Education
Born in Pittsburgh, Herbert was a Pennsylvania state champion and four-time state placer at North Allegheny High School of Wexford, Pennsylvania.
Herbert was a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champion, three-time Big Ten Conference champion, and four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American. He went 149-4 while at Northwestern University. He won the 2009 Dan Hodge Trophy awarded to the best college wrestler in the nation and the 2009 Big Ten Athlete of the Year award.