Biography 
Early career 
A resident of the Sicklerville section of Winslow Township, New Jersey, Burroughs began to gain attention for his wrestling in his senior year at Winslow Township High School after winning a Senior National Championship under Head Coach Rick Koss. During high school he won three district championships and two regional championships, and in 2006 he captured a state title at 135 pounds. He committed to the University of Nebraska as the seventh ranked 135 pounder in the country.

Before Nebraska 
Burroughs won the 2006 New Jersey state title at 135 pounds to cap a 35-2 senior season and a 115-20 career at Winslow Township High School. Burroughs, ranked seventh in the nation among 135-pound high school wrestlers by Intermat, was a three-time district champion and a two-time regional champion for Head Coach Rick Koss

Freshman year (2006–2007)
Burroughs earned his starting spot midway through the season and placed third at the Big 12 Championships, earning a place at the NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. He went 1-2 at the tournament. He lost his first match to the #1 seed Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota 3-1. Burroughs stayed alive with a 8-2 win over Matt Dunn of Columbia, but lost the next match to the #2 seed Matt Storniolo of Oklahoma in an overtime thriller and was eliminated from the tournament.

Sophomore year (2007–2008) 
Burroughs won his first Big 12 Title with a technical fall over Will Rowe of Oklahoma and major decision over Mitch Mueller of Iowa State, winning Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet. At the NCAA Championships Burroughs posted a 5-1 record, losing only to 2x National Champion Brent Metcalf, earning a 3rd place All-American finish at 149 pounds and finishing the season 34-6.

Junior year (2008–2009) 
Burroughs broke his school's record for takedowns with 117 takedowns in 19 dual meets. Burroughs showed total domination throughout the whole year with 15 major decisions, five technical falls, two pins, and 17 wins over ranked opponents. He won his second Big 12 title. During the Las Vegas tournament, he beat returning NCAA champion Jordan Leen in the finals, winning outstanding wrestler of the tournament. At the NCAA tournament, he continued to show dominance at the highest level, tech falling his first opponent, pinning the second, and majoring the final two (Cyler Sanderson and Gregor Gillespie) on his way to the finals where he faced the undefeated Mike Poeta of Illinois. Burroughs won the match with a 5-1 decision and captured his first NCAA title at 157 pounds.

2009-2010 
Burroughs was 7-0 going into a dual meet against Steve Brown of Central Michigan where he was injured, ending his season and forcing Burrroughs to take a medical redshirt year due to his tearing of his left PCL and LCL.

Senior year (2010–2011) 
Burroughs returned from his surgery bigger and stronger, bumping up to wrestle 165 pounds and finishing a perfect regular season. He had a streak of 17 matches where he earned bonus points that was only broken by a match against the returning national champion, Andrew Howe of Wisconsin, that he won by a 10-7 decision in the Midlands finals. Burroughs won his third Big 12 title against Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell after a thrilling decision. Burroughs entered the NCAA tournament as the number one seed and had a tech fall win in his first match followed by an injury default over Justin Lister of Binghamton in a match that Burroughs was winning 15-4. He majored his next three opponents en route to his second national championship and second undefeated season. He won the Hodge Trophy for his season, wrestling's equivalent of the Heisman trophy, awarded each year to the nation's most dominant wrestler.

International (2011-)
2012 Olympics 
On August 10, 2012, Burroughs defeated Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi of Iran to become the Olympic Champion at 74 kilos. The victory brings Burroughs a big payday.
 
After winning
2013 World Cup
Personal 
Burroughs's Twitter name is @alliseeisgold, as he has won every tournament he has entered since the beginning of the 2009 season.

Awards and honors 
International Freestyle:
2011 Pan American Champion - 74 kg
2011 US Open Champion - 74 kg
2011 World Champion - 74 kg
2011 US World Team Trials Champion - 74 kg
2012 US Open Champion - 74 kg
2012 Olympic Trials Champion - 74 kg
2012 World Cup Champion - 74 kg
2012 Olympic Champion - 74 kg
2013 World Cup Champion - 74 kg
2013 Us Open Champion - 74 kg

Collegiate:
Two-Time NCAA Champion (2009,157; 2011, 165)
2011 Hodge Trophy winner
2011 InterMat Wrestler of the Year
Three-Time All-American (3rd, 2008; 1st, 2009; 1st, 2011)
Four-Time NCAA Qualifier (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Three-Time Big 12 Champion (2008, 149; 2009, 157; 2011, 165)
Outstanding Wrestler of 2008 Big 12 Championships
Midlands Champion (2011, 165)
2011 Dan Gable Most Outstanding Wrestler Award (Midlands Championship)
Nebraska Most Outstanding Wrestler (2008, 2009, 2011)
128-20 career record
Fourth-most wins in school history
Tied for fifth-most dual wins in school history (62)
Sixth-best career winning percentage in school history (.865)
Tied for fifth-most falls in a single season in school history (20, 2011)
Four-time Big 12 Wrestler of the Week
2011 Nebraska "Heart and Soul Award" winner