Player of the Year Does Not Define Jordan Burns

Well before the 2017-2018 season began, I heard the name Jordan Burns over and over again.  It's not rare. I usually hear about recruits from the various Colgate sports and how excited the coaching staff is.  You expect that excitement since they recruited the player in the first place.  So I absorbed the name but I had no idea what would transpire over the next four seasons.

Jordan burst onto the scene averaging double digits as a freshmen, earning Burns Patriot League All-Rookie Honors.  During his basketball journey in Hamilton, New York,  Jordan picked up many more awards including the Patriot League Tournament MVP for leading the Raiders to the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament, a rare accomplishment for the Raiders.  The latest Hardware for Jordan, Patriot League Player of the Year, Colgate's second Player of the Year in the last four years after going over two decades without the top honor.

To say this Award is well deserved is like saying Matt Langel is a good coach.  It's a massive understatement.  Since coming on board as play by play for the 2002-2003 Colgate Men's Basketball season, I have seen phenomenal guards here at Colgate.  But Hasan Brown's Career Assists record stayed untouchable.  Until Jordan that is.  Burns finally broke this record that stood since 1994.  1994!  I was an 18 year old that still had hair and Jordan was not even born.  Please remember, Jordan passed the 484 assist mark during an abbreviated unprecedented season where the basketball opponent is not the only challenge these student athletes are faced with in the midst of a pandemic.

But all these accomplishments do not define Jordan Burns.  Burns is about so much more than just records.  He is always team first and just cares about dancing again.  The quest for an NCAA Tournament Bid starts Saturday in Hamilton when Colgate hosts the team that beat them in the Patriot League Final last year, Boston University.  For more on this quarterfinal matchup against the Terriers, please go to gocolgateraiders.com.

Not only in various interviews does Burns disperse the credit to his teammates but he continually gives thanks to everyone that has made this journey possible. Physically, Burns has been alone in Hamilton but it seems like he brought the whole city of San Antonio with him throughout his career.  Even when not here you can feel that Jordan is continuously feeding off the support he has back home.  I have had the pleasure of meeting many great families along the way at Colgate and the Burns clan is right at the top of this list.  Although everybody in the family has a different type of smile, from Jordan to his brothers Josh and Jay and parents, Arenda and Eroy, they are all uniquely infectious.  What a pleasure they are to be around and I can't imagine how much Jordan has missed them this year because I know how much I have missed their presence during the course of this season.

I have many great Dick Biddle memories from Colgate Football's run to the title game back in 2003. But that is another blog for another day.  Besides that, the Colgate sports memory that I will cherish forever happened after Colgate's almost upset of Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.  Burns came over to the broadcast table after the game and gave a great interview as always. What transpired after that is what I will never forget.  Jordan climbed over the broadcast table to give his dad Eroy a hug.  Etched into my brain forever, the raw emotions that were on display and seeing how proud Eroy was of his son's 32 point performance in which he drilled 8 three's against one of the top school's in the country.  That type of emotion is what hooked me to sports as a little kid and why I became a broadcaster.  To see it first-hand is an indescribable feeling.

As Jordan concludes his Colgate career, I wish him the best of luck as he pursues his Tournament dreams and an NBA career.  I believe Jordan can accomplish anything he wants because it's not about the records and it's not about his unbelievable talent.  He knows every time he puts in the extra work he has the support of his wonderful family, the Kent School, John Marshall High School and everybody along the way that has supported the hoop dreams of Number 1 in the program and Number 1 in career assists at Colgate.  Jordan Burns.