DENVER — What Greeley native Andrew Alirez did Saturday, and this season, should serve as a lesson for all of us.
The answer is not always to leave. College athletics have been tormented by the transfer portal the last couple of years.
Players are constantly moving and it's honestly hard to keep track of sometimes.
Alirez, a four-time wrestling state champion from Greeley Central High School, could have gone anywhere in the country to wrestle -- but he decided to stay home and attend the University of Northern Colorado.
He and Nikola Jokic are actually pretty similar: The Joker wants to stay a Denver Nugget until he retires. He wants to feel that success in the place that believed in him and made him who he is -- much like Alirez did.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side -- and Alirez just proved that.
He one day hopes to transition to MMA, following in the footsteps of UNC Athletics Hall of Famer Justin Gaethje, who's one of the best fighters in the world.
Gaethje never won a national title, so just imagine what Alirez -- the kid from 'G-Town' could accomplish after he finishes his wrestling career.
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