Payton Jacobson of Northern's Greco-Roman wrestling program is preparing for his first Olympics in Paris. The competition in his 87kg weight class begins at 5 a.m. EST Aug. 7. According to an Olympics.com feature story, the Elkhorn, Wis. native is named after the late NFL legend Walter Payton, who once lived down the street from Jacobson's mother in a Chicago suburb. The wrestler has embraced the connection, incorporating the football player's 34 jersey number into his Instagram handle and his renowned work ethic into his training regimen.
The Chicago Bears star famously completed uphill sprints in the offseason to help him run through defenders in games. Jacobson implemented a similar practice to condition himself for his grueling wrestling matches.
“That's how I used to train, and lately I've been doing that as well; I kind of live in the name,” he said, after a best-of-three victory in the Olympic trials final. “I used to have a fat head of Walter Payton on a wall in my room. He was my wallpaper. I've definitely looked up to him. I wish I could have met him.”
Jacobson also received some recent training help from fellow wrestlers at NMU, including hometown friend Benji Peak.
“I think he realizes that he's representing more than just himself, and he's representing our whole town,” Peak said in a TV6 report. “For me to get to see that, it's really the best thing ever.”
“These guys are my brothers; they're truly family,” Jacobson added. “They're in here supporting my dreams, and if they were in the same shoes, I'm supporting their dreams. It's really just a big community here.”
Read the full Olympics.com feature story on Jacobson here. View the TV6 report here, and Jacobson's thrilling third-round victory at the U.S. Olympic Trials here.
Other athletes with former ties to NMU who will compete at the Olympics are: wrestler Helen Maroulis, who trained on campus in 2008-09 while attending MSHS, making her third appearance (she earned gold in 2016 and bronze in 2020); and Ellis Coleman, who attended NMU in 2009 and previously qualified for the 2012 Summer Games.
NMU's National Training Site has contributed to the U.S. Olympic movement over the years in various sports. Greco-Roman wrestling is the current resident training program. Athletes must be approved by the coaching staff, their national governing body and NMU to be admitted into the program.