Oklahoma State Cowboys Wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson exhausted what it meant to his sport that President Donald Trump was present for the national championship this weekend.
Hendrickson pulled a historic uprising in the 285 pound division over Minnesota’s Gable Steveson. He did it in front of the president and billionaire technical mogul Elon Musk. He appeared on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” and said there was no extra pressure for him, and the president present was a testimony to how popular wrestling has become.
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President Donald Trump greets Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson reacts after defeating Minnesota’s Gable Steveson during a 285 -pound match in the final of the NCAA Wrestling Championship, on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
“I think I’ve had enough of the sport that I’m able to take me out of the situation and fight for myself, my family and my team,” he said. “If you asked me that five years ago, I would have been out there freaking out like ‘oh my gosh, my boss is looking at me’, but I was just really blessed to go out there and fight freely, so it was a pretty exciting moment when I went over there after that fight and showed him my respect because it was my boss, man.
“The commander, President Trump, just the fact that he was there that supports the big wrestling sport is just a characteristic of how amazing a sport this is and it is growing, and I think a lot of people who initially would not have seen the sport, now maybe look at ‘oh what’s going on here.’
Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson greets Trump after shocking NCAA -Sejr, opens up on Air Force Career
Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson celebrates after defeating Minnesota’s Gable Steveson during a 285 -pound match in the final at the NCAA Wrestling Championship, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Hendrickson added that he did not know that Musk would also be in Philadelphia to watch the fighting with Trump until he went to respect the president.
“One thing I didn’t know I didn’t know Elon Musk was there. So it was a surprise as soon as I went back, I shook his hand, I was like, ‘oh, what’s elon? Good to see you here, too’, so that kind of caught me away. It’s pretty cool.”
Hendrickson is another lieutenant in the US Air Force.
He had elaborated on his persecution of a military career earlier this week on “America’s Newsroom.”
“When I looked at wrestling at college, I would look at more than just what my career will look like,” he said. “And I realized a little that I’ve always been super-patriotic, and I have a heart to serve. And then you know, Air Force Academy was a pretty easy choice for me. And that’s because of the Air Force I am able to be on a degree school wrestling at Oklahoma State University.”
Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson responds after defeating Minnesota’s Gable Steveson during a 285 -pound match in the final at the NCAA Wrestling Championship, Saturday 22 March 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
“So I mean, the options in the air defense are just unlimited. And then this is just part of the springboard. I will be able to fight for a few years. I will now be able to switch to my job and, you know, be able to serve this great country to the best of my ability.”
