Many people go about their lives and don't reach their full potential. They take life for granted. Being average is good enough for them. They've never wanted more than they felt like working for.

For Corey Brown (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds), being average and failing are the same thing. 

His work ethic exceeds what he is expected to do. His time management is better than most college students, and his mental toughness foreshadows the endurance it takes to become a champion.

It's not easy for most students to deal with the transition from high school to college, especially if sports are involved. For Corey, the transition was a smooth one.  

His whole life he has aimed for perfection in all that he's tried and has succeeded in nearly all of it. During his tenure at Reynolds High School, Corey compiled a record of 112-40. During his senior year, he advanced to the PIAA finals where he placed fourth in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

With outstanding performances throughout the wrestling year, Corey's first season at Thiel has amazed many. His perseverance can be seen in any match, and cannot be doubted due to the determination and pride he has within himself.

The odds haven't always been in his favor, though.

During a match at Waynesburg University, Corey was up against the country's fifth ranked wrestler in Nick Garber. Garber was a perfect 20-0 before beginning the match. Brown was down 2-0 when Garber slammed him hard to the mat. Brown was knocked unconscious for a few seconds. He knew he couldn't give up, giving up at that point would just be considered average. 

Brown continued to fight for the next five minutes. He eventually won the match with a, 7-6, decision, ending Garber's hopes of a perfect season. Corey was then driven to a hospital in Morgantown, WV, where he was treated for a concussion. 

“All I remember is waking up in the hospital. I don't remember the match or if I even won,” says Brown. 

After being released from the hospital he returned back to Greenville at around 3 a.m.

This is when most people began to realize that Corey was not just an average athlete. He was an outstanding student-athlete. 

Although he could have been medically excused from class, he was there. Just 12 hours after lying in a hospital bed he was learning about what it takes to give a good speech in a public speaking class – which is part of the reason why Corey earned a 3.8 GPA his first semester.

His character and willingness to do “whatever it takes” is was drove him to become an All-American. Every rep he did with a dumbbell, every push-up and every sit-up brought him one step closer to the 11 hour drive to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the Division III National Championships.

Will he settle for what he has? It's doubtful.

 Just two weeks after his first collegiate wrestling season ended, he was already in the gym preparing for next season. Being Thiel's first-ever freshman All-American is an accomplishment only he can claim, but being Thiel College's only National Champion is something he believes is right around the corner.

For Corey Brown (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds), there is no offseason. The memory of standing on the podium at Nationals a few weeks ago will be burnt in his mind forever. But next year, being able to stand higher than anyone else on that podium is the goal he is really striving for.