Tom Brands is easily rated as one of the top intensity wrestlers this sport has ever seen. His work ethic has rarely, if ever, been matched on the mat. In college, Brands was a force for the Iowa Hawkeyes, capturing the "Gablesque" mentality of the sport by constantly attacking and putting pressure on his opponents. Tom Brands was a four time All-American and three time NCAA national champion in college. He built off his collegiate success and competed for the U.S. in freestyle. Brands won the Gold medal at both the World Championships in 1993 and at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996.He continues today as the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeye program to lead the new generation of Iowa wrestlers.
Drake Ayala From Iowa To Iowa State | The Bader Show (Ep. 492)
Aug 12, 2026
Drake Ayala was a 2x NCAA finalist and 3x NCAA All-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Iowa State.
1:00 - How healthy was Drake this season?
2:00 - The Freshman Fab Four (Jax, Davino, Blaze, Seidel)
4:10 - Last year wasn’t completely smooth for Drake and Hawkeyes
8:00 - Drake’s 2026 NCAAs
11:00 - Iowa’s 2026 NCAAs
13:30 - View of Iowa State as a Hawkeye
15:00 - Iowa - Iowa State rivalry
19:50 - Dealing with a tough year
22:50 - What were his plans for after graduation?
24:45 - How did Iowa State come about?
29:00 - Reactions from Iowa fans
31:45 - Being integrated at Iowa State
32:30 - Difference or similarities between Iowa and Iowa State
36:00 - Learning as a coach
40:20 - Questions from fans
44:30 - How does Drake use AI?
45:45 - Drake’s All-time favorite wrestler
47:20 - Wins and whoopins
