Melvin Gordon: From Badger Star to NFL Pro

Melvin Gordon III, born on April 13, 1993, is an American former professional football running back whose college career with the Wisconsin Badgers cemented his status as one of the program's all-time greats. This article delves into Gordon's journey at Wisconsin, highlighting his achievements, records, and the impact he had on the team.

Early Years and High School Career

Gordon was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he excelled as a two-sport athlete at Mary D. Bradford High School, starring in both football and track. In football, he amassed 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns on 99 carries as a junior, earning honorable mention All-state and All-region honors from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA). His senior year was even more impressive, as he rushed for 2,009 yards and 38 touchdowns, earning first-team All-state recognition from the Associated Press and the WFCA and was named the Wisconsin Gatorade Football Player of the Year.

As a track & field athlete, Gordon showcased his athleticism in the long jump and sprinting events. At the 2011 Racine Invitational, he recorded a personal best of 6.39 seconds in the 55-meter dash. He also achieved a career-best time of 10.95 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 2011 SEC Outdoor Conference.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Gordon was ranked the No. 24 running back in the nation and the top player in Wisconsin by ESPN.com. He ultimately chose to play for the Wisconsin Badgers, turning down scholarship offers from Iowa, Louisville, and Michigan.

Wisconsin Badgers Career

2011 Season: Freshman Year

Gordon began his career with the Badgers in 2011, appearing in three games as a freshman. He rushed 20 times for 98 yards and scored one touchdown.

2012 Season: Sophomore Year

In 2012, Gordon served as the third-string running back behind Montee Ball and James White. However, he displayed his potential in the Badgers' third game against UTEP, rushing for 112 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. He also had a career-high 216 yards on nine carries in the Big Ten Football Championship Game against Nebraska.

2013 Season: Breakthrough Junior Year

Gordon's junior season in 2013 marked his emergence as a prominent figure in the Badgers' offense. He shared carries with James White, contributing significantly to the team's rushing attack. To start the season, Gordon had 13 carries for 144 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown against Massachusetts. In the following game, against Tennessee Tech, on only nine carries, he had 140 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown for a 15.6 yards per carry average. In the following game, the Badgers had their first setback of the season on the road against Arizona State. Gordon had a season high in yardage with 193 yards on 15 carries for two rushing touchdowns. Gordon found the endzone three times to go along with 147 yards on 16 carries in the following game against Purdue. After a setback to Ohio State in the following game, Gordon and Badgers reeled off a six-game winning streak. To start the winning streak, Gordon had 22 carries for 172 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown against Northwestern. One week later, against Illinois, he found the endzone three times for the second time in the 2013 season. In the victory, he tallied 142 rushing yards on 17 carries to go along with the touchdowns. On November 14, Gordon was named one of the ten semifinalists for the 2013 Doak Walker Award. Two days later, against Indiana, he had 13 carries for 146 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He finished the season with a strong performance in the Capital One Bowl against South Carolina, rushing for 143 yards on 25 carries.

2014 Season: Record-Breaking Year

Gordon's redshirt junior season in 2014 was nothing short of spectacular. He rushed for 2,587 yards, a Big Ten record and the second-most in FBS history. His 184.8 yards per game average was the most by an FBS player since LaDainian Tomlinson averaged 196.2 yards per game for TCU in 2000. Gordon became just the third player in FBS history to rush for at least 2,000 yards and score 30 touchdowns, joining the likes of Barry Sanders and Central Florida's Kevin Smith.

Gordon began the season with 16 carries for 140 yards against #13 LSU on August 30 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. On September 20 against Bowling Green, Gordon had a career-high five rushing touchdowns and 253 rushing yards. Just two weeks later, Gordon surpassed his 253-yard game rushing against Bowling Green when he reached 259 yards rushing against Northwestern at Ryan Field in a losing effort. On November 15, Gordon broke LaDainian Tomlinson’s 15 year-old FBS single game rushing record, by two yards with 408 yards versus the #16 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Gordon accomplished this, as well as scoring four rushing touchdowns, on only 25 carries in three quarters of play. The record would be broken the following week by Samaje Perine. In addition, he broke the 339-yard school record, held by Ron Dayne since 1996, and the 377-yard Big Ten Conference record, held by Indiana running back Anthony Thompson since 1989.

On November 22, against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, Gordon rushed for 200 yards and had four receptions for 64 yards, leading the team in both categories. Gordon went over 2,000 yards rushing for the season, only the 17th player in FBS history to do so. He reached the 2,000 yard mark faster than any of his predecessors, on just 241 carries.

Gordon's remarkable season earned him numerous accolades, including the Doak Walker Award, Big Ten's Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year Award, and the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year Award. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing as the runner-up to Marcus Mariota.

In his final college game, the 2015 Outback Bowl, he rushed for 251 yards against the #19 Auburn Tigers in a 34-31 overtime victory. He set the Outback Bowl rushing record with his performance and was named the game MVP.

College Statistics and Records

Gordon's college career was filled with impressive statistics and records, including:

Most rushing yards, game: 408 (November 15, 2014, vs. Nebraska)
Most rushing yards, single quarter: 189 (November 15, 2014, vs. Nebraska)
Highest average yard per carry, game (min 10 att.): 19.5 (September 20, 2014, vs. Bowling Green)
Most rushing touchdowns, game: 5 (tied) (September 20, 2014, vs. Bowling Green)

NFL Draft and Early Career

The San Diego Chargers selected Gordon in the first round with the 15th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. On May 15, 2015, the Chargers signed Gordon to a four-year, fully guaranteed contract for $10.66 million, with a $6 million signing bonus. Gordon began his professional career being named the starting running back for the Chargers' season opener, ahead of veterans Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver. On September 13, 2015, he received his first career start against the Detroit Lions and finished the season opener with 14 carries, 51 rushing yards, three receptions, 16 receiving yards, and lost a fumble in the 33-28 victory. The next week, he carried the ball 16 times for a season-high 88 yards and made a 10-yard reception in a 24-19 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals. On October 12, 2015, Gordon had seven catches for a season-high 52 yards and also accounted for 42 yards on 15 carries in a 20-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. During a Week 6 matchup at the Green Bay Packers, he had seven attempts for 29 yards and lost two fumbles in a 20-27 loss. After six consecutive starts to begin his career, Gordon was benched for the beginning of a Week 7 contest against the Oakland Raiders.

Professional Career Highlights

2016 Season

On September 11, 2016, Gordon scored his first two career rushing touchdowns in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. After Danny Woodhead tore his ACL in Week 2 and was out for the season, Gordon became the Chargers' main running back option for the 2016 season. He totaled 229 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown from Weeks 10-14 before injuring his hip against the Panthers in Week 14 and missing the rest of the season. He finished the season rushing for 997 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 41 receptions for 419 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers' 5-11 season.

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2017 Season

On September 11, 2017, in the season opener against the Broncos on Monday Night Football, Gordon returned from his injury and had a receiving touchdown in the 24-21 loss. In Weeks 2 and 3, he recorded a rushing touchdown in both games. In Week 5, Gordon ran for 105 yards on 20 carries and had six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-22 win over the New York Giants, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In the next game, against the Raiders, he recorded 150 scrimmage yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown. On October 29, against the New England Patriots, he had an 87-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

2018 Season

On May 2, 2018, the Chargers picked up the fifth-year option on Gordon's contract. In the 2018 season opener against the Chiefs, Gordon recorded 64 rushing yards to go along with nine receptions for 102 receiving yards in the 38-28 loss. In Week 2, against the Buffalo Bills, he had three total touchdowns (one rushing and two receiving) in the 31-20 victory. In Week 4, against the San Francisco 49ers, he had 104 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in the victory. In Week 6, against the Cleveland Browns, he had 132 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the victory. In Week 9, against the Seattle Seahawks, he had 113 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 25-17 victory. In Week 10 against the Raiders, Gordon rushed for 93 yards and had five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown in the 20-6 victory. Overall, he finished the 2018 regular season with 885 rushing yards, ten rushing touchdowns, 50 receptions, 590 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. He earned his second Pro Bowl nomination for his accomplishments in the 2018 season. In the Wild Card Round against the Ravens, he had 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in his playoff debut, a 23-17 victory.

2019 Season

In February 2019, Gordon changed his jersey number from 28 to 25. On July 13, 2019, Gordon told the Chargers that if he did not receive a new contract, he would demand to be traded and skip training camp. His goal in staging a holdout was to make as much money as fellow running backs Todd Gurley, David Johnson, and Le'Veon Bell. Gordon stated that "I know my value. I know what I bring to this team, and I'm sticking with that." Gordon made his 2019 regular season debut in a 20-13 loss to the Broncos in Week 5.

Beyond the Field

In 2018, Gordon founded the Beyond the Flash Foundation, which is designed to help fight hunger and provide needy families with support.

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