Damon “DJ” McGee is a George Mason University wrestler from Stafford, Virginia, competing at 157 pounds. The redshirt senior entered the 2026-27 season as a three-time NCAA Division I Championships qualifier, a 2025 Mid-American Conference champion and a two-time top-16 finisher at the national tournament. His five NCAA Championships victories are tied for the second most in George Mason wrestling history. McGee’s path into wrestling did not begin with a lifelong plan. He grew up boxing because his father had boxed in the military. When his mother became concerned about him getting hit in the face, an uncle who wrestled at the Naval Academy suggested a different combat sport. McGee arrived at his first practice expecting something closer to John Cena and professional wrestling. He hesitated, finally tried it for about 20 minutes and left wanting to wrestle every day. That decision carried him from Stafford to Bullis School, where he became a multiple-time state champion, and eventually to George Mason. His development was not uninterrupted. COVID erased most of his senior high-school season, forcing him to find club practices and travel from Virginia to Maryland to keep improving. A freshman-year injury later led to a redshirt season that gave him time to understand college wrestling before becoming Mason’s starter. On The Sideline, McGee explains how he manages life at 157 pounds, why making weight requires listening to the body instead of simply losing as much as possible and how wrestling taught him to keep moving when life becomes difficult. He is studying sociology, wants another NCAA opportunity and has his sights on the podium, with coaching and international wrestling still part of what could come next.
The 20-Minute Trial That Changed His Sport
Wrestling was not DJ’s first combat sport. His father boxed while serving in the military, so DJ began with boxing before his mother became concerned about him taking punches to the face. An uncle who had wrestled at the Naval Academy suggested wrestling instead. At a practice at Gayle Middle School in Stafford, DJ walked in expecting the professional wrestling he had seen from John Cena and was confused by what was actually happening on the mat. He was nervous enough to wait on the side before his father encouraged him to give it a try. About 20 minutes later, he took a water break, told his father he liked it and began wrestling nearly every day. His story is a useful reminder for young athletes who decide they dislike a sport before experiencing it: one honest attempt can uncover an entirely different path.
Finding a Way to Develop When Competition Disappeared
DJ was part of a Bullis team he remembers climbing into the national top 25 during his junior year, but COVID disrupted the end of that season and took away most of the normal competition during his senior year. He could not wait for the calendar to return to normal. His father drove him from Stafford into Maryland so he could train at clubs, meet teammates and practice wherever an opportunity was available. College brought another interruption when an injury during his freshman year led to a redshirt. DJ describes himself as naive when he first arrived at George Mason, and that season allowed him to keep practicing, travel with the team and understand the level before carrying a full starting season. The setbacks did not disappear, but both periods became part of the development that preceded three NCAA Championship appearances.
What Living at 157 Pounds Actually Requires
DJ does not describe making weight as simply eating less or losing as much as possible. He calls it a system built around listening to the body and doing the process correctly, because reaching the number without being ready to compete defeats the purpose. He has never missed weight in college. A typical day can begin at 6 a.m. for a 7 a.m. lift, continue through sociology coursework and a 2-to-4 p.m. practice, then finish with homework and recovery. His regular meals center on eggs or a smoothie in the morning, followed by protein, vegetables, carbohydrates and plenty of water. He prepares his own food while sharing a house and kitchen with teammates. That routine supports a larger goal: returning to the NCAA Championships for a fourth time and finishing among the top eight on the podium.
Boxing Came Before Wrestling
DJ began in boxing because his father had boxed in the military. Wrestling entered the picture after his mother became concerned about him getting hit in the face.
Featured Quote
Why Wrestling Stays With You
Damon McGee · The Sideline
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Damon McGee on The Sideline
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