Burroughs Named Male Olympic Athlete of the Year

Four-time Olympic/World champion Jordan Burroughs captured Male Olympic Athlete-of-the-Year honors from the United States Olympic Committee, when it announced the 2014-15 winners for the Team USA Awards on Thursday, Dec. 10.

Burroughs won his third world title (2011, 2013, 2015) this summer in men’s freestyle (74 kg) to go along with his 2012 Olympic gold medal. The Sicklerville, N.J. native also took home gold in this year’s Pan American Games and World Cup. At the World Championships, Burroughs won three technical falls over the span of six bouts, including the gold medal match.

Burroughs becomes the third wrestler to win USOC Athlete of the Year, joining former Husker and Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner (2000) as well as John Smith (1990).

At Nebraska, Burroughs won two national titles (2009, 2011) and claimed the 2011 Hodge Trophy Award. He went 36-0 as a senior at 165 pounds after posting a perfect 35-0 record at 157 pounds in 2009. In 2009-10, his season was cut short by a torn PCL and LCL after racing to a 7-0 start.

The three-time All-American finished third at the 2008 NCAA Championships with a 34-6 record. He won a Big 12 title during the same season and added conference crowns in 2009 and 2011. Burroughs completed his college career with 128 wins, which currently ranks sixth in school history.

The six athlete and team award winners were determined by online fan voting at TeamUSA.org/Awards, where nearly 200,000 fan votes determined 50 percent of the final tally. Members of the Olympic and Paralympic family – including an esteemed panel of Olympic and Paralympic journalists – accounted for the other 50 percent.