If you were to make a shortlist of the most accomplished athletes from the Mid-Atlantic region, Jordan Burroughs would be on it.
The former collegiate and Olympic wrestler doesn't let that success stop him from regularly visiting his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, always looking for the next opportunity to give back.
The two-time NCAA champion at the University of Nebraska hosted a free "wrestling for all" clinic to teach youth wrestlers tips and skills, hoping to inspire a generation to participate in the sport he loves so much, he said.
"[Wrestling] has taught me a lot about manhood and about greatness," Burroughs told NBC10.
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Burroughs said he had been thinking about starting clinics in South Jersey for quite some time, but never had the facility or logistics to put it together until recently.
"I lived in Philadelphia, I grew up in Camden," Burroughs told NBC10. "I have a strong connection with this city and I knew I wanted to [do the clinic] here, I felt like it was right."
Burroughs put together one of the best high school wrestling careers of all time. He graduated from Winslow Township High School with a record of 115 wins and 20 losses, with a state championship and national championship victory.
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At Nebraska, Burroughs finished with a record of 128 wins and just 20 losses, and was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
"I grew up watching him wrestle, " said Miguel Delgado, a parent of one of the children who attended the clinic. "It's amazing to see him come down to Camden and just show the youth how to get with the program and just stay with it."
For Burroughs, being present is the biggest difference-maker in inspiring the next generation.
'You inspire them by being present," he said. "A lot of people see you on social media and YouTube and TV, but once they get a chance to have their hands on you and experience what it's like to be near a champion, I think they will realize just how normal we all are."
Burroughs won an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, winning the 74kg weight class. He is also a six-time world champion, nine time medalist and 11-time US and World team member, considered by many one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the sport.
At 35 years old, Burroughs will once again attempt to make Team USA for the 2024 Summer Games, traveling to Penn State next month for the Olympic Trials.
"I want another Olympic gold medal," Burroughs told NBC10. "But I'm happy with where I'm at. If I never wrestle again, I am content with what I've done."
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