CORVALLIS -- A wide smile crossed the face of Andrzej Hughes-Murray as he acknowledged that he missed wrestling.
In the midst of an ongoing battle to start at inside linebacker, the Oregon State sophomore pushed his mop of bleach-blonde hair away from his face and emphasized why he loved the sport that often forced him to cut as many as 12 pounds in a week.
"Being in those one-on-one battles, I love the spotlight," Hughes-Murray said. "I always liked that attention and the big stage."
By the time Hughes-Murray emerged as a signature part of coach Gary Andersen's first full recruiting class at OSU, he doubled as a state champion wrestler after finishing his senior season at Federal Way High School (Washington) at 41-0 in the 220-pound division.