Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs is such a favorite son of Winslow Township that it was not enough for neighbors to watch the 24-year-old wrestler ride by in a hometown parade Saturday. They had to walk in a line behind him.
As the winner of the 74kg (163 pounds) freestyle competition waved from a black Mercedes, some joined in the procession in a seeming show of unity and a desire to share in a golden moment.
"I'm excited," said Burroughs, who now lives in Nebraska. "It's great to be back home with my family and friends and all the people who supported me through the years."
Burroughs was guest of honor in a celebration attended by more than 1,000 who came out in a late-morning drizzle to welcome home the 2006 graduate of Camden County's Winslow Township High School.
On Aug. 10, Burroughs defeated Iran's Sadegh Goudarzi to win a gold medal in London.
The victory capped an undefeated streak in senior-level freestyle competition that began in 2009.
Burroughs returned to his parents' home in Sicklerville as part of a hectic post-Olympics schedule that has included appearances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, the Today show, and throwing out the first pitch Friday at the Phillies' home game against the Washington Nationals.
He is one of five gold-medal winners from the area, an elite group that also features Carli Lloyd, of Mount Laurel (soccer); Susan Francia, of Abington (rowing); Brendan Hansen, of Haverford (swimming); and former Philadelphia 76er Andre Iguodala (basketball).
During an interview before the parade, Burroughs called his Olympic victory sweet and surreal.
"When you chase a dream for so long, and you actually catch it, it's kind of unbelievable," he said.
Burroughs started wrestling when he was 5, after he brought home a flyer about the sport from Winslow Township Elementary School No. 3. The youngest of four children, he was captivated by the sport that his parents, Janice and Leroy Burroughs, say has given him discipline and independence.
"He started dreaming about the gold at 9," said Leroy Burroughs, 52, who works in construction. The couple supported their son in his dream, but he was still just Jordan, the Burroughses said.
"When he didn't do what he was supposed to do, he got his little . . . ," said Janice Burroughs, 44, who raised an eyebrow as she let the sentence trail off.
The couple say they couldn't be happier about how it's all turned out and the "good guy" their son has become.
Burroughs was embraced by his hometown Saturday, and was the recipient of cheers from a crowd that repeatedly chanted his name.
The procession started at the Christian Care Unit Missionary Baptist Church on Sicklerville Road and ended less than two miles down the street at Burroughs' old elementary school.
"I'm super-blessed to be in this position . . . ," said Burroughs in a speech after the parade. "I encourage every young person out here to dream big, shoot for your goals, and be able to put the work ethic and time in."
Officials including Rep. Rob Andrews (D., N.J.) and Winslow Township Mayor Barry Wright presented proclamations. And Bruce Stowell, one of Burroughs' former high school wrestling coaches, watched from the crowd.
"He refused to lose," Stowell said. "Whatever we were doing - a drill, a run - he wanted to be first."
On Monday, Burroughs is scheduled to fly to Lincoln, Neb., where he has lived since graduating from the University of Nebraska.
He plans to continue wrestling through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. After that, Burroughs says, he isn't sure what he'll do.
His parents think he'll coach wrestling and land in California or someplace else where it's warm. But for now, Burroughs is content to be an ambassador for a sport that he says is "dying" as funds for collegiate wrestling programs are cut.
"I'm just trying to be the guy who can help people realize that you can get your kid in a great sport," Burroughs said. "It can pay for college and get them an education. It can take you places that you never dreamed of."