Burroughs Headed Back Home After Olympics

LINCOLN — Former Husker wrestler Jordan Burroughs announced on Thursday that he will be leaving the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center (NWTC) following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to join the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC), located just 23 miles from his hometown of Sickerville, N.J. “I’m a true believer that the greatest work I will ever do will not be on the wrestling mat,” the two-time NCAA Champion, four-time World Champion and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist wrote in a blog post on his website. “An athlete’s legacy extends far beyond what they’re able to accomplish on the field of play. I have the ability and the voice to empower and lead the young men and women of the next generation, and I want to do that in the same place that I began.” 

Burroughs will continue to train under the direction of Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning and Associate Head Coach Bryan Snyder through the 2021 Summer Olympics, which are slated to take place July 25-August 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Burroughs noted in his post that, “Anytime you have seen me, you have seen two men — Mark Manning and Bryan Snyder — close behind. The lessons that these coaches have taught me go far beyond my performances on the mat. They are not only coaches to me, but truly family. Every single one of my five titles are their titles as well. We’ve got one more year to add another one, together in Tokyo.” 

Burroughs discussed his decision and reflected on his time in Lincoln during a sit-down discussion with Manning which accompanied the blog post. The full conversation can be viewed on the Nebraska Huskers YouTube page. The two also discussed the development of their relationship, going all the way back to when Manning first met Burroughs. The Nebraska Head Coach was in New Jersey recruiting Burroughs’ best friend and neighbor Vince Jones, who would go on to become an All-American 184-pounder for the Huskers. “I was just finishing up my sophomore year of high school at 112 pounds, and had yet to place in the state tournament,” Burroughs reflected in a recent Instagram post commemorating the 20th anniversary of Manning’s hiring at Nebraska. “As Manning talked with Vince and his parents, I quickly introduced myself and made a joke about him coming back to recruit me the following year. He laughed and shrugged it off. At the time, I was just the little kid neighbor of the prized recruit he came to see.  Like mostly all Division I College wrestling coaches then, Manning had no idea who I was.” 

Burroughs went on to win a state title his senior year of high school and sure enough, Manning came back to recruit him. The New Jersey native struggled as a freshman at Nebraska (finishing with a 16-13 record) but persevered, amassing an 111-6 mark during his final three collegiate seasons. Burroughs boasted unblemished records during his junior and senior campaigns (35-0 in 2009; 36-0 in 2011) and by the time his collegiate eligibility expired, he had three Big 12 titles, two national championships and a Hodge Trophy to his credit. 

Under the tutelage of Manning and Snyder, Burroughs propelled himself to success on the international wrestling stage, winning Pan American Games Gold Medals in 2011, 2015 and 2019; U.S. Open Championships in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017; World Cup Championships in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017; World Championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017; and an Olympic Gold Medal in 2012. 

“It’s been a great ride here [at Nebraska],” Burroughs told Manning during their sit-down. “It’s been pretty special everything we’ve been able to do in unison with this university. It’s provided me with a platform that not only changed my life, but will change [the lives of] everyone I touch forever and that’s really special for me.”

“I know Husker fans are going to miss you,” Manning said to Burroughs. “The influence you’ve had on our program…And all the guys who have gone through our program…Our school, our university…It means a lot. Your impact will be missed but it will be remembered.”