DES MOINES – A Central Iowa man and registered sex offender is getting another chance at following his dreams.
Andrew Long, 26, a former Iowa State Cyclone wrestler, has a long list of accomplishments including All-American honors, a National Runner-Up finish at the 2010 NCAA Championships, and a third place finish in 2011.
But off the mat, Long was making headlines with a criminal wrap sheet that seemed to overshadow even his biggest achievements.
In 2010, Long was dismissed from the Cyclone program after several run-ins with the law, mostly related to drinking.
He eventually found a new home as a Nittany Lion at Penn State under Cael Sanderson, who recruited Long before leaving Iowa State to lead the Penn State program.
Steve Foster, Long’s close family friend, says the move was hard for Long, but support followed him to his new stomping grounds.
“Andrew had great success on the mat,” says Foster. “Then he took off to Penn State with Cael Sanderson, who was his coach at the time at Iowa State. I was still cheering for him as a human being, but missed him not representing Iowa State.”
It was the kind of support Long would end up needing the most.
Following his third-place finish in the national tournament, Long was accused of rape after an off-campus incident involving a 55-year-old woman.
Long says he doesn’t remember the incident because he was drunk, but later pleaded guilty to indecent assault and served nine months in a Pennsylvania prison.
“I tried to build him up and lift him up,” says Foster. “And he used to write me letters when he was in prison. I cherish those letters, and I can tell you right where they’re at in my house. They’re filled with resiliency and full of compassion for life.”
Long says the experience of prison had a big effect on his family, too.
“It was like dragging my family through a lot of the consequences that were of my own doing,” he says. “I made these choices and now my family has to be the recipient of that.”
As Long worked to escape from this low, one of the first to extend a helping hand as he completed counseling was Nick Mitchell, Grand View’s head wrestling coach.
“I just started having some conversations with Andrew and spent some time with him to really find out where he was as a person,” says Mitchell. “And once I got to the point where I was really serious about it, we started talking to the administration and everybody else.”
The idea was to have Long, now 26, enroll at Grand View and join the Viking wrestling team. His physical ability was never in doubt, but his past and his status as a registered sex offender weren’t easy to overlook.
“I mean the term [registered sex offender] itself with all of us evokes a little fear. There’s a stigma attached to it,” says Mitchell. “The best ting we did is we had a lot of people involved his decision; from our president to the vice president and our members of the cabinet. Each of them had time to sit down and talk with Andrew, and that was the best thing we cold have done because it gave everybody a better sense as to who he was.”
Prior to Long’s enrollment at Grand View, the administration required him to sign a separate code of conduct contract. Due to his sex offender status, he’s not allowed to live on campus and will be on probation through next year.
After becoming the first Viking wrestler to ever win a Midlands Championship, Long continues working to stay off his back on the mat and in life.
Those closest to Long say the sport of wrestling has helped him make it through the last few years.
“Life is about getting restarted,” says Foster. “Because life will put you on your back sometimes and that’s what’s great about the sport of wrestling. It teaches you to get off your back.”
Long says, along with wrestling, he looks to his faith to get him through.
“God’s got the show now,” he says.
Long has one more year of eligibility left to wrestle for the Vikings.
Due to his sex offender status, he is not allowed to live on campus and was required to sign an additional code of conduct contract, Mitchell said. Grand View University president, Kent Henning released the following statement on the decision to admit Long…
“Safety for the Grand View community is a primary concern. Whenever we become aware of any student (future or present) who has a current or prior criminal record, we assess the case on an individual basis to determine if that individual poses any danger to the University community.
“Andrew was treated no differently from any other student, athlete or not. After our research on Andrew was complete, we came to believe that Andrew has resolved his past issues, and he was admitted with some appropriate restrictions. As we do with all students, Andrew is being given the support he needs to be successful.”
In response to the story, Beth Barnhill, executive director with the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA) said no matter what happens with Long on the mat, there will always be a victim that shouldn’t be forgotten. Barnhill would like to remind everyone there are a number of professionals across Iowa who have been trained to help survivors of sexual assault and trauma.
The Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline offers confidential and immediate phone counseling, options and referrals to sexual abuse agencies within your community. The hotline is available 24/7. Call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
