MARCH 3, 2023
Peyton Robb enters postseason ranked No. 1 in the nation at 157 pounds.
MARCH 17, 2023
ANN ARBOR, MICH.
After starting the season 25-0, Robb suffers the first defeat of his junior season in the Big Ten Championship round against Penn State freshman Levi Haines
MARCH 17, 2023
TULSA, OK
Robb loses to Levi Haines for the second time in two weeks, coming up short, 5-3, in the championship semifinals at the NCAA National Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma
In the immediate aftermath of the loss, the three-time Class AAA MSHSL state champion starts to feel the affects of an illness that he originally presumes is nothing more than a bad cold.
As Robb prepares for a consolation semifinal bout against Jared Franek, Robb also notices a small, tender bruise forming on his left leg. Hours later, he suffers a 3-1 (SV) defeat to Franek and grows progressively sick and fatigued over the next 12 hours
MARCH 18, 2023
TULSA, OK
As the bruise on his leg expands and the his symptoms continue to spiral in the wrong direction, Robb is forced to medically forfeit his fifth place match against Ed Scott and decides to visit the emergency room at a local hospital in Tulsa as a precautionary measure. After being administered a round of general antibiotics and given some extra fluids, he’s sent on his way.
Robb closes his redshirt junior with a career-best 28-4 overall record and secures his second consecutive All-American nod (sixth place).
MARCH 19, 2023
LINCOLN, NEB.
Following an agonizing seven-hour ride back home to Nebraska, Robb drags himself off the bus and eventually makes his way to his off-campus apartment before collapsing on his bed. However, he is barely able to close his eyes before staggering toward the bathroom, the latest wave of dizzying nausea overtaking his body.
Those who know him best have become seriously concerned about Robb’s well-being and eventually decide to rush him to the emergency room. With teammate and close friend Brock Hardy at the wheel, Robb slips into a hazy, semi-conscious malaise as he sprawls out in the back seat of his own car for the trip across town.
MARCH 24, 2023
LINCOLN, NEB.
Doctors are able to successfully stabilize his vital signs that had spiked to dangerous levels throughout a perilous 36-hour stretch after first being admitted.
Before he’s given the green light to return home, Robb’s paperwork is reviewed by an orthopedic surgeon on duty that night and the situation evolves rapidly from there. Lab results in hand, the attending physician rushes to Robb’s bedside and is unable to disguise his urgent concern when reporting his critical diagnosis.
It’s necrotizing fasciitis and Robb’s flesh and soft tissue are literally being devoured by a menacing class of bacteria which often manifests in the early stages by causing bruise-like discoloration to the skin.
Within the hour, Robb is being prepped for a life-saving operation.
MARCH 29, 2023
LINCOLN, NEB.
For the first time in weeks, Robb and his family can finally exhale and begin planning for his return home. Peyton had beat the odds and defeated the infernal ailment that has a 20% mortality rate. For those who do survive, nearly one-third loose at least one limb to amputation.
Peyton Robb, though, isn’t like most patients. He’s the extraordinary expectation and the inspiring survivor.
LATE MAY, 2023
LINCOLN, NEB.
After taking it easy for the first month-and-a-half following his return home to allow his wounds to heal, Robb’s rehabilitation turns a corner when he partners with the University of Nebraska training staff and commences an intensive workout routine specifically designed to build strength following serious medical procedures.
At this point, it becomes clear that nothing is going to prevent Robb from rejoining the Huskers’ lineup in 2023-24 .
EARLY OCTOBER, 2023
LINCOLN, NEB.
Robb is in the wrestling room and participates in the Huskers’ first official practice of the new season.
NOVEMBER 4, 2023
FARGO, N.D.
Robb takes the mat for the first time since the fateful meeting with Jared Franek at the 2023 national tournament and is to face former high school teammate and North Dakota State sophomore, Landen Johnson.
Robb looks as sharp as ever and wins by 18-3 technical fall.
DECEMBER 2, 2023
LAS VEGAS
Robb punctuates a prolific two-day march through the 157 pound bracket at the prestigious Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas by defeating eventual NCAA national runner-up, Jacori Teemer, in the championship match by 6-4 decision. In total, he finishes the event having defeated three opponents ranked within the top 15 of the latest national poll and moves to 13-0 overall.
JANUARY 6, 2024
LINCOLN, NEB.
After collecting his sixth tech fall victory of the season over Cooper Voorhees of Wyoming in his first match of a nonconference triangular that also includes visiting Northern Iowa, Robb’s impressive season-opening undefeated streak comes to an unceremonious halt at the hands of Ryder Downey in a 6-5 decision.
The defeat drops Robb to 16-1 and kick-starts a brutal midseason stretch of opponents that will ultimately feature six bouts in an eight-match span against some of the top contenders in his weight class.
JANUARY 12, 2023
LINCOLN, NEB.
Robb allows a late takedown and loses, 6-5, to respected long-time wrestling foe, Jared Franek, now a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
DECEMBER 19, 2024
MINNEAPOLIS
Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus rings up twice as many points against Robb as any single opponent had tallied against him up to that point during the season and cruises to a 12-6 victory.
JANUARY 21, 2024
LINCOLN, NEB.
Enduring his first three-match losing streak in more than two years, Robb still finds himself ranked comfortably within the top 10 of most national polls and enters his match against Purdue’s No. 16 Joey Blayze simply looking to get back on track.
Instead, something else happens.
After locking horns for more than two periods, Blayze catches Robb out of position near the edge of the circle and stuns the home-standing Nebraska faithful by pinning his heavily-favored opponent at the 6:36 mark.
The unexpected defeat extends Robb’s losing streak to a career-long four matches and marks the first time he had been pinned in more than four years.
MARCH 9, 2024
COLLEGE PARK, MD
After winning two of his final three regular season matches — highlighted by a 2-1 decision over No. 10 Will Lewan — Robb enters his final Big Ten Conference Tournament seeded sixth and sporting a 16-5 overall record.
MARCH 10, 2024
COLLEGE PARK, MD
Robb captures third place at the conference tournament after winning four of his final five matches, capped by a victory by medical forfeit over Jared Franek.
MARCH 21, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MO
Qualifying for his fourth career NCAA National Tournament and receiving a solid No. 8-seed, Robb starts 2-0 on Day 1, defeating a pair of fellow Big Ten Conference foes along the way, the second coming against Will Lewan of Michigan.
Looming in the next round of the bracket, though, is undefeated and top-ranked Levi Haines.
MARCH 22, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MO
Haines comes out aggressive against Robb, registers an early takedown and pulls away for an 8-0 victory.
The loss officially ends Robb’s final shot at winning an individual national championship at the college level, but the sportsmanship he displays on the mat immediately following the defeat is captured on video and viewed more than 55,000 times on social media.
If he harbored any disappointment following the defeat, Robb doesn’t allow it to affect him on the mat as he upends Tommy Askey of Appalachian State later in the day to officially clinch his third career All-American honor.
Robb would go on to lose, 12-10, to Ohio’s Peyton Kellar to cap the Day 2 and set up a showdown against none other than Jared Franek in the seventh place match the following day.
MARCH 23, 2024
KANSAS CITY, MO
Dominating with his hallmark brand of methodical ambition and steadfast versatility, Robb ultimately pulls away for a convincing 11-2 major decision over Jared Franek.
In one final twist of real-life narrative fate, the victory falls exactly one year to the date after he was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night in Lincoln, Nebraska.
With a fresh wound on his lip draining blood into his mouth and still trying to catch his breath in the immediate aftermath of his final match against Franek, Robb found himself surrounded by members of the media and asked if there was any words of wisdom that helped him persevere through his toughest struggles over the previous year
“That’s a good one. I’ll have to think about that,” he admits.
Robb has always chose his words wisely when addressing the media, but not out of fear that they will be taken out of context or mis-quoted. No. he’s far too optimistic to concern himself with that kind of thing.
Instead, it’s because Peyton Robb is just built differently than most, and what he says next epitomizes how he views the world.
“…God doesn’t give you courage. He gives you the opportunity to be courageous…”
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA ATHLETICS DEPT.
THE HUSKY BULLETIN 
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