Cool and Easy Drawing of Jordan Burroughs

Dear Nebraska,

As we head into the heart of another wrestling season, I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you.

You know, you aren't even a part of my story, Nebraska.

No, man, you ARE my story.

You believed in me when not a lot of people did and ultimately took a kid from Jersey, brought him all the way out to the Midwest, and made him believe in himself—something that changed it all for me.

A lot of people talk about their parents and the principles they've instilled in their lives—you know, the things that help make them who they are.

That's exactly how I feel about you for instilling the most important qualities that helped build the individual I am today.

Husband.

Dad.

Husker.

If you go to my bio on social media, you'll find those words. That's how important you are to me.

I'm so glad I chose you and even happier that you chose me, too.

And let's be honest, nothing on this journey was expected. It's not like I walked into a wrestling room one day and knew any of this would be possible.

I still remember being that little six-year-old kid that brought home a flyer saying, "Join your local youth wrestling club." We were the Edgewood Eagles at the time, and I was a big fan of WWF. I went into this sport thinking it was going to be like what I saw on television, you know?

Yeah, it wasn't.

There were no elaborate entrances, no promos, no storylines, and most of all, no wrestling ring. Truth be told—I had no idea what I was walking into.

But what I did know — I instantly loved it.

I guess being the youngest of four in my family made me the scrappy grunt growing up. I won my very first trophy at my first wrestling tournament, and I was hooked ever since.

I saw some continued success in my teenage years, but it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I got a national ranking. As a result, I just didn't draw a lot of college coaches' attention.

And if it wasn't for a good friend back then, I probably wouldn't have drawn yours either.

But in the fall of 2006, you welcomed me with open arms.

I'll admit it wasn't the easiest transition. It was a serious life commitment to just pick up everything and move across the country—away from my friends and family. I knew right then and there that I have to start figuring things out on my own. That was the scariest part for me—the unknown and possibility of being alone.

I got homesick often to the point where I started to wonder if I was truly cut out for any of this. But through hard work came success, and success makes everything easier.

I made my way into the lineup as a freshman, started traveling with the team, and built good relationships with the coaches.

That's when I slowly started believing in myself.

But honestly, the real turning point for me was hearing what Coach Manning said about me during an interview with ESPN.

Some of you might be too young to remember TiVo, but this was back when you could start recording and playing back live television.

I remember going home for the summer after my sophomore year, and my dad had recorded that year's NCAA Championships. I finished third in the tournament, and after walking off the mat, I never noticed Coach Manning giving an interview about me.

So, when I got home, I rewatched the tournament and got a chance to listen to his interview for the first time ever.

"Jordan Burroughs — yeah, this guy is a warrior," Coach Manning said. "He's got the right stuff to be the leader of this team, and I think he's going to be a national champion."

I was stunned.

I'd never heard that from him before. Up until that point, nobody ever told me I was capable of being an NCAA champion. That moment was a complete game-changer for me because he made me believe that it was possible.

You know, Muhammad Ali once said he called himself the greatest before he ever knew he was the greatest. Those words from Coach Manning propelled me to train and carry myself as a champion before I really was a champion.

I never lost another college match after that.

But success on the mat doesn't mean that there was no more adversity. During my senior year, I suffered a season-ending knee injury that once again had me questioning this journey.

I mean, you go from being the No. 1 wrestler in the country to being on crutches for five weeks—not being able to compete or be with your teammates.

Then those questions that you try to ignore slowly start creeping into your mind: What's next for me? Will I ever be the same again? Was this my last wrestling match?

I was already an NCAA champion by that point, but it didn't make it any easier coping with that sort of isolation. It was hard because I was actually in a place where I started longing for more.

I wanted to be an Olympian.

I wanted to be a world champion.

But people were telling me I wouldn't be as strong, fast, or athletic after that injury. So, those doubts started to kick in.

Fortunately for me, the right people in my life were saying otherwise.

They were the ones encouraging me and showing that faith and belief in me to pick myself off the mat.

Everyone says hindsight is 20/20, right?

Looking back, that injury made me stronger because I got a chance to refocus and rebuild. It became less about what I couldn't do post-injury but more about what I could do with that newfound strength, confidence, and wisdom.

That was when I turned my doubts into motivation. How far can I take this? How good can I become?

And once that mindset changed, well, the rest is history.

Coach Manning turned to me and said, "We've already taken over the country. Let's take over the world."

I was always the one that outworked everyone in the room. Not only did I want to be the best guy and hardest worker, I wanted to be a guy people could rely on to get the job done. I always wanted to give my best effort because I realized that it worked—every single time. It worked.

Every time I worked harder, I got better.

Every time I stayed focused and did something difficult, I improved and became more confident.

The more I could do that, the more I wanted to do it.

And eventually, Coach Manning turned to me and said, "We've already taken over the country. Let's take over the world."

It never stopped after college, and that's one of the things I appreciate the most, Nebraska. You gave me a home after school. So many coaches want you to win while you're in school, but once that ends, it's pretty much the end of that relationship.

But you never left. Coach Manning never left.

You watched me grow from a homesick kid from Jersey and turned me into a hometown hero. Everything about the time I spent in Lincoln is special to me.

And I'm sure the current generation of wrestlers there will look back on their time with you and feel the same one day. You've always been the place that specializes in taking diamonds in the rough, building their confidence, and unleashing what the world has never seen from them.

We are the working class.

We work hard, keep our heads down, and stay out of trouble.

We fight for one another as competitors seeking to be the absolute best.

We never quit.

We are determined.

We are fearless.

We ARE Nebraska!

With love,
Jordan