Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 3 | January 2020

HIS A thletes these days rarely give their opinions on anything outside the playing venues, preferring to dodge discrete scoldings from their coaches or any social media outrage stemming from their thoughts. And in doing that, they often come across as robotic, unapproachable beings seemingly from a different galaxy. But David McFadden repre­ sents a contradiction to the stereotype. Eloquent, smart and funny, he opens himself up willingly, and his opinions on a wide array of topics are usually a perfectly concocted mixture of facts delivered with a side of sharp wit. He’s a combination of half serious and … well … half not. He keeps people guessing between the former and the latter, and rather intentional or not, he seems to revel in that. Take, for instance, his summation of his home state of New Jersey. “Lot of Italians, lot of crazy drivers, and a lot faster pace of living than down here,” McFadden said. “Sometimes, I find my Jersey kicking into me. If I’m ordering at a restaurant, I just want my food. I find myself having a conversation [with the waiter or waitress], but that’s kind of that Southern charm living, right? … I have really good friends that I’m still in touch with back home. It’s good, and obviously, family holidays—my mom is super Italian—so I get the loudness and a lot of cursing sometimes. It’s always an adventure when I’m back home.” Or his analysis of one of his passions—cooking—which he used to put on display on Snapchat before shuttering his account to eliminate distractions for the wrestling season. “A little chef Gordon Ramsay action,” McFadden said, referring to the notable British chef. Then he added with a smile, “No one knows what goes into it [his dishes]. There’s a little bit of love in there.” Or his thoughts on a hotly debated New Jersey topic—Taylor Ham or pork roll. “It’s what the great state of New Jersey is divided on,” McFadden said. “But you get a nice Taylor Ham egg and cheese on a bagel, and it will change your life.” He has other perspectives, though too numerous to relay them all. But rest assured when it comes to his sport of wrestling, his ability is certainly no joke. McFadden entered this season as a three-time All- American, and with a top-eight performance at the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships in March, he could become the first four-time All-American in school history. He owns two ACC championships, and as of this writing, he needed one more victory for his 100th career win—a number that ranks 13th in program history. His collegiate career has been a continuation of the success that he enjoyed during his formative years. Unlike most collegiate wrestlers, McFadden never followed in a 36 Inside Hokie Sports