds. Again, Pendleton stood in his way and forced Askren to settle for another runner-up finish. All the hours in the wrestling room, the conditioning under the warm Missouri summer skies, the dedication and the all the work he put in again left him just short of achieving his dream. But rather than losing his belief in himself, it was time to for Askren go to work. It was time to compete.
The second principle building block of TigerStyle is to ‘compete.’ While that word has a simple meaning, it is actually much more complex in Coach Smith’s model. The compete pillar focuses heavily on a key word: failure. While many could look at a NCAA National Runner-Up finishes as a freshman and a sophomore as anything but a failure, Askren’s belief that he was a national-champion caliber wrestler was put into doubt by twice being bested by Pendleton. He approached his junior year with the mindset that we has going to compete to get better and achieve his dreams.
“That was all I focused on, all I thought about all day was wrestling,” Askren said. “There is a reason I was able to become so successful and it was because all the great supporting staff I had let me focus on nothing but wrestling and I was able to achieve my dream.”
What ensued was possibly one of the most dominant years in the history of collegiate wrestling at any weight class. Askren won all 45 bouts he wrestled that year – 25 coming via pin. He pinned more opponents than he earned decisions. Dominance. He breezed through the Big 12 Championships – his closest competition was a 17-6 blowout over Jacob Klein in the finals of that tournament.
Askren approached the NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed. A 9-2 win, a 6-4 win and a pair of technical falls in the quarterfinals and the semifinals put him in the finals for the third consecutive year, this time against future Hodge Trophy winner and also undefeated Jake Herbert of Northwestern. With the memories of the last two years haunting Askren, he knew he had one more bout to achieve his dream.
The 174-pound championship bout in 2006 was arguably the most compelling of the entire NCAA Wrestling Championships that year. Askren vs. Herbert. Big 12 vs. Big Ten. Funky vs. Form. Askren’s funk was epitomized with his curly afro, which he began growing after losing in the national title bout in 2005 and vowed not to cut until he won a national title. The stage was set.
What followed was exactly what Mizzou fans came to expect from Askren – dominance. Herbert was never in the bout as Askren worked his way to a 14-2 major decision and Mizzou’s first national championship in wrestling. He did indeed have one more match in him, and he approached that bout with the uncommon process that developed him into one of the finest wrestlers in NCAA history. He expected to win.
"He never quit and made it tough on me to get the win, but I was never worried,” Askren said in the post-match press conference. “I had the best position throughout the match. I'm glad I came away with the victory."
Askren was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler and he also took home the Dan Hodge Trophy, the Heisman of collegiate wrestling.
The final building block of TigerStyle is to expect to win; to be confident, focused and have positive thoughts. That was the approach Askren took into the NCAA title bout in 2006 and it is the attitude that defined him during his senior season. He won all 42 bouts that year, 29 by pin, and defeated another future national champion – Pitt’s Keith Gavin - in the NCAA title match.
Askren closed his career with an 87-match winning streak, a 153-8 overall record and 91 career pins. Nearly 60 percent of his bouts ended with him pinning his opponent. He was nominated for an ESPY in 2007 for Best Male College Athlete. He is in Mizzou’s Athletics Hall of Fame as well.
“Mizzou made me grateful,” Askren said. “From the time I had those feelings that this would be home in 2001 until the time that I graduated and then left Columbia almost 10 years later, I had an amazing time.”
Mizzou made me grateful,” Askren said. “From the time I had those feelings that this would be home in 2001 until the time that I graduated and then left Columbia almost 10 years later, I had an amazing time.
Ben Askren
Askren’s success indeed laid the foundation for Brian Smith’s program to take off. Smith was quoted following Askren’s 2006 title saying:
"What Ben's national championship does is open the door for the team that is here now. Future wrestlers have something to strive for and see that we have a national champion."
What followed has been a wrestling renaissance at Mizzou. Mark Ellis, Max Askren (Ben’s brother), Drake Houdashelt and J’den Cox have all claimed national titles since, giving Mizzou eight since Ben stepped foot on campus. Mizzou has finished as high as third at the NCAA Championships and is a consistent top-10 national power.
TigerStyle has indeed come to define Mizzou Wrestling, and it all started with Askren’s belief in Coach Smith and his program. He is forever grateful for the opportunities that Mizzou provided him.
“I met amazing friends, I met my wife, and I had an experience with the wrestling program that I don’t know that I would have had anywhere else. I would like to thank Mizzou and those individuals who provided me a scholarship. I am Mizzou Made.”
What does it mean to be #MizzouMade? That moniker has been a staple for Mizzou student-athletes for years. It is often associated with athletes who have excelled at the highest levels of their respective sports, but the true meaning runs much deeper.
While there are certainly examples of former Tigers excelling in professional athletics, there is a much larger contingent of Mizzou student-athletes thriving in today’s fast-paced, competitive work environment. What each of those student-athletes learned at Mizzou has prepared them for life beyond sports.
The mission of Mizzou Athletics remains to prepare champions for life through a personal enhancement model that emphasizes academic and athletic excellence, social responsibility, career development and leadership in order to help each student athlete become a prepared professional in any field upon earning their degree.
#MizzouMade Monday aims to tell those stories of student athletes who are bringing those values and ideals of Mizzou into the real world every day.