Winslow Township's Jordan Burroughs doesn't believe in ceilings
W hen Jordan Burroughs looked at his name high on the wall of the gymnasium, he also saw two numbers.
W hen Jordan Burroughs looked at his name high on the wall of the gymnasium, he also saw two numbers.
One was his career wins: 115.
One was his career losses: 20.
Back at Winslow Township High School for an informal meet-and-greet on Tuesday night, Burroughs joked about his victory total, which places him about 175th on South Jersey's all-time list.
"I thought I had more," Burroughs said with a smile.
But it's the other number that underlines the lesson that Burroughs' astounding post-high school success provides for other wrestlers, and for athletes in other sports.
Now 27, a three-time world champion as well as an Olympic gold medalist with his sights set on another gold at the 2016 Games this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Burroughs is arguably the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world.
This is a guy with an astounding 124-2 record at the senior level of national/international competition since graduating from the University of Nebraska with a degree in sociology in 2011.
That's unfathomable, given the quality of wrestling at that level of the sport.
But Burroughs' 98.4 winning percentage against the best wrestlers in the world stands in even bolder relief against his work as a high school wrestler.
Let's be clear. Burroughs was a great high school wrestler. He won a state title as a senior in 2006 and finished second in the state - losing in double overtime in the final to Southern's Frank Molinaro, his current teammate on the USA squad - in 2005.
But lots of guys have won a New Jersey state title.
Lots of guys have won two.
Some guys have won three or four.
None of those guys went on to win three world championships and Olympic gold.
Only Jordan Burroughs has done that.
By the standards of superstars in the sport, Burroughs' high school career was fairly pedestrian - one state title, one second-place finish.
He didn't place in the states as a sophomore.
He didn't even make it out of the districts as a freshman, losing a major decision in his first bout on that Friday night.
"16 and 10," Burroughs told the crowd at Winslow Township of his record as a high school freshman.
Which sounds nearly as unbelievable as 124-2.
And get this: He was 16-12 as a freshman at the University of Nebraska.
That's why Burroughs is such a great example to athletes in every sport: He kept getting better, through high school, through college, and beyond.
He never stopped working. He never stopped believing. He never stopped improving.
"The secret is, there is no secret," Burroughs said. "It's hard work. It's effort. It's discipline. It's consistency."
It's so easy these days to put a cap on an athlete's potential. The sophistication of youth sports, the increasing specialization, the growth of scouting and recruiting services - players can get button-holed as to their "level" at a younger and younger age.
Somebody always is setting a ceiling on a young athlete.
Who would have projected Jordan Burroughs as a future state champion when he lost, 11-1, in his first bout at the districts as a freshman?
Nobody.
Who would have imagined him as a three-time national champion when he was 16-12 as a freshman at Nebraska?
Nobody.
Who would have projected after his first 22 years on this earth that this bright young man from Sicklerville could someday turn out to be the most accomplished wrestler in U.S. history?
Nobody.
When Burroughs looked up on Tuesday night, he saw his name on that green-and-white banner high on the wall. He saw his career record.
He didn't see the ceiling of the gymnasium.
He doesn't believe in them.
@PhilAnastasia
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