Josh Taylor, sophomore wrestler and sport management major at Otterbein died in a traffic incident on Jan. 2.
Taylor arrived at Otterbein in the fall of 2023 as a graduate of Lakewood High School in Hebron, Ohio.
Having received eight varsity letters across three different sports in high school, Taylor committed to Otterbein to continue his wrestling career. Taylor received the Luke Hess “Most Improved Wrestler” Award after his first season at Otterbein.
“I recruited Josh out of Lakewood High School for two primary reasons: the grit he showed on the wrestling mat when I watched him compete and the extremely strong family support that surrounded him. Both of those things carried over to his all too brief time with us here as a Cardinal,” said head wrestling coach at Otterbein Brent Rastetter.
In his first season at Otterbein, Taylor posted a 13-9 overall record on his way to his “most improved” title.
“He showed a tremendous amount of growth throughout last season, and we were extremely excited to see that development continue this season. … His family traveled to all of the events to support him,” Rastetter said.
Sophomore business administration major and member of the cross country team at Otterbein Corey Rafferty, along with his twin brother, Caleb, was a high school wrestling teammate with Taylor. He echoed Rastetter’s sentiment on Taylor’s worth ethic.
“He was hard working and was a great role model and leader to many. ..." Rafferty said. “Josh was like a brother to me. We played sports together throughout all of high school and roomed together at Otterbein. He was always there for me."
Taylor started his second season of wrestling at Otterbein strong, posting a 3-0 record and earning “Wrestler of the Week” honors.
“We lost a teammate, a son, a brother and a friend who was a humble and loyal young man. He will be missed,” Rastetter said.
