ASU’s lone all-American hails from a town of only 12,000 people, but his ambition to be the best athlete proves that big things can come from small places.
In Blake Stauffer's hometown of Neosho, Missouri, wrestling is king, and that humble beginning is what helped Stauffer get to where he is today.
“There’s certain values that come with that, the way you’re raised,” he said. “We had more people at wrestling duels than men’s basketball games, the stands were always packed.”
Back home, Stauffer kept very busy, being a multi-sport athlete and making sure he became the best wrestler he could be.
“I played three sports in high school: (wrestling,) football and baseball. ... I spent a ton of time playing those sports and being in wrestling camps in summer, so I was super busy,” he said. “I love sports and it’s been a huge aspect of my life.”
His family is a big reason why he turned out to be the person he is today.
He loved to fish with his grandfather when he lived in Neosho. It was a relaxing way to spend time with someone close to him.
He has always been at the top of his class in academics, he was named to the Academic All-State team three times in high school. His parents have been on him about grades from day one, and Stauffer said he appreciates their strict attitude toward school, and how much they did for him as a kid.
“When you start something, you finish it," Stauffer said. "Quitting isn’t an option — the work ethic was something they preached to me. It was straight As or there’s going to be consequences. I remember getting an 89 percent on a test in eighth grade and I got grounded for a couple weeks.”
His father, Mike Stauffer, always let him play any sport he liked. When Blake was about 5-years-old, he wanted to try wrestling, and his father let him.
“I never really pushed him. I never made him wrestle out of season,” Mike Stauffer said. “When he wanted to play baseball, I let him.”
Blake is known for his quiet demeanor. During matches, he goes out and takes care of business like a No. 6 ranked wrestler in the country is expected to. He has always been very even-keeled, even as a little kid.
“He’s not really emotional," Mike said. "We went to a big tournament when he was 10, and he won first place, and he just smiled a little bit."
Being a top-tier wrestler in the nation, Blake Stauffer had several choices for college, but only one stood out to him. He said then-assistant coach Ben Askren made the decision easy.
“He was here at the time, and it just seemed right, he was one of my idols growing up, and so obviously I wanted to come here mainly for him,” Stauffer said. ”And obviously the weather, coming from the Midwest, it’s a huge plus."
Stauffer has a massive list of achievements, stemming from two state championships in high school, to winning the Pac-12 championship last year, but there’s one that sticks out vividly for him: becoming an All-American.
“I remember being a little kid going to the NCAA tournaments with my dad in St. Louis, and we’d go and watch those guys," he said. "I’d see all those guys that were all-Americans, and those were the guys I told myself I wanted to be.”
Matt Kraus, one of nine seniors on ASU’s wrestling squad and fellow Missourian, has been Stauffer’s roommate and close friend since 2012. The two know each other very well, and Kraus sees the hard work Stauffer pours into his wrestling career.
“The past four years, he’s been the heart of our line-up, and to maintain that for four years is tough,” Kraus said. “For him to keep having the success that he’s having says a lot for who he is.”
It hasn’t always been easy for Stauffer though, despite his many accolades and accomplishments. There is always adversity to conquer.
“Everybody in the wrestling room is good, and everyone is a state champion,” Stauffer said. ”You work so hard get to where you were in high school, and when you get to college you almost have to start over at working hard, and you’re basically on a fresh slate. However hard you want to work is how good you’re going to be.”
The National Championships, which begins on March 17, is the last time he will ever take to the mat on a collegiate level. He hasn't made up his mind on what he plans to do after graduation, but there's something that needs to be taken care of first.
“People keep asking me that question a lot, but I just tell them that I have a national title to win," Stauffer said. "Then I’ll start making those big decisions in my life.”
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