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When your last name is Jordan, you are a wrestler and you happen to attend Graham High School, foes encountered on the mats aren't the only forces you must grapple with.

Ben Jordan knew that going in. He was ready for the physical encounters. He just didn't know how intense the pressure and expectations would be to win.

But he did pretty well with it all. The 41-2 senior 145-pounder ended his career as a three-time state champion, and was a state runner-up as a junior when he didn't win it all. For his 2007-08 efforts, he has been named the News-Sun Area Wrestler of the Year.

Ben actually thanks his heritage for his success.

"It came with pressure, but at the same time, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be the wrestler I was and it wouldn't even be an issue," he said of his father, U.S. Rep. Jim, and uncle, Jeff. "I guess it is a plus and a minus. There were expectations, but they also got me where I am."

Ben admits he cracked under the pressure.

"My whole junior year, I didn't wrestle as well as I could have," he said. "It was kind of a letdown year. I wrestled more not to lose than to win. I didn't go out and wrestle my kind of match.

"I kind of lost that fire inside," he added. "This year I changed and went hard every single practice."

His dream of joining Jim and Jeff as four-time state champs was over. The pressure was off — but not all of it.

"When you wrestle for Graham, your opponent is thinking, 'Oh, this is a Graham guy. I've got to go as hard as I can to beat him,' " Ben said. "So you have to be ready for every match, no matter who you are wrestling, because it's like one of their toughest matches all year."

Uncle Jeff thinks Ben, who will wrestle at the University of Wisconsin, has realized his tremendous potential — and not just on the mat.

"Ben's a very good role model, not only for his younger brother and cousins, but for the entire team," said Jeff, Graham's head coach. "They see the three state titles, and they sure would like to do that. Ben's their hero."

For good reason.

"Ben has handled the pressure pretty well," Jeff continued. "Being a four-time state finalist and three-time state champ, that says a lot. He's done a real good job of just being a captain of my team who leads by example.

"It's been a real privilege to coach him, nephew or not."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0364 or krowe@coxohio.com.