Melvin Gordon
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Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...
, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Doak Walker Award as the top college running back in 2014. He was selected by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the first round of the
2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...
with the 15th overall pick. Gordon briefly held the
NCAA Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
single-game rushing yards record with 408 yards, set playing in three quarters against
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
in November 2014, until it was broken the following week. He became the second-leading all-time single-season rusher in FBS history with 2,587 yards, falling 41 yards shy of Barry Sanders record of 2,628 yards set in 1988.


Early life

Gordon was born and raised in
Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Wisconsin, fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 99,986 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. S ...
and attended Mary D. Bradford High School, where he was a two-sport star for the Red Devils in both
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and track. In football, he tallied 1,098 yards and 11
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
on 99 carries, and had five receiving touchdowns, and was an honorable mention All-state and All-region by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) as a junior. He was a first-team All-state selection by the
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and the WFCA as a senior, after he rushed for 2,009 yards with 38 touchdowns. He was the Wisconsin Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Gordon's played on the same team as
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
Trae Waynes, who was selected four spots ahead of Gordon in the
2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...
by the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. As an outstanding track & field athlete, Gordon was one of the state's top performers in the
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
. At the 2011 Racine Invitational event, he ran the 55-meter dash in a PR 6.39 seconds on his way to a first-place finish. He earned a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash at the 2011 SEC Outdoor Conference, recording a career-best time of 10.95 seconds. At the 2011 WIAA Track & Field State Championships, he took silver in the long jump event after posting a career-best leap of 7.20 meters (23 ft 7 in). Regarded as a four-star recruit by the Rivals.com recruiting service, Gordon was ranked the No. 24
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
in the nation. He was ranked the top player in Wisconsin by ESPN.com. He chose Wisconsin over scholarship offers from
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
,
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
, and
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. Gordon originally committed to the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
but decommitted and chose the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
instead.


College career

Gordon attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he played for the
Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers football program represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the sport of American football. Wisconsin competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Bi ...
team from 2011 through 2014 under head coaches Bret Bielema,
Barry Alvarez Barry Lee Alvarez (born December 30, 1946) is an American former college football coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons, from 1990 to 2005, compili ...
, and Gary Andersen.


2011 season

As a freshman in 2011, Gordon played in three games rushing 20 times for 98 yards with a touchdown. He rushed for his first career collegiate touchdown in the 59–10 victory over
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
on September 24. He was given a medical redshirt after suffering a groin injury.


2012 season

In 2012, Gordon was the third string running back behind Montee Ball and James White. In the Badgers' third game against UTEP, he had eight carries for 112 rushing yards and a touchdown for his first collegiate game going over the century mark. He set a career-high record of 216 yards on nine carries averaging 24 yards per carry in the 2012 Big Ten Football Championship Game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers where the unranked Badgers defeated the #12 Cornhuskers by a score of 70–31. During the
2013 Rose Bowl The 2013 Rose Bowl, the 99th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Tuesday, January 1, 2013, at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association is the organizer of th ...
, he had nine carries for 51 yards against #6
Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
but ultimately the unranked Badgers lost by a score of 20–14. Over the course of the 2012 season, Gordon rushed 62 times for 621 yards and three touchdowns.


2013 season

James White and Gordon received a majority of the carries and the backfield and both were productive. To start the season, Gordon had 13 carries for 144 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown against
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. 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 Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
. 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 Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, 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 Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, he had 13 carries for 146 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. In December 2013, Gordon announced after much speculation that he would be returning to Wisconsin for his junior season. In explaining his decision, Gordon stated that,"I love the University of Wisconsin and feel that there is still a lot of room for growth...academically, another year in school will help me get closer to completing my degree, and on the field I hope to help my team get back the Big Ten championship." With their 9–3 record, the Badgers earned a spot in the Capital One Bowl against
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. In the 34–24 loss, Gordon had 25 carries for 143 yards. In the 2013 season, Gordon recorded 206 carries for 1,609 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns.


2014 season

Prior to the season, Gordon was widely viewed as a
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
contender. He was also on preseason watchlists for the
Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
, Doak Walker Award, and
Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information direc ...
. 2014 was the first year where Gordon was Wisconsin's featured running back; in 2012, he was behind both Montee Ball and James White, and 2013 he was behind James White with Corey Clement as the third string running back after Gordon. Gordon began the season with 16 carries for 140 yards against #13
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
on August 30 at
NRG Stadium NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to h ...
in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. LSU came back from a 7–24 deficit to win the game by a score of 28–24. Wisconsin's head coach, Gary Andersen, was criticized for him only having three carries in the second half and when questioned Anderson stated he "didn't know why Gordon had limited carries". Gordon stated to the media after the game that he wasn't injured. However, two days later Andersen stated that Gordon strained his hip-flexor on the last play in the second quarter of the game against LSU and "we were trying to be smart with him as the rest of the game went on". In the second game of the season against the Western Illinois Leathernecks ( FCS), Gordon was held to a season-low 38 rushing yards on 17 rushing attempts. On September 20 against
Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
, 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. After week six Gordon was named to the CBSSports.com Midseason
College Football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
All-America Team. Gordon was one of 20 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award. 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 The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
record, held by
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
running back Anthony Thompson since 1989. Gordon garnered multiple Player of the Week awards for his performance against the Huskers. The
Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit ...
, Athlon Sports, and CBSSports.com named him National Offensive Player of the Week, and the Big Ten named him the conference Offensive Player of the Week. On November 19, Gordon was named one of ten semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award and the Walter Camp Foundation listed him as one of the fifteen "Players to Watch" for the Walter Camp Award. The Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee will release a list of three finalists on November 25 and the Walter Camp Foundation will release a list of five finalists on December 3. On November 22, against
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
at
Kinnick Stadium Kinnick Stadium is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes football, Hawkeyes football team. Opened in 1929 as Iowa Stadium to replace Iowa Field, it currently holds u ...
, 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. The previous holder for fastest 2,000 yards was
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
running back Larry Johnson who accomplished the feat on 251 carries in 2002. However, Gordon's single game rushing record was broken by
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
running back Samaje Perine, who gained 427 yards in a game against
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
. When Gordon learned that his record had been broken after only one week, he commented: "That's disappointing, to have that. But congrats to that guy; that's really not easy to do." Gordon was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season as a result of his performance at Kinnick Stadium. On November 25, Gordon was named as a finalist for the Maxwell Award with quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...
(
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
) and Dak Prescott (
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...
). Gordon and fellow Big Ten running backs Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) and Tevin Coleman (
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
) were named the three finalists for the Doak Walker Award. Gordon would later win the award. On December 1, Gordon was named the Big Ten's Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year as well as being a consensus 1st Team All-Big Ten Running Back. The following day, Gordon was named the Big Ten's Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year. Gordon was one of three
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
finalists joining
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
quarterback
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...
and
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
wide receiver Amari Cooper. Gordon became Wisconsin's fourth finalist for the Heisman Trophy, all of whom played running back for the Badgers. Alan Ameche (1954) and Ron Dayne (1999) won the award, while Montee Ball (2011) finished fourth in the final balloting. Gordon finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Mariota. Gordon waived his final year of college eligibility and entered the 2015 NFL Draft. In Gordon's final college game, the 2015 Outback Bowl, he rushed for 251 yards against the #19
Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) a ...
in a 34–31
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
victory. He set the Outback Bowl rushing record with his performance and was named the game
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
. For the season, he gained 2,587 yards, second only in FBS history to the 2,628 yard record held by Barry Sanders since 1988.


College statistics


College awards/honors

;2014 season * Doak Walker Award (
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
) * Jim Brown Trophy (2014) *
Chicago Tribune Silver Football The ''Chicago Tribune'' Silver Football is awarded by the ''Chicago Tribune'' to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Ill ...
Award (2014) * Unanimous
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
(
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
) * Unanimous 1st Team All-Big Ten (2014) * Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year (
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
) * Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year (2014) * 3×
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
Offensive Player of the Week (Weeks 4, 12, 13 –
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
) *
Outback Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Tampa, Florida. The event was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to 2022. It was held at Tampa Stadium from 1986 until 1999, when it ...
MVP (
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
) ;2013 season * Second-team All-Big Ten consensus (
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
) *
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
Offensive Player of the Week (Week 4 –
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
) * Academic All-Big Ten ;2012 season * Academic All-Big Ten


College records

;NCAA Division I FBS records * Fastest player to reach 2,000 yards rushing, season: 241 carries (2014) * Most rushing yards by teammates, season: 3,536 (2014, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement) * Highest average rushing yards per carry, career: 7.79 ;Big Ten Conference records * Most rushing yards, season: 2,587 (2014) * Most rushing yards, conference season: 1,648 (2014) * Highest average yard per game, conference season: 206.0 (2014) * Most rushing yards, game: 408 (November 15, 2014, vs. Nebraska) * Most rushing yards by teammates, season: 3,536 (2014, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement) ;Wisconsin Badgers records * Most rushing yards, season: 2,587 (2014) * Most rushing yards, game: 408 (November 15, 2014, vs. Nebraska) * Most rushing yards, post season game: 251 (2015 Outback Bowl) * Most rushing yards, single quarter: 189 (November 15, 2014, vs. Nebraska) * Most rushing yards by teammates, season: 3,536 (2014, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement) * Highest average yard per carry, career (min 300 att.): 7.79 (2011–14) * Highest average yard per carry, season (min 100 att.): 7.81 (2013) * 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) * Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, season: 12 (2014) * Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, season: 6 (2014)


Professional career


Pre-draft

After the end of the 2014 college football season, Gordon prepared for the
NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
at EXOS San Diego in Carlsbad based on his former Wisconsin teammate Jared Abbrederis's recommendation. At the 2015 NFL Combine, Gordon set a new record for the 60-yard shuttle with 11.0 seconds. However, the record was then broken by Byron Jones who had a time of 10.98 seconds. The
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
selected Gordon in the first round with the 15th overall pick. In addition, he was one of two Wisconsin Badgers to be selected that year.


San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers


2015 season

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. The contract included a fifth-year option. 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 The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
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 The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
. 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 The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
in Week 5. During a Week 6 matchup at the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, 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 The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. He finished the game with seven carries for 29 yards. Gordon returned to his starting role the next game at the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
and carried the ball a season-high 18 times for 54 yards in a 26–29 loss. In his last game of the season, he had 15 rushing attempts and 41 yards in a 30–14 victory over the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. On December 21, 2015, the Chargers placed Gordon on season-ending
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
after sustaining a knee injury the previous day against the Dolphins. He finished his rookie season with 184 carries, 641 rushing yards, 33 receptions, 192 receiving yards, six fumbles, and no touchdowns in 14 games and 12 starts in the Chargers 4–12 season.


2016 season

On May 10, 2016, it was revealed that Gordon had undergone microfracture surgery in January, but would still be ready for
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
and other activities starting in 2016. On September 11, 2016, Gordon scored his first two career rushing touchdowns in the season opener against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. He finished the 33–27 overtime loss with 14 carries for 57 yards. 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. In Week 2, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, he finished with 24 carries for 102 yards and a rushing touchdown in the 38–14 victory. In the next game against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, he was limited to only 35 rushing yards, but he also recorded his fourth rushing touchdown of the season in the 26–22 loss. In the next game, against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, he finished with only 36 rushing yards but had two more rushing touchdowns in the 35–34 loss After the next two games without a rushing touchdown, he recorded 68 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
in the 33–30 victory. In the next game, in a matchup against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, he finished with 23 carries for 111 yards in the 27–19 loss. In Week 9, against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
, he had his most productive game of the season with 32 carries for 196 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown while adding 65 receiving yards in the 43–35 victory. 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. Gordon missed the final three games of the season after suffering hip and knee injuries, finishing just three yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing. Gordon was named to his first Pro Bowl as a replacement for injured Steelers running back
Le'Veon Bell Le'Veon Andrew Bell Sr. ( ; born February 18, 1992) is an American Professional boxing, professional boxer and former American football, football running back. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Michigan State ...
.


2017 season

On September 11, 2017, in the season opener against the Broncos on ''
Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'', 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 The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, 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 The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, he had an 87-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The rushing play tied for the longest run in franchise history. He finished with 132 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 21–13 loss in Week 8. From Weeks 14–16, he had a rushing touchdown in three straight games. In the Week 15 against the Chiefs, he had 169 total scrimmage yards. Overall, in the 2017 season, Gordon finished with 1,105 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 58 receptions, 476 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns in the Chargers' 9–7 season.


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 The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, he had three total touchdowns (one rushing and two receiving) in the 31–20 victory. In Week 4, against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, he had 104 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in the victory. In Week 6, against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, he had 132 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the victory. In Week 9, against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, 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. In the following game against the Broncos, he totaled 156 scrimmage yards in the 23–22 loss. In Week 12, against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, he suffered an MCL injury and was sidelined for the next game against the Steelers. He returned to playing in Week 16 against the Ravens. Overall, he finished the 2018 regular season with 885 rushing yards, ten rushing touchdowns, 50 receptions, 590 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. The Chargers made the playoffs as the #5-seed in the AFC with a 12–4 record. 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. In the Divisional Round against the Patriots, he was limited to 15 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on nine carries in the 41–28 loss. He was ranked 34th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.


2019 season

In February 2019, Gordon changed his jersey number from 28 to 25. He wore 25 throughout his collegiate career with the
Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...
. 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 Le'Veon Andrew Bell Sr. ( ; born February 18, 1992) is an American Professional boxing, professional boxer and former American football, football running back. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Michigan State ...
. Gordon stated that "I know my value. I know what I bring to this team, and I'm sticking with that." Through four seasons, he had 3,628 rushing yards and 1,577 receiving yards along with 38 total touchdowns. On July 16, 2019, Gordon stated that "I want to end up with the Chargers, I mean, that's my home. I'm not going to sit here and be like, I don't want to go back to the Chargers. That's the team who blessed me with an opportunity. They changed my life. Out of all 32 teams, that was the team that called. I can't forget them for that." Gordon continued his holdout into the regular season after the Chargers did not trade him and
Ezekiel Elliott Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995), nicknamed "Zeke", is an American professional American football, football running back. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team College ...
was made the NFL's highest-paid running back. He reported to the team on September 26, 2019, and the Chargers received a roster exemption for him. Gordon made his 2019 regular season debut in a 20–13 loss to the Broncos in Week 5. On October 20, in Week 7 against the Titans, the Chargers had driven down the field to Tennessee's one-yard line and had a chance to score late in the fourth quarter. The Chargers had run with Gordon on first down for no gain as his knee was down before he lost and regained control of the ball on the goal-line. On 2nd down, the Chargers again ran the ball with Gordon where Titans' linebacker Wesley Woodyard forced him to fumble the ball into the endzone which was recovered by defensive end Jurrell Casey leading to a Titans' recovery and touchback. If Gordon had scored the Chargers would have taken the lead with only seven seconds remaining, effectively ensuring a Charger victory. The fumble was the second of the day for Gordon as the Chargers lost 23–20 to fall to a 2–5 record on the season. In Week 8 against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, Gordon rushed eight times for 31 yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season in the 17–16 win. In Week 9 against the Packers, Gordon rushed 20 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the 26–11 win. In Week 10 against the Raiders, Gordon rushed 22 times for 108 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 25 yards in the 26–24 loss. This was Gordon's first game with at least 100 rushing yards of the season. In Week 16, against the Raiders, he was limited to 15 rushing yards, but scored on the ground twice in the 24–17 loss. Overall, in the 2019 season, Gordon finished with 162 carries for 612 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 42 receptions for 296 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown as the Chargers finished with a 5–11 record. Gordon became a free agent after the 2019 season ended.


Denver Broncos

On March 26, 2020, Gordon signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Broncos. The signing became official on April 27, 2020.


2020 season

Gordon made his debut with the Broncos in Week 1 against the Titans on ''Monday Night Football''. During the game, Gordon rushed 15 times for 78 yards and a rushing touchdown in the 16–14 loss. In Week 4 against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
on ''Thursday Night Football'', he had 23 carries for 107 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, including a game-sealing 43-yard touchdown, in the 37–28 victory. In Week 11 against the Dolphins, Gordon rushed 15 times for 84 yards and two rushing touchdowns during the 20–13 win. During the game, Gordon lost another fumble at the goal line. In Week 13 against the Chiefs on ''Sunday Night Football'', Gordon recorded 15 carries for 131 rushing yards during the 22–16 loss. Overall, Gordon finished the 2020 season with 215 carries for 986 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns to go along with 32 receptions for 158 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown as the Broncos finished with a 5–11 record. While sharing with backfield with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, Gordon led the team in all major rushing categories.


2021 season

Gordon shared the backfield with rookie Javonte Williams in the 2021 season. In Week 1, against the Giants, he had 101 rushing yards, including a 70-yard rushing touchdown, in the 27–13 victory. In Week 14, he had 24 carries for 111 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 38–10 victory over the Lions. Gordon finished the 2021 season with 203 carries for 918 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 28 receptions for 213 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns as the Broncos finished with a 7–10 record. Gordon and Williams proved to be one of the most productive backfield duos in the NFL for the 2021 season.


2022 season

On April 27, 2022, Gordon re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year deal. On November 21, the Broncos waived him after a costly fumble against the
Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...
, which was his fifth fumble of the season. Gordon played in 10 games for the Broncos, finishing with 90 carries for 318 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 5 fumbles, and 25 receptions for 223 receiving yards.


Kansas City Chiefs

Gordon was signed to the Chiefs'
practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
on November 29, 2022. Gordon won his first
Super Bowl ring The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl ring offers a collectible memento for the actual players and t ...
when the Chiefs defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
in
Super Bowl LVII Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...
, despite not having played for Kansas City in the regular season, post-season, or Super Bowl. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on February 12, 2023.


Baltimore Ravens

On July 21, 2023, Gordon signed a one-year contract with the Ravens. He was released on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad. On September 30, Gordon was elevated to the active roster. He was signed to the active roster on December 19. In Week 17, he scored his first rushing touchdown with the Ravens in a 56-19 blowout victory over the Dolphins. He appeared in four games for the Ravens in the 2023 season. He was waived on January 17, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad two days later.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


Personal life

In 2018, Gordon founded the Beyond the Flash Foundation, which is designed to help fight hunger and provide needy families with support. The foundation supports mission-aligned organizations in California, Colorado, and Wisconsin. Gordon was arrested in Denver for speeding and DUI on October 14, 2020. He posted a $55,000 cash bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on January 14, 2021. The DUI charge was dismissed on March 10, 2021, and Gordon instead pleaded guilty to speeding and reckless driving.


See also

* List of Los Angeles Chargers first-round draft picks * List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders


References


External links

*
Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Melvin 1993 births Living people All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American football running backs Baltimore Ravens players Denver Broncos players Kansas City Chiefs players Los Angeles Chargers players San Diego Chargers players Players of American football from Kenosha, Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers football players Mary D. Bradford High School alumni 21st-century African-American sportsmen Track and field athletes from Wisconsin American male long jumpers 21st-century American sportsmen