"They gave up on me" - Colby Covington discloses impact of a DUI on his ability to pursue his Iowa wrestling dream
Colby Covington recently caught up with ESPN's Brett Okamoto for a candid interview, during which the two discussed his past and journey so far.
A big talking point between the two was Covington's collegiate days. 'Chaos' initially enrolled at Iowa Central Community College, a two-year college, as they had a very prestigious wrestling program.
Covington went the junior college route as he didn't want to step in with Division I athletes or "killers," as he labeled them, and instead wanted to get a "couple developmental years."
He chose Iowa Central, where stars like Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez previously wrestled. After impressing, Covington caught the attention of the wrestling community and was offered a spot on Iowa State's roster.
Iowa State is largely considered to be one of the top wrestling programs in the country and was made famous by the legendary Dan Gable, who recruited Covington to the program.
However, 'Chaos' ended up leaving Iowa State early. When asked why, he explained that he was caught driving under the influence and after the incident, Iowa State decided to let him go:
"It was tough to process. I was so young at the time... just not making good decisions. It was tough because here I was, and all my life all I wanted to do was wrestle for Iowa wrestling under Dan Gable and Tom Brands and now I was a failure to those guys. They lost hope on me, they gave up on me, they didn't think I dserved a second chance."
Check out the interview below (8:30 for Colby Covington's comments):
Colby Covington believes Iowa State's decision to cut him was "harsh"
'Chaos' went on to insist that while he had made a mistake, he was disappointed by their decision to let him go.
Colby Covington chalked up the mistake to immaturity, and said that any 19-year-old kid could have done the same, given the attention that came with being a wrestler at the prestigious Iowa State.
He added (9:01 for his comments):
"I think that was a little harsh. I think they should have not given up on me so easily, they should have realized that I was a 19-year old kid. We make mistakes. Tell me one person in this room that hasn't made a mistake, or is perfect. The only perfect person in this world is God. So, for someone to just lose hope after one hopeless night, I thought it was a little cruel, a little unfair."
Covington will return to action next weekend at UFC 296, where he's tasked with dethroning current welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event.