[3] Borders and other members of the wrestling team did not participate in the opening ceremonies because tryouts were still in progress.

[4][5][6] In the 123 lb (56 kg) finals at the 1951 NCAA championships, Borders lost to Tony Gizoni of Waynesburg University in the championship match, though the Sooners still won the team title by one point over in-state rival Oklahoma State.

[8] During the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Borders won his first match against Swiss wrestler Paul Hänni before losing to Mohamed Mehdi Yaghoubi of Iran in the second round and eventual silver medalist Rashid Mammadbeyov in the third round.

"[2] Borders did not begin wrestling until his freshman year at Webster High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, taking advice from his gym coach to join the team.

He began to take the sport seriously upon learning from a teammate that colleges gave scholarships to top wrestlers, ultimately earning a spot in the Oklahoma Sooners wrestling program coached by Port Robertson.