 Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, Pritzlaff grew up in Lyndhurst, New Jersey and graduated from Lyndhurst High School in 1997, where he was a three-time NJSIAA individual state champion and finished his high school wrestling career with a record of 127–4.Pritzlaff was a two-time NCAA champion, three-time Big Ten Conference champions, and four-time All-American at the University of Wisconsin.Pritzlaff graduated from Wisconsin in 2002 with a degree in sociology.