Each year, he has been on the cusp of being called an All-American, standing on the mat before the finals of the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships and posing for a picture on the podium.

But, as they say, the third time is a charm.

This year the Mill Hall native went one step further, decisioning American's Marc Hoffer, 8-6, in the consolation bracket, assuring himself of All-American distinction.

Still, the honor was not easy to come by.

After all, Walizer put himself in a precarious position when he stepped up to 149 pounds at the mid-point of the season because of weight concerns and teammate Jamarr Billman's absence. He had maintained a 21-3 record before he moved up.

But Walizer persevered throughout the ordeal, and qualified for NCAAs, thanks to a seventh-place posting at the Big Ten Championships. But things did not get much easier for Walizer.

A tough draw found Walizer, known as the "Funk Master" by his teammates because of his unorthodox wrestling style, against No. 2-seed Reggie White of Oklahoma State. Walizer lost a major decision to White, 11-3, and found himself in the consolation bracket.

But he battled back, a la former Penn State All-American John Lange, who won seven straight matches to finish third at last year's tournament after losing in the opening round. Granted, Walizer's performance was not as dramatic, but it got the job done.

He won his next four bouts, including his match against Hoffer, earning All-American honors. And he basked in the victory with his family -- including his father and high school wrestling coach, Charles -- in the stands of The Bryce Jordan Center.

"It's been just as hard on them as it has on me," Walizer said, wearing the same knit Penn State wrestling hat he had worn after every dual meet. "It's just a big plus having my family here. I am glad they got to see that. I just wanted to go out there and win, and not hold anything back."

And then, the stage was set for a rematch -- Walizer versus White.

But White proved to be too quick and too strong. He defeated Walizer again, 10-2, causing Walizer to not finish any higher than seventh.

But that was when controversy struck.

Walizer fell 2-1 at the hands of No. 4-seed Troy Marr of Minnesota. Penn State coach Troy Sunderland argued Walizer held Marr down in the double-overtime bout after time had expired, meaning Walizer would get the victory.

Sunderland fought to no avail.

Still, the effort cannot go unnoticed, especially by Walizer's coaches.

"He's really paid the price a lot of years," Penn State coaching assistant Dave Hart said. "Being eighth, I know that's not what he wanted, but there's a lot of guys that would love to finish eighth."

Nor will it go unnoticed by his teammates.

"That's a big factor for all of us who are all good friends with Biff and see him become an All-American after coming so close two times," national champion Glenn Pritzlaff said.

Now that Walizer's collegiate wrestling career has passed and he has graduated from Penn State, it is on to the job market. He hopes to find a job as a teacher after having graduated with a degree in special education.

But he will never forget what he did on the mat.

"Being an All-American, it is something I will always take with me," Walizer said with a big grin. "I'm glad to get that weight off my chest."