But when the Buena Regional wrestler had some spare time on his hands the last few months, he delved into a few literary pieces befitting a scholar-athlete.

"I read Lance Armstrong's book, Rocky Bleier's book, Adam Taliaferro's," said Maxwell, who mangled a good portion of the left side of his body when he crashed his car in July. "Those guys had it a lot worse than me. Adam broke his neck; Bleier got half his foot blow off; Lance Armstrong had cancer in every imaginable place."

Though he downplays the severity of his injuries, Maxwell was airlifted from his accident. He broke his arm, banged his knee up pretty good and thumped his chest on the steering wheel. The severity of his injuries forced him to forego playing football.

"I received the phone call that morning," said George Maxwell Jr., Greg's older brother who is an assistant wrestling coach at Buena. "They told me they choppered him to Atlantic City. I was like, 'Oh my God.'

"The surgeons said there was no way he could play football or wrestle. Our focus was totally away from that. He had a lot of complications (with his heart), and we were worried about his life."

Reading about how other athletes overcame adversity has helped motivate Greg Maxwell. Less than six months after being told he would never play contact sports again, Maxwell will be in the starting lineup this weekend, leading the Chiefs at the Jackson Duals.

"I just thought 'If those guys can do it, why can't I?" said Greg Maxwell, the defending District 32 champion at 171 pounds. "I feel pretty good. I feel better every day. It's just a matter of getting back in shape."

Maxwell, who will move up to 189 and may wrestle some at 215, was 27-7 as a junior. A three-time regional qualifier, he finished second in Region 8 a year ago before losing to the eventual state runner-up in the super region.

"Physically, I think he is 100 percent," Buena coach Doug Castellari said. "But I think it is going to take a little bit of time. I think it is going to take a month before he gets back in top form."

The Chiefs are in no hurry to rush Maxwell's return, Castellari said. In fact, they're grateful to have him back, at 50 percent or 75 percent or 100 percent.

"We already had a replacement for him and were trying to figure out what to do," Castellari said. "We were picturing him maybe coming back for districts. He is going to wrestle the first match of the year. That is amazing."

An all-conference linebacker and running back as a junior, Maxwell would have been a big boost to the Chiefs' football team. In his absence, the defense was porous against the run and finished a disappointing 4-6.

"Once he started feeling better, it was very difficult being on the (football) sidelines as a senior," George Maxwell said of his younger sibling. "I tried putting myself in his shoes, and I don't know how well I could have handled it, either.

"But that is what sports teaches you -- how well you deal with adversity and setbacks. One day at a time."

After being cleared to begin playing football Sept. 28, the third game of the season, Greg developed a problem with his ankle -- a bulged tendon was rubbing against a bone spur when he ran. He gave it a go, taking a cortisone shot to numb the pain. It didn't work.

"It got to the point where I wanted to save something," he said. "I could have played four football games and stunk, then come out and hurt all wrestling season. That would have pretty much killed two sports. I just tried to get myself better.

"It was hard to sit and watch (football). I gave it my best shot to get back, so I am at peace with myself."

Greg insists he hasn't experienced any side effects from the crash, and is not the kind to shy away from contact. Buena coaches, however, have noticed a little rust in his wrestling.

"Time will tell," George Maxwell said. "We don't want to bring him too far, too fast. I think he is going to have to work harder than he ever has if he wants to get where he wants to be. If he is willing to do that, it is going to happen."

Entering his final season on the high school mat, Greg Maxwell is one of the area's top returning wrestlers. Not a flashy wrestler, his repertoire of wrestling moves could fit on a Post-It note. He's boring, but effective.

"I am no ball of fire," he admitted. "I try not to give up a lot of points and try to get some cheap ones. I'm not real good on top. It's one of the things I am working on."

Castellari said he saw a change in Greg's mat demeanor following last year's Region 8 semifinal. With his forehead bandaged and blood streaming down his face, Maxwell gutted out a 6-5 decision over Kingsway toughman Mike Roberts.

"I always tell my guys you have to beat a kid that might be better than you," Castellari said. "If you do that, I think you just catapult."

Greg Maxwell is expecting to build upon his success as a junior. He's setting goals high, such as a trip to states, which return to Atlantic City this March. He's also excited about the Chiefs' prospects at a playoff berth, something that could ease the frustration of missing his final football season.

"For the first time since I've been here, I think our team is pretty good," Greg said. "We have some pretty good young kids. I think we'll be pretty good. It would be nice to make the playoffs, something I haven't done here."