Joey Slackman’s journey from wrestling to a deli to the Ivy’s top defensive player continues to the transfer portal

Penn defensive lineman Joey Slackman is having a busy few weeks.

He traveled to New York for a Monday afternoon ceremony in which he was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. He’s also in the middle of a whirlwind recruiting cycle as he looks for a new Power 5 home during his final year of eligibility.

All while trying to manage his final exams.

“It’s been probably the craziest two to three weeks of my life,” Slackman said.

Penn’s first Defensive Player of the Year recipient since 2015 is living the dream for an Ivy League football player, but he didn’t even come to Penn for the sport. A wrestling phenom in high school, the Long Island native was recruited to Penn for his skills on the mat and moved over to the football team as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Slackman made the switch count, racking up 115 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks over his three seasons with the program. He finished tied for second in the Ivy League in tackles for loss with 12 this season and had four sacks, four hurries, a pass breakup, and a blocked field goal.

One analyst described him as a “physically-imposing DT with shade-versatility and plenty of athleticism.”

“He is very, very coachable,” said Penn coach Ray Priore. “He has been an incredible competitor. No matter what Joey Slackman does, he does it at 100 miles an hour.”

Slackman received 17 offers within 24 hours of entering the transfer portal on Nov. 20 and holds more than 25 offers altogether, including from Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, Auburn, and Virginia Tech.

“Managing everything has been difficult, but it’s been fun,” said Slackman, who recently underwent surgery to repair a torn left biceps. “It’s everything coming to fruition that I set out to do at the beginning of last year after our season had ended, so to see that all happen for me after all the work I’ve put in over the last couple of years is really special, and I’m excited to see where I end up next.”

As a freshman at Penn, Slackman earned a starting spot on the wrestling team, but when COVID-19 hit, he returned home to Commack, N.Y., and made some money slicing meat at a deli.

During this period, he began seriously considering putting on the football pads again and called Priore, who agreed to let him walk on.

“I really did miss football when I wanted to join the team a couple of years ago, and I didn’t think that I’d end up here, but I did believe that I could be great,” Slackman said.

Was it tough jumping from one sport to another midway through college?

“My dad always said growing up, ‘Don’t ever use the word ‘can’t,’ ” Slackman said. “We actually weren’t allowed to use that word in our household, and that instilled a work ethic in me and a mentality that I wasn’t going to say that I can’t do something.”

One thing that’s helped him in football: his wrestling background, which pairs nicely with many skills needed by a defensive lineman.

“I would arguably say it’s the hardest six minutes in sports,” Priore said of wrestling. “You go on the mat with somebody for six minutes, and you’re wrestling heavyweight; you have all the athleticism, balance, you know how to leverage and all those types of things. Using your hands, obviously, that’s what defensive linemen do and use.”

Slackman is grateful for his Penn football experience, but visiting Power 5 schools has opened his eyes to the world of “extravagant” big-money programs. Gone are the days of position meetings where players sit in folding chairs while watching film on a wheeled-in projector.

“Seeing the meeting room for the first time, specifically for the D-line, where they have their own chairs and everything, and a projector that stays in that room and isn’t portable, was probably the coolest thing that I’ve seen so far,” Slackman said with a laugh.

As he finishes his visits and makes his decision, Slackman, who hopes to reach the NFL, is guided by three key factors: the ability to “impact winning,” how well he can develop, and where he can earn a valuable master’s degree.

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“My advice to him was really narrow down what you want,” Priore said. “Talk to people that you trust and see if the programs allow you to do the things that you need to do to reach your goals.”

He hasn’t yet singled out a front-runner and expects to make his decision in the next week or so.

Regardless of where he goes, the rise from walk-on former wrestler to the Ivy League’s best defender has been nothing short of meteoric. And he still has a ways to go.

“All of it happening at once has been kind of crazy,” he said. “I mean, this is what I worked for, and I’m grateful to be in this position.”