“We’re a smaller school, but we’re tough,” said Rider University senior Sean Foley. “We’re known for our grit and our mental toughness and not getting scored on easy and fighting for every position.”
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Foley began his wrestling career in middle school, and he would go on to not only wrestle in high school but set the benchmark for wins as the first wrestler to have his hand raised more than 100 times in a season.
Could Foley have gone elsewhere to wrestle? It’s possible, but with Rider University’s reputation mirroring his personality and the potential in the coaching staff and wrestling team, Foley stayed at home in New Jersey and settled in for a hard-fought, wild ride.
“[Rider University] is known for just being gritty wrestlers,” Foley said. “We just had an All-American take second in the nation and he said it himself, he had big schools look at him, but he got denied and Rider took a chance on him. It was just nice to see that if you trust the process and you buy into the program you see results.”
There was no better example than when Foley and the rest of the Broncs upset the Gable Steveson-led Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Undersized, counted out underdogs from New Jersey. Sounds quite similar to a certain former UFC lightweight champion.
“I love Frankie Edgar,” Foley said. “He’s out here in New Jersey; he’s a big local guy.”