Seeing Double: The Twins of Little Rock Wrestling

LITTLE ROCK - You're seeing double, but you don't need to get your eyes checked. As Jayden Carson and Jaylen Carson walk in wearing matching Little Rock wrestling sweatshirts, the only major difference between the identical twins is the St. Louis beanie Jaylen wears, representing their hometown.

The two usually dress the same, if not always. 

"We like the same things because everything we do is done together," explains Jaylen. That includes clothes, pastimes like fishing, and of course wrestling.

The duo committed to Little Rock after buying into head coach Neil Erisman's vision for the Trojans: building a squad from scratch and turning the first Division I wrestling team in Arkansas into a high-level program.

"We realized they were creating a program where we could have the opportunity to be the first conference champs, the first national champs, and that sounded cool to us," says Jayden. "Our whole goal since we were younger was to wrestle at the Division I level together. We came here together to reach our dream. We would never leave each other."

"No matter what, we were going together, like a package deal," Jaylen adds. "If you want one of us, you gotta have both of us. We weren't splitting up because we believe that twins don't work as well far apart, so we wanted to stay together to be able to give 110%."

That 110% twin effort is paying off. Jayden, who wrestles at 125, has secured the starting position for the Trojans as a true freshman. Just last weekend at the Cougar Clash Invitational, he made his way to the championship round in his bracket, defeating opponents from SIUE, Michigan State, and Missouri to finish second. It was the highest finish on Little Rock's team in their first-ever DI invite.

"Once I get out on the mat in front of the crowd, I'm out there having fun, and that's what it's all about," says Jayden. "Sometimes my twin brother isn't there but I know he's still watching me and I want to make sure that I shine for him."

At 133 pounds, Jaylen is redshirting this season. Despite momentarily having to sit back and watch Jayden, he is nothing but proud of his counterpart. 

"He's getting our name out there and he's carrying our last name, so what he does reflects on me. He's doing his thing and hopefully he can make something big happen this year. I'll have my chance next year."

The two still get to go head-to-head at practice on a weekly basis. 

"Jaylen is tough," admits Jayden. "It's hard to wrestle him because he always gives his all, especially against me. You don't want to say you lost to your brother, so he's constantly trying to take me out."

Though their determination is on equal footing, like so many other aspects of their lifestyle, the brothers do have some differences in their style of competition. 

"Wrestling each other gives us a different kind of challenge," says Jaylen. "He has more speed and I have more strength. It's good for each of us because he needs to face off against guys that are bigger and stronger than him and still be able to perform well. For me, it helps me adjust to an opponent's agility because speed kills."

Pushing each other as well as their teammates, the twins plan to continue to make an impact on the Little Rock wrestling program, not just during the team's inaugural season but throughout their career. As for afterwards? Well, they have a plan for that too.

"We're still going to be together," Jaylen confirms. "Wherever we go, we'll still be together."
 

For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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