WESTERVILLE, Ohio - Former Otterbein University star Drew Kasper has signed a three-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), officially announced by the organization Wednesday afternoon.

Kasper, a recent 2020 graduate, agreed to the developmental deal after moving down to Florida this past fall and embarking through a three-day tryout. He will now begin training with the company full-time at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

"I remember growing up with my brothers, recording pro wrestling and watching it back together," Kasper said recently from his new home in Longwood. "We played action figures down in the basement, would go outside on the trampoline to imitate our own matches, create home videos and gather around the computer to watch highlights on YouTube. I am very thankful for an opportunity like this and will make the most of it. I don't want to get caught up in just saying I'm part of it. I want to excel and make an impact."

Kasper delivered a standout four-year career for the Cardinals while majoring in exercise science. He compiled a record of 108-13, including a 62-2 mark at heavyweight, and finished as a 2x All-American. The Lexington native stood a perfect 30-0 toward the end of his senior season, and ranked No. 1 in the country, before the NCAA Championships were canceled due to the pandemic.

"I don't know if I'll ever get over the disappointment of that, but I can always use it to better the next thing," Kasper mentioned. "It will always drive me and I will hold onto it. I carried those feelings with me into the tryout and treated it as my national tournament. I gave it everything."

Kasper's schedule will now include in-ring training, strength and conditioning, promo/acting class, film study, attending weekly NXT taping for support, at-home exercises and more. NXT serves as a "farm system" for the WWE and airs Tuesday's on the USA Network at 8 p.m.

"I have been around him since the second grade," Otterbein head coach Brent Rastetter began. "He has always talked about this and, to his credit, stuck to his guns in an arena where it's really hard to break in make a living. Everything he's done has led to this point. I'm proud of him for following his dreams because too many kids don't. He went after what he wanted and wasn't going to settle."

Kasper's older brother, Jacob, was a 2x All-American himself at Duke and also under contract after signing with WWE last calendar year. The brothers are now living and working together down in the Sunshine State.

"We are normal people, but wrestling has allowed us to go special places and have special experiences," Kasper added. "The people I met at Otterbein helped me grow up and take ownership of things. I will never forget grinding with teammates or classmates; cutting weight, winning and losing, starting a program, working on school projects. Those connections gave me a platform to be myself and shape the future. Otterbein will always be home."

WWE, founded by the McMahon family, holds over 450 live events per year with a roster divided into certain brands. You can learn more at the company's OFFICIAL PAGE and/or PERFORMANCE CENTER WEBSITE.