Monday, May 19, 2025
Jerry Seckler — the Nassau County wrestling legend who could lift kids twice his size well into his 60s, and fought his entire life for the soul of the sport — died on March 10 in Rockville Centre. He was 87. In a world full of tough guys, Seckler wasn’t just tough. He was unforgettable.
Those who knew him best say wrestling wasn’t just part of Jerry’s life — it was the rhythm of his life. From the time he first stepped on a mat as an eighth grader, he was hooked for life. He finished second in the Nassau County South Shore Championships that year, setting off a run that would make him one of Long Island’s most decorated young wrestlers.
As a freshman at Valley Stream Central High School, Jerry went undefeated in dual meets, winning the South Shore title and placing second at the Long Island Championships. A year later, he repeated as South Shore champion and took fifth at the National AAU Championships.
By his junior year, he wasn’t just winning — he was dominating, claiming South Shore and Long Island titles, and adding a Senior Meet crown for good measure. His scholastic career was capped with a national prep school championship and the title of Outstanding Prep School Wrestler in the country — the kind of accolade that even now would stop wrestling enthusiasts mid-sentence.
It was no surprise he landed at Penn State, where he wrestled with the same fire. As a junior, he went undefeated in dual meets and served as co-captain of the team that won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship.
After graduation, Jerry jumped right into coaching, starting at Freeport High School in 1962, working with both the JV and varsity programs. In 1966, he moved on to Columbia University as the freshman coach, and then took the reins as varsity head coach from 1967 to 1973 — a tenure that culminated with him being named President of the entire EIWA in 1972–73.
But Long Island was always his true home turf. He instituted the youth wrestling program for the Town of Hempstead, launched the Town of Hempstead Summer Wrestling Tournament in 1968, and kept building from there. His tournaments at Newbridge Park became a summer ritual — gritty, sweaty, gloriously competitive — and they kept the spirit of the sport alive at a time when organized opportunities for young wrestlers were few and far between.
Jerry’s reach grew bigger with time, but his mission stayed stubbornly personal: grow the sport, protect its roots, and give kids a chance. He directed major events like the intercollegiate double-dual meet at Nassau Coliseum and two massive USA vs Russia meets. He fought tooth and nail to keep wrestling in the Olympics when the sport was on the chopping block.
And he didn’t just support wrestling; he built institutions. Jerry founded the Friends of Long Island Wrestling, which under his leadership became the engine behind countless Hall of Fame reunion dinners, “Stop DWI” youth programs, summer tournaments, and the Nassau County High School Championships.
“He was the hub of the wheel,” said Tom Schiavo, Valley Stream Central High School Athletic Director. “Everyone else was just a spoke.”
Despite shoulder surgeries, aging bones, and life’s wear and tear, Jerry never stopped. He kept showing up — to clinics, to ceremonies, to matches where some kid was nervously taking the mat for the first time — always ready with a tip, a bearhug, or a trademark growl about how “wrestling’s a battle of wills.”
His legacy isn’t just preserved in Newsday articles (he was once named one of the Top 10 Most Feared Wrestlers in Long Island History) or enshrined in Hall of Fame plaques.
It lives on in the thousands of wrestlers he coached, the tournaments he willed into existence, and the belief he passed on: that wrestling teaches you to fight — for yourself, for your team, for something bigger.
Mike McKenna, a long-time member of the wrestling community, reflected on Jerry Seckler’s impact.
“There’s a real fraternity among Valley Stream Central wrestlers that transcends class years,” McKenna said. “Jerry was one of the real top wrestlers early on in Coach Earl’s career, and over the years, his influence extended beyond our school and beyond our county. He not only helped organize and support wrestling but brought together a community of wrestlers from multiple schools. Jerry really helped put Nassau County on the map as a place where wrestlers could thrive.”
McKenna continued, noting how Seckler’s legacy continued through his involvement with the Friends of Long Island Wrestling. “Jerry spearheaded Friends of Long Island Wrestling, bringing together athletes from Nassau and Suffolk counties. He was a driving force behind the annual dinner and the relationship with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, helping to honor those who contributed to the sport. He wasn’t just about being a champion wrestler himself; he created an environment where wrestling could grow and be celebrated on Long Island.”
He is survived by his wife, his sons, and a wrestling family that stretches across generations. They — like anyone who ever crossed paths with “The Bull” — will remember his advice, drilled into countless young wrestlers with a grin and a glint in his eye:
“Never let a guy get your arms behind your back. Always get his behind his back. Never let a guy get a half-Nelson on you — you get it on him. It’s a battle of wills.”
Jerry Seckler lived that battle every single day. And he won.
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