PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Wrestling as the No. 15 seed at 149 pounds during the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Kenny Theobold knew he had to pick off a few guys to find a spot on the podium. He did that and more when he upset No. 2 seed Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) in the second round and defeated Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) in the Round of 12 to become an All-American. 

A three-time national qualifier for the Scarlet Knights from 2012-17, Theobold closed out his collegiate career with 88 victories and three top-eight conference finishes. As a redshirt senior, the Toms River, N.J., native went 28-11 en route to All-America honors, as Theobold was also named Rutgers’ Ted Petty Most Valuable Wrestler along with Anthony Ashnault.

More than three years removed from his All-America run in St. Louis, Theobold currently works in outside sales at Automatic Data Processing (ADP), as well as a coach with Shore Thing Wrestling Club in Lakewood. Theobold took time to provide some updates on his life as well as insight on what it takes to become an All-American.

ScarletKnights.com: What was it like to punch through that night to become an All-American?
Kenny Theobold: It’s something, looking back at it today, I still remember vividly. At the same time, there wasn’t much going on when I broke through and actually became an All-American. It was more just trying to focus on the end goal. After the tournament ended, it was just a rush of satisfaction and excitement that went through me when I was on the podium.

SK.com: Did you always have it in the back of your mind that you had what it took to become an All-American?
KT: Yeah, I did. When I first came to Rutgers, it wasn’t in the Big Ten yet. There was talk about moving to the Big Ten, and I knew if we made the jump it would be a great conference to allow me to set myself apart from the rest of the competition. Since I stepped on campus, I knew deep down I could become an All-American. Obviously, I worked really hard since then and it was a really big accomplishment for myself. But it all just ties into the fact that you can become and All-American and a national champion at Rutgers.

SK.com: What was it like once you picked off the No. 2 seed at nationals?
KT: Going into that tournament, I knew I was not seeded No. 1. I wasn’t a top-eight seed, so I knew I needed to pick off someone big. It helped my mentality when I took out the No. 2 seed, but I didn’t have time to put too much thought in beating him. You have to keep a level head throughout the whole tournament, even when you become an All-American after the second day. You still have to keep a level head because you want to achieve more. I went into my seventh-place match and I still wasn’t content, so I wanted to win and I was able to pin the kid in the second period. You can’t get too high or too low in this tournament.

SK.com: How important is it to be an All-American for any wrestler?
KT: That’s what you train for. There are a lot of guys in the country who want to become national champs, but the reality is there are only 10 of them each year. Some guys at certain weights are just phenomenal. So placing top eight is a goal of every collegiate wrestler. I was really excited and eager to get there and I was able to get it done my senior year. I wish I was able to have a few more chances so I could call myself a multiple-time All-American, but I achieved a goal and I’m proud of it.

SK.com: So what are you up to now?
KT: I currently coach at Shore Thing Wrestling Club and also work in sales at ADP in outside sales. I keep pretty busy and try to stay involved with the wrestling community as much as I can. Wrestling has given me so much in life, so I want to give back to the next generation and pass that on. I want to help them achieve their goals just like the coaches I had helped me with mine.

SK.com: How did your time at Rutgers help you with your career in sales?
KT: Competing in a collegiate sport is great experience if you want to pursue a career in sales. You have to be competitive by nature and have self accountability. There are certain goals you need to meet and you have to perform. That’s exactly what wrestling is. It’s only you that can hold yourself accountable. It’s the same thing with sales. You can’t leave it in the client’s hands. It’s your responsibility to deliver and Rutgers helped me in that way. 

SK.com: What was it like to be known as a hard worker and have that type of approach?
KT: At the end of the day, that’s a lot of what college coaches look for. Yes, Rutgers and a lot of other schools always want to land the No. 1 ranked kid in the country each year, but in college wrestling, there’s more to it than just talent. You need grit. There’s a toughness to becoming an All-American in college. I felt like since I started wrestling in high school, I always had that mentality of grinding and putting my attitude on the mat and letting it fly. That mindset, I believe, helped me become and All-American. Obviously the coaching staff instilled that in me as well. Donny [Pritzlaff], Scott [Goodale], John Leonardis and Joe Pollard all being in my corner made it easier for me to become an All-American and helped me get it done.

SK.com: How is the Rutgers coaching staff able to get the most out of their student-athletes?
KT: All of the coaches at Rutgers are a phenomenal. Donny teaches the best technique in the country. Leonardis is probably the best heavyweight coach around and you’re able to pick his brain and learn a lot. Last but not least, Scott is a great motivational speaker and program manager. He tells it like it is and that’s the reason why I got along with him so well. He told me at the start of nationals to have a laser beam focus to accomplish my goals, and he was in my corner and telling me just one more match. He told me not to look at the bracket and to take it one match at a time. When you have a support system like that, it makes things easier for you to go out there and perform well.

SK.com: What is it like to wrestle at Rutgers?
KT: My belief is that we’re students just as much as we are wrestlers. You go there to wrestle and perform academically. The coaches are there to advise you, and they do a really good job of doing that. They don’t coddle you or walk you to your classes. In doing so, they treat you like young adults. It helped us to build characteristics that helped us off the mat. When you have that type of staff, they just want to see you succeed in everything. It’s a well-rounded group of guys. You only have four to five years to wrestle, but we’re able to take those qualities they instilled in us and bring them with us when we’re done wrestling and moving on with the rest of our lives. 

SK.com: What was it like to come back for the Big Ten Championships this year and how does it feel to help build a program?
KT: It’s awesome to see. Actually, my first year at Rutgers we hosted the EIWA Conference Championships. It was a lot different. To look six years forward from that tournament to having a Big Ten environment with mats on the stage, huge attendance and everything that went into it with all of the best schools there, it was hands down one of the best experiences ever at Rutgers. When it comes to the Big Ten, we’re showing that Rutgers is here to stay. I’m happy I had a part in that. Myself, Anthony Perrotti, Scott DelVecchio and obviously Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano are all huge parts of building that, and it’s a testament to the program. If you want to come to Rutgers, you know you can become an All-American and win a national title here. 

SK.com: What’s your favorite memories of wresting duals at the RAC?
KT: It has to be the attendance. I was fortunate to travel to a lot of other Big Ten schools as well as other schools across the country. Hands down we have the best environment. The fans are intense. It’s always packed with four to five thousand people. Most programs don’t have that. On a match-by-match basis, it’s hard to match what Rutgers has. It’s something remarkable to see and awesome to experience when you’re on the mat. One of the best experiences of my life.

SK.com: What do you miss the most about wrestling at Rutgers?
KT: I just miss being around all of the guys and being in that team environment. It’s great to look back at. The best memories for me are of just being able to show up every day at 3 p.m. for a great workout. There’s no better feeling than when you’re scrapping hard and wrestling guys like Anthony Ashnault every day. You leave that practice room and you’re completely exhausted. It’s a good feeling to have and I’m lucky enough to still be a part of that in some capacity. I still get that, but it doesn’t compare to when I was a student there.