Just about every morning, Airron Richardson's alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. He goes to morning practice from 6:30 to 8:30, grabs a quick breakfast, then goes to class from 10 to 2. After a three-hour afternoon practice, he eats dinner, then hits the books until 1 am when he goes to bed.
And besides being a tri-captain of the wrestling team, the junior is an All-American and maintains a 3.0 GPA as a German major - one who intends on going to medical school.
But to Richardson, none of this is a big deal.
Growing up in Toledo, Richardson's mom taught him to strive to be the best, but to never get a big head about personal accomplishments.
Late one night during Richardson's senior year in high school, he returned home from Pennsylvania where he had competed in the National High School Wrestling Championships. He had traveled there with his coach, hoping to place in the top eight to earn All-American status, but he ended up winning the championship. He was so happy to tell his mom all about his matches, and how he upset other state champions to win the title. They talked for maybe a half an hour before she told him she was going to bed, and he'd better take out the garbage before he went to sleep.
"My mom has always been very good at making sure my head doesn't get too big," Richardson says. "She was happy for me, but winning the championship didn't mean anything changes."
Richardson's mother and stepfather, who helped raise him since he was two, not only made sure he wasn't getting a big head, they also made sure at a young age, he knew academics came before athletics.
"I always knew that if I got a "C" on my grade card, I couldn't wrestle for the team," he says. "It's been like that even through junior high, and for any sport I played."
Grades still come first for Richardson. Although he pushes himself everyday in the weight room and at practice, his major focus at Michigan is still his classes. And to Richardson, success in one does not substitute for success, nor can it excuse failure in the other.
With good grades throughout high school, Richardson was in the National Honor Society and on the dean's list for eight semesters. In fact, his grades were so high, he earned a full academic scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he spent his freshman year of college. At Morehouse, Richardson didn't wrestle, he was a tight end on the football team. He had committed to Morehouse in January because of its tradition and academic reputation, but soon after he began to receive letters from wrestling schools after his performance in Pennsylvania.
Richardson hadn't qualified for states as a wrestler until his junior year, and he placed fourth that year, so he wasn't expecting any wrestling offers from colleges when he signed with Morehouse.
"I was like, man, if I had just held out a little longer, I could be wrestling at any of these schools," he says. "Wrestling was always my first love, but I was already bound to go to Morehouse to play football."
After one semester, he knew Morehouse wasn't a perfect fit. But he had mixed feelings about transferring. He wanted to leave but still liked the teachers and the small student body. In the end, he decided to leave, because he wanted to wrestle, and he wanted to be closer to home, and chose Michigan over Northwestern.
The move didn't pay off right away. Richardson lost his first two matches as a Wolverine.
"I was thrown in the fire right away," he says. "I was so afraid to lose, I couldn't win. But I learned a lot from those first two matches."
A lesson he learned again this year when he fell to top-ranked Kerry McCoy. In Richardson's only dual meet loss of the season, McCoy beat him 4-3 in a 30-second tie-breaker.
"I learn a lot whenever I lose a match," he says. "I would definitely be willing to take a loss if I'm going to be able to learn from the match for the future."
When first facing McCoy, Richardson had to overcome an uncommon obstacle - McCoy is one of his heroes. Back home, Richardson even has a poster of McCoy hanging on his bedroom wall.
As a veteran, Richardson no longer faces opponents in awe. Now his opponents face him with fear. With a 32-6 dual record this year and more than 90 wins in less than three seasons, Richardson is a major threat on the mat. Anchoring the team at the heavyweight position, he can often win or lose the match for the Wolverines.
"He's like money in the bank," said Michigan wrestling coach Dale Bahr. "He's won so many times in the past couple years when we needed him to. Everyone is confident with Airron out there when it counts."
As a leader, Richardson takes his role very seriously. So seriously, that at the beginning of the season, he took courses to improve his leadership skills. Those classes taught him how to be a leader in the community and also with the team.
Richarson is an active member in numerous volunteer organizations, including SHARE, an organization founded by six student-athletes including teammate Bill Lacure. SHARE sends Michigan athletes into local schools to read books to children.
"Airron is always the first one to volunteer and offer his time to these kids," Lacure says. "When other guys are relaxing, Airron is always making time for others and giving extra to those who can't do it themselves. He is always out in the community doing something."
Still, Richardson isn't satisfied. He's not satisfied with his grades and not satisfied with being an All-American.
"I guess I'm past the All-American thing, I don't wear it like a trophy," he says. "Being an All-American is just a stepping stone. I won't be satisfied to say, 'I was an All-American in college.' I'll be satisfied to say, 'I was the national champion in college,' but until then, it's something to work for."
That, and a 3.5 grade-point average, then medical school in a couple years.
"It's easy to be tired with days like I have, but you have to keep your eyes on your goals," he says. "I know that I have to work to get the grades I want and ... to become the national champion."
The wrestling lockerroom is underneath the stands at Crisler Arena. And in Airron Richardson's locker there is a small piece of paper. It reads, "Champions Don't Just Happen."
So he's going to make it happen.