Minot State junior Deon Buhl is more than twice as old as some of his teammates, but he has qualified for the NAIA Nationals. Minot State University photo.

His teammates call him “grandpa.”

He has two bad hips, has shredded every ligament in his right knee and he doesn’t move as well as he used to.

He’s 37 years old and has six children ranging in ages from 2 to 20.

So why would Deon Buhl leave a lucrative job selling cars in the state of Washington to return to the wrestling mat?

“I always wanted to do it again,” he said. “The wrestling bug never left me. I wanted another shot at a national title.”

Buhl will compete in a national tournament for the first time since Bill Clinton was President when he wrestles at the NAIA National Championships on Thursday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Buhl will wrestle for Minot State (N.D.) University at 141 pounds, where he has compiled a 13-20 record this season.

“People ask me, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Buhl said. “I love the sport and people told me I couldn’t do it. That’s what pushes me and drives me.”

Fourth in the Washington state high school tournament, Buhl wrestled for Yakima Valley Community College in Washington. He qualified for the 1997 national junior college tournament, but then something went terribly wrong.

“I was wrestling a kid from Iowa Central, and actually won the match in overtime,” Buhl said. “It was a real physical match and we were both talking a lot of smack. We both went crazy right after the match and started throwing punches. I ended up getting disqualified. It’s the most embarrassing day I’ve had in wrestling. I had a bad attitude and I was a hothead. I just lost it. I lost my cool and it cost me a shot at a national title.”

Buhl took a year off from wrestling before returning to the mat for Briar Cliff (Iowa) University. He placed fourth in the 1999 NAIA Championships at 141 pounds.

Buhl then returned to his home state of Washington, and spent the next 12 years selling cars. He made an excellent living, earning as much as $80,000 a year.

But something was missing.

Buhl’s son, Sean Elkins, was emerging as a top wrestling prospect in North Dakota. Elkins won a state title last month for Hettinger High School as a junior at 140 pounds.

“Sean’s really talented. I think he has the potential to start for a Division I program eventually,” Buhl said. “I saw him doing well and I still felt like I had some unfinished business of my own in wrestling.”

Buhl’s weight had climbed to more than 200 pounds and he started training again. He competed briefly in mixed martial arts in recent years before he started to seriously consider wrestling competitively again.

Buhl was looking for a college team to wrestle for and called Minot coach Robin Ersland this past June. Ersland had just taken over the newly reinstated Minot State program after 15 years at Central Missouri State.

“Deon told me his background and the first thing I told him was all of the things that could go wrong,” Ersland said. “I told him he would have to relearn things and get back in shape. And he would have to get used to the daily grind of training. It took him a while to make the adjustment, but he wrestled well at the end of the season. He’s had some good tournaments. It’s pretty amazing, what he’s done this season.”

Said Buhl: “I owe Coach Ersland a lot. He gave me a chance and he’s done a lot for me. He gave me scholarship funds that he could’ve given to someone else.”

Buhl, who is divorced, said returning to wrestling was a bigger challenge than he expected.

“No matter how prepared I thought I was, I was not prepared for what I was about to embark on when I came to Minot State,” he said. “The whole process of coming back to wrestle and going to school full-time, it’s been so challenging. I have a newfound respect for all the people who wrestle on any level. Truly the toughest thing a man can do is put himself through the grind of training and competing in wrestling. At my age, it is really, really tough.”

Buhl, known for being quick and explosive in his early 20s, has had to change his style of wrestling.

“Deon can’t do the same things he did when he was 22,” Ersland said. “He’s had to slow down the pace and rely on positioning more than his speed and quickness. He’s still pretty athletic and still has good speed, but he’s had to make some adjustments.”

Buhl’s style in his 20s involved throws and upper-body attacks. Now he attacks the legs more and scores defensively when an opponent shoots on him.

“I’m stronger than I was before, but I don’t move as well,” Buhl said. “I don’t react as well as I did before because of my age, but when I go out there I’m as rude and rough and nasty as I can be.”

Buhl is majoring in finance and energy economics.

“I have about three semesters left to get my degree,” he said. “Nobody in my family had gone to college before I did. It would be a big deal to finish my degree. I want to finish school.”

Buhl now has teammates who are less than half his age.

“It’s definitely different,” he said. “I’m the same age as some of their dads. My teammates give me a hard time about being so old. We have fun with it.”

Buhl said he is enjoying being a college student again.

“This experience has been amazing,” he said. “Being able to come back and compete again, I could have never imagined how good this could feel. I’ve overcome lots of challenges. The people in Minot are awesome. They’ve been so supportive and welcomed me with open arms.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity. I love Minot State. I really love this school. I love having a chance to compete again in a sport that I love. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.”

Believe it or not, Buhl is only a college junior. So he could return to the mat next year as a 38-year-old senior.

“I haven’t decided if I am going to wrestle next year,” he said. “I need to see how my body holds up and if I’m able to afford to do this for one more year. I know I’ve really enjoyed this season and maybe there will be an opportunity for me to do it again next year.”

For now, Buhl is focused on his first national tournament match in 12 years.

“My goal is to win the tournament,” he said. “I believe I’ve done everything I can to prepare me to finish on top of the podium. People may think I’m crazy for saying that, but I believe I can do it. I feel pretty confident. I am going to give a 120 percent effort and see what happens.”