Catoosa_walker_news Thurman receives full ride to Brewton-Parker
Hard work. It’s something that Chuckie Thurman knows plenty about and it’s something he’s built his reputation on, both on and off the mat.
And this past Wednesday afternoon, the former Heritage High School wrestler got to reap the rewards of all that hard work as he signed scholarship papers to attend and wrestle for BrewtonParker College in Mount Vernon, Ga.
But Thurman didn’t sign just any scholarship. He signed one to receive a full ride.
“This is what I’ve been working for my whole life,” he said. “Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money, so I knew the only way I was getting into college was through a scholarship. I’m thankful that Brewton-Parker would do this for me. I got my acceptance letter about three weeks ago and I’m really excited about it.”
Thurman worked throughout the summer to get the necessary college test scores to make his dream a reality.
“I’m proud of him,” said Heritage wrestling coach Mike Craft. “Two things that helped him be successful is persistence and hard work and those things are also what got him his scholarship. It took a while for him to find the right fit, but he kept working over the summer and now he’s getting ready to leave. Hopefully he’ll be able to take everything that’s made him successful with him to the next level.”
Not only has Thurman worked hard in the classroom, he’s worked hard on the wrestling mat.
Starting in the sport about 10 years ago, he quickly gained a reputation as one of the top wrestlers in the area and he honed his craft on the local, state and national level.
It paid off with three Georgia high school state championships - Thurman was state runner-up as a freshman, losing in overtime - including a 62-1 mark in his senior year in which he won all four matches by pin in dominating fashion.
In addition, Thurman put his name in the record books with 575 total takedowns as a senior, which is a new national single-season high school mark. He helped the Generals to a fourth-place team finish at the Class AAAA state tournament.
Craft said Thurman’s experience and hardnosed style will give him an edge on the college level.
“He’s had the experience of working through injuries and wrestling in high-level national tournaments all around the country,” the coach added. “He also knows how to cut weight and maintain it because he’s done it for years and stayed strong.
“I’m excited for him. He’s got a lot of opportunity (at BrewtonParker). It’s a big roster with nearly 60 kids, but I’m sure he’s going to come right in and make an immediate impact.”
Thurman, who will likely wrestle at 133 pounds for the Barons, said he wants to bring “a few national titles” to the BPC program.
“A lot of people say (wrestling) is just a lot more physical in college with a lot more hand fighting and things like that,” Thurman added. “But takedowns and hand fighting are some of the things my coaches have been big on over the years, so I feel like I’ll do fairly well my first few years there.”
Thurman said he wants to study middle school and elementary school education.