Some people have it, some don't and others strive to attain it.

Work ethic.

Penn State wrestler Doc Vecchio certainly has it. Penn State coach Troy Sunderland sees every day in practice how hard he works.

"There are not a lot of kids across the country that are harder workers day in and day out, than Doc," Sunderland said. "He runs hard and conditions hard. Everyone works hard here, but Doc takes it to a new level."

Vecchio did not enter Penn State and then begin having a tremendous work ethic. He had the exact same mentality high school that he does now. Mick Vecchio, his father and high school football coach, recalls that his son was the hardest worker he has ever seen at Governor Mifflin.

Vecchio would stay after practice and run extra sprints and do the extra conditioning to be even better.

Mick Vecchio cites that his son's commitment to hard work is one of the main reasons why he is where he is now. Vecchio this season has posted a mark of 23-8, and currently is ranked the highest he's ever been -- No. 11 -- at 165 pounds.

"When he went off to wrestle with the boys out there, I knew he would have to turn it up a notch," Mick Vecchio said. "There are guys that have more pure wrestling talent than he does but his ethic of work has gotten him to where he is."

There is no off-season for Vecchio as he trains all year long. His heaviest off-season training comes in the summer. Penn State wrestling gives their wrestlers a workout program that is strictly voluntary. Vecchio follows the program that Penn State strength and conditioning coach Eric Childs recommends on a daily basis.

"I run every day, either I do sprints or go out for a couple mile run," Vecchio said. "Then there are lifts that I do four times a week, with Wednesday my only day off."

The three-year starter has wrestled all of the years at the same weight class but he feels stronger this year than he did in the two previous years. His hard work in the summer has paid off and is showing this season with the results he has posted. Vecchio has been able to do things on the mat this year that he was not strong enough to do last season.

"I was small last year, I feel bigger, stronger and feel better this year," he said. "I am able to take better shots and able to fight off my opponents' shots. It has certainly helped out. My concentration was on lifting and it has produced good results."

As good and consistent as Vecchio has been all season, it has not always been this way. In his freshmen year he was scheduled to redshirt but was forced into action immediately when Bill Dubler got injured.

He suffered through an up and down season that saw him post a record of 12-16 and a 3-9 record in dual meets. He posted back-to-back victories on the road in Iowa and Indiana. He was welcomed to the Big Ten tournament by two-time National Champion Don Pritzlaff, and fell 14-4. He lost his second match as well.

His sophomore campaign went much the same the way as his first, as he struggled with an up and down season. It did not matter how Vecchio was performing his parents continued to attend every one of his matches. They understand how it's as important to be there in the tough times as the good times.

"As a parent, especially in individual sports like wrestling, your kid doesn't need you when he's winning," Mick Vecchio said. "The time when they need you most is when they are losing, and last year that was happened a lot. We stuck by him and continued to encourage him."

With his parents not always in his presence Doc needed someone to turn to when all was not going the way he wanted. He turned to Athletes in Action, because of his strong faith of Christianity. He went there when he needed someone to talk to.

"I'm big on Christianity, so I often went to Athletes in Action," the junior captain said. "When I went there they told me 'You just have to wait, and good things will come to you.' This kept me going."

Vecchio has continued to take part in Athletes in Action, as one of the community service projects that he does. He goes out with other athletes on campus to churches, Sunday schools or youth groups and talk to youth. Vecchio has a lot of fun going out and giving back to the community. Last year he was awarded with Academic Excellence/ Community Service at the end of the year wrestling banquet.

Balancing wrestling, community service and schoolwork is not easy but Vecchio does it. His parents stress the importance of doing well in school in addition to wrestling.

"It's critical in our family to do well in the classroom," Mick Vecchio said. "Our two older sons did it while playing football. It's a lot harder if you're a major college athlete, although you got to do it."

The 165-pounder agrees with the sentiments echoed by his parents, get decent grades. It's also important to pay attention in the classroom, be a good person and be happy to show others that you can always happy, Vecchio believes.

The rigors of his daily schedule that Vecchio handles, he hopes he will be able to continue his success on the mats, and turn around his bad fortunes in the Big Ten tournament. He has not let his recent success on the mat get to his head. The coaching staff believes that he can compete with anyone in the country.

"Doc can wrestle with anybody if he wrestles his match," assistant coach Dave Hart said. "His biggest asset is that he has a gas tank that doesn't empty."