The NCAA transfer portal has always been a part of the collegiate offseason. With it, student-athletes from all sports can find new homes to continue their academic and athletic careers more quickly and efficiently. This was exactly the case with graduate student wrestler Jacob Ferreira.
Ferreira has consistently competed at a high level, from the time he was seven up to high school. He wrestled at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, earning 126 career victories and finishing second in the 2018 NYSPHSAA State Championships. In addition, he was a two-time state qualifier, three-time All-Section selection and two-time section finalist, among many other accolades.
Originally from Mt. Kisco, New York, the Long Island native began his collegiate career at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. During his time with the Bison, Ferreira achieved much success; in the 2018-19 season, he finished 15-11 at 184 pounds and recorded his fastest pin at just over a hundred seconds against Kutztown University’s Matt Lewandowski, claiming his first collegiate victory in one fell sweep. He also strung together a six-match winning streak. Ultimately, Ferreira knew he wanted and needed more.
“I wanted a different situation than I was in,” Ferreira said. “I just thought there was a better situation for me in North Carolina and I decided to take it.”
The level of competition is something Ferreira noted as being the most significant difference in wrestling at Bucknell, North Carolina State University and now, Hofstra.
“As I progressed, getting older and wrestling better people, I needed more of a challenge,” Ferreira said.
Although he wrestled at 184 pounds with the Bison, when he got to NC State, Ferreira switched between weight classes 174, 184 and 197 in his first season.
During his time at NC State, he went 9-10 overall, 2-3 at 174, 4-5 at 184 and 3-2 at 197 pounds. Ferreira opened up about switching between several weight classes in a single season.
“I am a true 184-pounder but struggled with finding clarity in my weight class because certain people thought I worked better at other places,” Ferreira explained. “I think I feel good at 184 this year.”
What ultimately landed Ferreira back in New York, and at Hofstra, wasn’t just wrestling but a desire to be home.
“I spent my whole [youth] wrestling career here and wanted to come back home,” Ferreira explained.
Although Hofstra isn’t a Big Ten or Pac-12 school, Ferreira wholeheartedly believes that choosing the Pride was one of the best decisions for his career. He even hopes to achieve some national titles at Hofstra.
Another contributing factor was his relationship with head coach Dennis Papadatos, assistant coach Jamie Franco and his high school wrestling coach who also wrestled at Hofstra.
“I’ve known Coach Papadatos and Coach Franco for a long time,” he said. “I liked all [of] my college coaches, but Coach Papadatos is the man; he’s great. He’s very personable and funny. He pushes me to be a leader in the room. He wants to win, and so do I. That’s why we get along so well.”
Papadatos expressed that Ferreira has a quieter leadership style that makes people want to follow his lead.
“There are guys like Trey [Rogers] and Zack [Knighton-Ward] who have been long-time leaders on the team. I’m not that vocal of a leader; I try to do all the right things and try to work hard,” Ferreira said. “But as I said, at the same time, I’m not that vocal; but if you want to follow me, you can, that’s okay too.”
Ferreira’s journey has been nothing short of extensive and cutthroat.
Transferring schools can be a significant decision. The NCAA transfer portal utilizes college sports in the same way that professional athletes work with free agency, and college-level wrestling is no exception to that.
However, some of the team additions stand out above the rest. Notably, some Big Ten teams added and lost high-level wrestlers. Why does this matter, though? Because wrestlers like Ferreira had value. Ferreira’s transfer from Bucknell to NC State and then to Hofstra is a perfect example.
Head coach Pat Popolizio of NC State issued a press release in Aug. 2019 stating that, “[Ferreira] is a great late addition to our squad. He comes from a notable club in Empire Wrestling Academy that we are very familiar with. We’ve been very fortunate to have recruited guys both in the past and have members of our current team from Empire.”
“He will be a valuable option on this year’s squad to our upper weights,” Popolizio continued. “Having one year of college wrestling under his belt is a huge advantage for us.”
With the heavier weight classes being more favorable to win or receive pre-seeded rankings for the Pride, Coach Papadatos knew there would be big shoes to fill now that the former 184-pounder, Charles Small, had graduated. Ferreira once again exhibited his worth being the No. 26 ranked wrestler in his weight class.
After grad school and wrestling, Ferreira plans to teach social studies, preferably to middle school kids, and maybe even coach wrestling.
“I want to be a teacher here in New York; that’s why I’m getting my master’s, and it’s just easier being here in New York,” he said.
Although the end of his career is slowly approaching, wrestling will always be a significant part of his life. Even if he decides not to pursue it further, Ferreira has made a name for himself in the wrestling and Long Island community.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
