A South Jersey legend, Pemberton's Burley reaches wrestling's grandest stage
But when he stepped into the wrestling room for the first time as a middle schooler, Burley knew he was ready to change his tune.
That's when he ditched Bach and Beethoven for headlocks and cradles.
And wrestling fans watched as Burley developed his own beautiful masterpieces on the mat.
After a standout career at Pemberton High School where he won a state title as a senior in 1978, Burley went on to become a two-time NCAA national champion and four-time finalists at Lehigh University. He was also a runner-up at the 1983 World Team Trials and third at the 1984 Olympic Trials before earning a U.S. Open title in 1985.
For his accomplishments, Burley was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member during ceremony earlier this summer in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
'I had tears in my eyes,' Burley said about the induction. 'It meant so much, especially for the people in my village, my family, descendants that I didn't even know, my teammates and coaches. It meant that whatever sacrifices we went through, it wasn't in vain. It wasn't for nothing.'
While his mom guided him into music at an early age, it was Pemberton head coach Milt Schisler who reversed Burley's fortunes when he introduced him to wrestling during PE class in middle school.
'I'd never heard of wrestling,' the 65-year-old Burley said with a laugh. 'But when I went out there and I was like a fish in water. I was beating kids who had been in the sport for five or six years.
'God blessed me with a special gift, but I always worked like a dog to hone my craft.'
The toughest part was telling his mom that he was ditching piano keys for the pinning sounds on the mat.
'It broke her heart when I told her that I got this new thing,' Burley said. 'It took her a long, long time to get over. That piano sat in the house until I went to law school.'
Burley compiled an 86-5-1 record at Pemberton, earning three district and two regional titles. The highlight came in his final scholastic bout when he knocked off defending state champion Peter Schuyler, of Bound Brook, with a 7-5 decision to win the 129-pound title at Princeton's Jadwin Gym. The performance earned him the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award.
'Coach Schisler said that he couldn't teach me as much technique, but he was going to get me the best competition to face in the state. He promised me that and he did,' said Burley, who is a member of the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame.
'And another very special person was Alan 'Butch' Campbell. He was the backbone of the Pemberton program. He was the one who gave Pemberton its persona.'
Burley was part of Pemberton's glory days in the late 1970s when he said the Hornets' had a lineup similar to the New York Yankees' historic 'Murderer's Row.' Pemberton went 20-0 in 1976 and captured the Courier-Post Cup, signifying the No. 1 team in South Jersey.
Burley became one of the best wrestlers to don the Brown and White at Lehigh, under head coach Tadd Turner, whom he considers a major influence in his life. He went 94-5-1, including national titles as a freshman and senior while finishing runner-up in each of the other two seasons.
Burley went on to earn his bachelor's degree and master's degree at Lehigh and graduated with his juris doctorate from the Hofstra School of Law. He currently coaches wrestling at the Cannon School in North Carolina.
'What I love about wrestling is that I was able to translate so many of the skills that I learned from the sport to everything else in my life,' Burley said. 'Perseverance, fortitude, never giving up. Wrestling taught me all of those things.'
Burley says he keeps it simple when giving advice to young wrestlers.
'A strong house always has a strong foundation,' he said. 'Fundamentals and hard work can take a wrestler to great heights.'
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Pemberton's Darryl Burley inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
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