Jamie Salazar poses with his father, Joe Salazar, Sr., mother Rosa Salazar and brother Joe Salazar, Jr. after his induction into the Manchester University Athletic Hall of Fame this past weekend. (Photos provided)

NORTH MANCHESTER – Not one singlet. Not even one stinkin’ ear guard.

You’d think that someone just inducted into a Hall of Fame would have a swarm of admirers and ballhawks looking to cash in, eBay listings gouging prices, camps selling out. Nope. Just another day in the life of one Jamie Salazar. Make that Jamie Salazar, Hall of Famer.

“Ha, I never signed an autograph for sports, man,” Salazar said on the phone Monday evening. “I’ve signed for music. Well, I guess I did sign a couple shirts for some kids at camps and stuff like that. But no, no one came up to me last weekend asking for an autograph.”

Such is the life for a humble wrestler. Salazar has lived true to his word, keeping his head down and putting in the work. And when he gets out of line, there’s been plenty of people to get him back in it. Those people were on hand Saturday as Salazar was recognized as one of five athletes inducted into the Manchester University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Jamie Salazar poses with his Manchester coach Tom Jarman.

Representing Manchester wrestling, Salazar was lauded for his stellar career as a Spartan. The numbers are there, having won 118 matches in his college career, 38 alone in 2003, and is fifth all-time in career wins. The awards are there, earning three All-American awards in 2001-03, he was a three-time regional champion and was the 2001 Division III National Runner-up, also finishing fourth and sixth nationally in the years to come. But just being good doesn’t get someone into the elite category on skill alone. It’s about the person. For what Salazar has gone on to preach as a coach at the club and high school levels, those people turned around and gave to him.

“Everything I told them came out true,” stated Joe Salazar, Sr., referring to the upbringing he gave to his sons, Joe, Jr., and Jamie. “In junior high school, high school and then college, I always encouraged them to work hard, and not everything was going to go their way. Some day, you will be proud of what you did. That day for me was Saturday watching Jamie get his award. Saturday was a proud day for our entire family.”

Jamie has always gone back to family. It’s why he went to Manchester in the first place, to be close to home so his family could watch him embark on what was shaping up to be a Hall of Fame career. As Joe Sr. said, “I told both my boys, when someone tells you you’re no good, you prove them wrong. You work three times harder.” That mantra was echoed in June when Jamie was alerted to his upcoming honor from Manchester. “I may not be the best at everything, but I will outwork you.”

Jamie isn’t just a King of the Ring. He’s been a DJ and worked in music for a long time. For everything he’s not saying verbally in his athletic lifestyle, he says it through music. It’s walking the walk that makes the man. It’s fitting, too, that for all the success that he’s acquired on the mats coming up as a prep and collegiate wrestler, he’s had to relearn the craft as a coach. There seems to be a parallel that Jamie Salazar is learning as he’s getting older. Life is about balance.

“Saturday was definitely my day,” Salazar said after posing for dozens of photos with family and friends, including his old coach, Tom Jarman, who was a huge influence on him becoming a man. “My mom is still my mom, she’ll always put me in line. I still had my day, though. Cierra (Caudill, his fiance) was there, her relatives didn’t know I was an athlete at that level, so that was cool to share with them. But I was like, whoa, when I had to do the speech. All those people looking at me. I got nervous, man.”

And that’s been a snapshot of Jamie Salazar en route to Hall of Fame status. No lines for autographs. He’ll still run Viper Wrestling and serve as an assistant with Wawasee wrestling after his term as football assistant with the Warriors ends in the state tournament.

It’ll be business as usual. And really, that’s how Jamie Salazar, Hall of Famer, likes it.

The 2019 Manchester University Athletic Hall of Fame, from left to right, Kelley Meiklejohn, 2009, women’s basketball; Molly (Sanders) Kurtz, 2005, cross country; Chad Berry, 1998, men’s basketball; Dick Siler, 1957, Claude Wolfe Coach of the Year; Jamie Salazar, 2004, wrestling.