You have probably never heard of this Atkins diet.
"Three pancakes, a bowl of cereal and banana and peanut butter sandwiches, which is what I lived on during most of the season because of the protein and fats that you get out of that." Says Atkins.
But, even with a diet like that, Atkins still has to look up to his older brothers.
"They're about 200, 250 lbs, 6' 4". They're big guys. Everyone else in my family is a bigger person, and they played football, and they excelled at football. I kind of took my own route and did wrestling because I'm a smaller guy and everything like that." Says Atkins
It's hard to believe, that at 6'4", Chris is the runt of the litter. But, he thanks his family for helping him find his niche.
"My dad was always there for me and he always congratulated me on what I did and always told me he was proud of me. Something like that helps me because everyone else in my family excelled and they're bigger people and I never thought I would be able to reach that level, but thats something that my dad did and my mom was always there along the way too." Says Atkins.
"He was just a real leader, and almost like an assistant coach in the room, all year. It's really nice to have someone like that." Says, Clarke County High School Wrestling Head Coach, Jon Vansice.
There is know doubt Chris is a leader on and off the mat, and thanks to the accelerated learning program, he will be attending Virginia tech as a junior next year, at just seventeen years old.
"I would like to be an agricultural economist, getting my masters from Virginia Tech, or maybe even my doctorate, it just depends on money and how long it takes me." Says Atkins
Some might say Chris is missing out on the best four years of his life, but he doesn't agree.
"We have a thing called relay for life, and it is with the American cancer society, and it is the same night as prom. I'm going to put my time into replay for life, can't go to prom." Says Atkins
When he's not studying or wrestling he enjoys hanging out with friends, going four wheeling, and paint balling. Despite growing up fast, his coach says, he still has some youth in him.
" He is mature in a lot of ways, but he still has that youngster, that kid in him in a lot of way too. He's got a pretty good future in a lot of different ways right now." Says Coach Vansicee.
Congratulations Chris Atkins, of Clarke County High School. TV 3 Winchesters Student Athlete of The Week.