Melvin Gordon

At 31 years old, Melvin Gordon has this physical status:

Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League. (NFL)

He played college football at Wisconsin and was drafted by the Chargers in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Gordon briefly held the NCAA Division I FBS single-game rushing yards record with 408 yards against Nebraska in November 2014, but Oklahoma Sooners running back Samaje Perine broke it against Kansas with 427 yards against Kansas the following week.

With 2,587 yards, he was the second all-time single-season rusher in FBS history, falling 41 yards short of Barry Sanders' record of 2,628 yards set in 1988.

Early years

Gordon was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and attended Mary D. Bradford High School, where he was a two-sport star for the Red Devils in both football and track. He had 1,098 yards on 99 runs, five receiving touchdowns, and was an All-state and All-Region All-British Association honorable mention as a junior. After running for 2,009 yards with 38 touchdowns, he was a first-team All-state pick by the Associated Press and the WFCA as a senior. He was named Wisconsin Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Gordon was drafted four spots ahead of Gordon in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and spent four years on the same team as cornerback Trae Waynes.

Gordon was one of the state's best performers in the long run as a leader in track & field. He ran the 55-meter dash in a PR 6.39 seconds on his way to a first-place finish at the 2011 Racine Invitational Championship. He took second place in the 100-meter dash at the 2011 SEC Outdoor Conference in a career-best time of 10.95 seconds. He earned silver in the long jump competition at the 2011 WIAA Track & Field Championships after posting a career-best leap of 7.20 meters (7ft 7 in).

Gordon was rated No. 59 by the Rivals.com recruiting service as the top recruiter. 24 candidates are competing in the country's second run. According to ESPN.com, he was ranked as the best player in Wisconsin. He preferred Wisconsin over scholarship offers from Iowa, Louisville, and Michigan. Gordon had intended to attend the University of Iowa but decided against the University of Wisconsin–Madison instead.

Personal life

Gordon established Beyond the Flash Foundation in 2018, which is designed to combat hunger and provide help to homeless families. In California, Colorado, and Wisconsin, the foundation supports mission-aligned organizations.

On October 14, 2020, Gordon was arrested in Denver for speeding and DUI. He sold a $55,000 cash bond. On January 14, 2021, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The DUI lawsuit was dismissed on March 10, 2021, but Gordon pleaded guilty to speeding and reckless driving.

Source

College career

Gordon attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he competed for the Wisconsin Badgers football team from 2011 to 2014 under head coach Bret Bielema, Barry Alvarez, and Gary Andersen.

Gordon played in three games as a freshman in 2011, passing for 98 yards with a touchdown. In the 59–10 victory over South Dakota on September 24, he rushed for his first collegiate touchdown in his career. After suffering a groin injury, he was given a medical redshirt.

Gordon was the third string to run back behind Montee Ball and James White in 2012. For his first collegiate game over the century mark, he had eight carries for 112 passing yards and a touchdown. In the 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the unranked Badgers defeated the #12 Cornhuskers by a score of 70–31. He set a career high record of 216 yards on nine carries averaging 24 yards per carry. He had nine carries for 51 yards against #6 Stanford in the 2013 Rose Bowl, but the unranked Badgers lost by a score of 20–14.

Gordon ran 62 times for 621 yards and three touchdowns during the 2012 season.

Both James White and Gordon had a majority of the passes and the backfield, and they were extremely productive. Gordon had 13 carries for 144 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown against Massachusetts to start the season. He had 140 passing yards and a rushing touchdown in the next game against Tennessee Tech on only nine carries, with a 15.6 percent carry average. The Badgers suffered their first setback of the season on the road against Arizona State in the following game. Gordon had a season-high in yardage, with 193 yards on 15 attempts for two rushing touchdowns. In the following game against Purdue, Gordon found the endzone three times to go along with 147 yards on 16 carries. Gordon and Badgers regained power after a setback to Ohio State in the next game. Gordon had 22 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown against Northwestern, helping to snap the winning streak. For the second time in the 2013 season, he found the endzone three times against Illinois. He had 142 yards on 17 carries to go along with the touchdowns in the victory. Gordon was one of the ten semifinalists for the 2013 Doak Walker Award on November 14, 2013. He had 13 carries for 146 yards and one rushing touchdown against Indiana two days later. Gordon declared in December 2013 that he would return to Wisconsin for his junior season after much rumors. Gordon expressed his displeasure with "I love the University of Wisconsin and feel that there is still a lot of room for improvement." "I love the University of Wisconsin and feel that there is still a lot of room for improvement..." I'm aiming for another year in college will bring me closer to finishing my degree, and on the track, I hope to help my team win the Big Ten championship." The Badgers secured a spot in the Capital One Bowl against South Carolina as a result of their 9-three record. Gordon had 25 passes for 143 yards in the 34–24 loss. Gordon had 206 attempts for 1,609 yards with 12 touchdowns in the 2013 season.

Gordon was widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate going into the season. He was also on the preseason watchlists for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, and Walter Camp Award. Gordon was Wisconsin's first running back in 2014, and he was behind Montee Ball and James White in 2012, and in 2013, he was behind James White with Corey Clement as the third string running back after Gordon.

Gordon rolled with 16 carries for 140 yards against #13 LSU on August 30 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. LSU defeated the game by a score of 28–24. The team came back from a 7–24 deficit to win the game by a score of 28–24. Gary Andersen, Wisconsin's head coach, was chastised for having only three carries in the second half, and Anderson said he didn't know why Gordon had limited carries." After the game, Gordon told the world that he was not injured. Gordon strained his hipflexor on the last play against LSU in the second quarter of the game, but the rest of the game continued, but Andersen said two days later. Gordon was limited to 38 rushing yards on 17 rushing attempts in his second game of the season (FCS).

Gordon had a career-high five rushing touchdowns and 253 passing yards against Bowling Green on September 20. Gordon won his 253-yard game against Bowling Green, despite losing at 259 yards against Northwestern at Ryan Field in a humiliating loss. Gordon was named to the CBSSports.com Midseason College Football All-America Team last week. Gordon was one of 20 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award.

Gordon set a single game rushing record against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 15. Gordon did this, as well as scoring four rushing touchdowns on just 25 yards in three quarters of play. LaDainian Tomlinson, a running back for TCU, had a record of 406 yards on record, and it had been a record since 1999. In addition, he tied for the 339-yard school record, which Ron Dayne had since 1996, and the 377-yard Big Ten Conference record, which had been held by Indiana running back Anthony Thompson since 1989. Gordon received several Player of the Week accolades for his work against the Huskers. The Walter Camp Football Foundation, Athlon Sports, and CBSSports.com named him National Offensive Player of the Week, and the Big Ten named him as the Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Gordon was one of the ten semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award on November 19, and the Walter Camp Foundation named him as one of the fifteen "Players to Watch" for the Walter Camp Award on November 19. On November 25, the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will announce a list of three finalists, and the Walter Camp Foundation will announce a list of five finalists on December 3.

Gordon rushed for 200 yards and had four receptions for 64 yards against Iowa on November 22, leading the team in both categories. Gordon was over 2,000 yards for the season, only the 17th player in FBS history to do so. On just 241 runs, he passed the 2,000 yard mark faster than any of his predecessors. Larry Johnson, Penn State's former 2,000 yards record holder, won the record on 251 attempts in 2002. However, Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine, who gained 427 yards in a game against Kansas, ended Gordon's single game rushing record. When Gordon learned that his record had been shattered after just one week, he expressed surprise: "That's sad." However, congrats to the guy; it's certainly not simple to do." For the third week in a row this season, Gordon was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, a honor based on his success at Kinnick Stadium.

Gordon was selected as a finalist for the Maxwell Award with quarterback Marcus Mariota (Oregon) and Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) on November 25, 2011. Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) and Tevin Coleman (Indiana) were among the three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, alongside Gordon and fellow Big Ten running backs Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) and Tevin Coleman (Indiana). Gordon will win the award later this year. Gordon was named as the Big Ten's Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year on December 1, as well as being a consensus 1st Team All-Big Ten Running Back. Gordon was named Big Ten's Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year the following day.

Gordon was one of three Heisman Trophy finalists, including Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper. Gordon was Wisconsin's fourth finalist for the Heisman Trophy, all of whom played for the Badgers. In the final balloting, Alan Ameche (1954) and Ron Dayne (1999) received the award, while Montee Ball (2011) placed fourth. Gordon came in second place in the Heisman Trophy voting, behind Mariota.

Gordon skipped his last year of college eligibility and joined the NFL Draft in 2015.

In Gordon's last college game, the 2015 Outback Bowl, he ran for 251 yards against the #19 Auburn Tigers in a 34–31 overtime victory. He set the Outback Bowl rushing record for his appearance and was named game MVP. He added 2,587 yards, his second highest FBS record since 1988, to the 2,628 yard record held by Barry Sanders.

Professional career

Following the 2014 college football season, Gordon trained for the NFL Combine at EXOS San Diego in Carlsbad, based on Jared Abbrederis' recommendation.

Gordon set a new record for the 60-yard shuttle at 11.0 seconds at the 2015 NFL Combine. Nonetheless, Byron Jones, who ran in 10.98 seconds, broke the record.

Gordon was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round with the 15th overall pick. In addition,, he was one of two Wisconsin Badgers chosen that year.

Gordon was signed by the Chargers to a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $10.66 million on May 15, 2015, with a $6 million signing bonus. There was a fifth-year deal on the job.

Gordon began his professional career by being named the starting running back for the Chargers' season opener, ahead of veterans Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver. He made his first appearance against the Detroit Lions on September 13, 2015, with 14 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 16 receiving yards, losing a touchdown in the 33–28 victory. In a 24-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, he carried the ball 16 times for a season-high 88 yards and made a 10-yard touchdown. Gordon had seven catches for a season-high 52 yards on 15 carries on Sunday in a 20-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 12, 2015. In a 20–27 loss, he had seven attempts for 29 yards and lost two fumbles in a Week 6 matchup at the Green Bay Packers. Gordon was suspended for the start of his career after six straight starts to start his career, against the Oakland Raiders on Week 7. He had seven carries for 29 yards in the game. Gordon returned to his starting position in the Baltimore Ravens' next game and carried the ball a season-high 18 times for 54 yards in a 26-29 loss. In a 30–14 victory over the Miami Dolphins in his last game of the season, he had 15 rushing attempts and 41 yards.

After suffering a knee injury against the Dolphins the previous day, the Chargers placed Gordon on season-ending injured reserve against the Dolphins on December 21, 2015. In 14 games and 12 starts with the Chargers in his rookie season, he had 184 tackles, 641 passing yards, 192 receiving yards, six fumbles, and no touchdowns.

Gordon was confirmed to have undergone microfracture surgery in January, but it would still be prepared for training camp and other events that begin in 2016. In the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 11, 2016, Gordon scored his first two career rushing touchdowns. He had 14 carries for 57 yards in the 33–27 overtime loss. Gordon became the Chargers' top running back choice for the 2016 season after Danny Woodhead tore his ACL in Week 2 and was out for the season. In Week 2, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 24 carries for 102 yards and a rushing touchdown. In the next game against the Indianapolis Colts, he was limited to only 35 rushing yards, but he did get his fourth rushing touchdown of the season in the 26–22 loss. He finished with 36 rushing yards against the New Orleans Saints in the 35–34 loss, but he had two more rushing touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons in the 33–30 victory. In the 27-19 loss, he finished with 23 carries for 111 yards in the next game, a matchup against the Denver Broncos. With 32 carries for 196 yards and a rushing touchdown, he had his most offensive game of the season against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, defeating the 43-35 win. He had 229 passing yards and a touchdown from Weeks 10–14 before injuring his hip against the Panthers in Week 14 and missing the remainder of the season. In the Chargers' 5–11 season, he played for 997 yards and ten touchdowns, as well as 41 receptions for 419 yards and two touchdowns. Since suffering from hip and knee injuries, Gordon was unable to participate in the last three games of the season and finished only three yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing. Gordon was named in his first Pro Bowl as a replacement for the injured Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell.

Gordon returned from his injury and had a receiving touchdown in the 24-21 loss on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos on September 11, 2017. He had a rushing touchdown in both games in Weeks 2 and 3. In a 27–22 victory over the New York Giants, Gordon ran for 105 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, earning him the NFL Offensive Player of the Week award for the week. In the next game against the Oakland Raiders, he scored 150 scrimmage yards, one blocking touchdown, and one touchdown. He had an 87-yard touchdown against the New England Patriots in the first quarter on October 29, which was his 87th touchdown. The rushing game is tied for the longest run in franchise history. In the 21–13 loss in Week 8, he had 132 passing yards and a touchdown. He had a rushing touchdown in three straight games from Weeks 14 to 16. He had 169 total scrimmage yards against the Chiefs in Week 15. In the Chargers' 9–7 season, Gordon had 1,105 rushing yards, eight touchdowns, 58 receptions, 476 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.

The Chargers selected Gordon's contract as their fifth-year option on May 2, 2018. Gordon lost by 64 yards to go along with nine receptions for 102 receiving yards in the 38-28 loss in the 2018 season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 2, he had three touchdowns (one rushing and two receiving) against the Buffalo Bills, defeating the 31–20 victory. In Week 4, he had 104 passing yards, 55 receiving yards, and one touchdown. In Week 6, he had 132 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. In Week 9, against the Seattle Seahawks, he had 113 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. Gordon rushed for 93 yards and had five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown in Week 10 against the Oakland Raiders, defeating them 20–6. In the 23-22 loss to the Denver Broncos, he scored 156 scrimmage yards in the following game. He sustained an MCL injury against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12 and was suspended for the next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after suffering an MCL injury. He returned to action against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16. He finished the 2018 regular season with 885 passing yards, ten rushing touchdowns, 50 plays, 590 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. With a 12–4 record, the Chargers made the playoffs as the best-seed in the AFC in the AFC. He received his second Pro Bowl nomination for his work in the 2018 season. In his playoff debut, he had 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round, a 23–17 victory. In the 41-28 loss, he was limited to 15 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on nine carries in the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots. He was ranked 34th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.

Gordon went from 28 to 25 in February 2019. Throughout his undergraduate career with the Wisconsin Badgers, he wore 25.

Gordon told the Chargers on July 13, 2019 that if he did not receive a new deal, he would demand to be traded and skip training camp. Todd Gurley, David Johnson, and Le'Veon Bell were among the others involved in staging a holdout. "I know my value," Gordon said. I know what I bring to this team, and I'm sticking with it." He had 3,628 passing yards and 1,577 receiving yards, as well as 38 total touchdowns, through four seasons. Gordon said on July 16, 2019: "I want to die with the Chargers, I mean, that's my house." I'm not going to sit here and be like, but I don't want to go back to the Chargers. This is the team that gave me the opportunity. They changed my life. That was the team that called out of all 32 teams. I can't remember them for that." Gordon did not move him into the regular season after the Chargers did not trade him, and Ezekiel Elliott was named the NFL's highest-paid running back. He joined the team on September 26, 2019, and the Chargers were granted a roster exemption for him.

Gordon lost 20–13 to the Denver Broncos in Week 5 on his first appearance in the 2019 regular season. The Chargers had been led down the field against the Tennessee Titans on October 20, promising to score late in the fourth quarter on Week 7. Gordon was down for no gain on the first downing of Gordon as his knee was broken before he lost and regained control of the ball on the goal line. The Chargers back down and touchback on August 2nd. The Chargers ruled the ball with Gordon, where Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard coerced him to fumble the ball into the endzone, causing the Titans' return and touchback. With just seven seconds remaining, Gordon would have led the Chargers, effectively ensuring a Charger victory. Gordon's second game of the season, as the Chargers lost 23–20 to fall to a 2–5 record on the season. In Week 8, Gordon rushed eight times for 31 yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season. Gordon rushed 20 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers, defeating them 26–11. Gordon rushed 22 times for 108 yards and a touchdown in Week ten against the Oakland Brownbacks, as well as a single pass for 25 yards in the 26-23 loss. This was Gordon's first game with at least 100 rushing yards of the season. In Week 16, against the Oakland Raiders, he was restricted to 15 rushing yards but scored on the ground twice, but in the 24–17 loss, he was forced to stop scoring on the ground twice. Gordon finished with 162 passes for 612 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, as well as 42 receivers for 296 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. After the 2019 season ended, Gordon became a free agent.

Gordon agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Denver Broncos on March 26, 2020. On April 27, 2020, the signing was official.

On Monday Night Football, Gordon made his Broncos debut against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Gordon rushed 15 times for 78 yards and a running touchdown in the 16–14 loss. In Week 4 against the New York Jets, he had 23 rushing yards and two running touchdowns, including a game-sealing touchdown, in the 37–28 victory. During Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, Gordon rushed 15 times for 84 yards and two running touchdowns. Gordon lost another fumble at the goal line during the game. During Week 13, Gordon Browns was up for 131 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

Gordon finished the 2020 season with 215 passes for 986 passing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, as well as 32 receptions for 158 receiving yards and one touchdown. Gordon led the team in all major rush categories while sharing with backfield with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman.

With rookie Javonte Williams in the 2021 season, Gordon shared the backfield. In Week 1, he had 101 passing yards against the New York Giants, including a 70-yard touchdown, as the 27-13 victory. In Week 28, he had 24 rushing yards and two running touchdowns, leading to the 38–10 win over the Detroit Lions. Gordon led the Broncos to a 7-10 record in 2021 with 203 passes for 918 passing yards and eight touchdowns, as well as 28 touchdowns for 213 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Gordon and Williams were one of the most active backfield pairings in the NFL for the 2021 season.

Gordon re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year contract on April 27, 2022.

Source