Melvin Gordon III
Former NFL running back and Wisconsin Badgers legend who set the FBS single-game rushing record.
Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Doak Walker Award as the top college running back in 2014. Gordon was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft with the 15th overall pick. He was also a member of the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Running back
- Born
- 13 April 1993
- Birthplace
- Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
- High school
- Bradford (Kenosha)
- College
- Wisconsin (2011–2014)
- Draft year
- 2015
- Draft pick
- 15
Lore & Background
Gordon briefly held the NCAA Division I FBS single-game rushing yards record with 408 yards, set playing in three quarters against Nebraska 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.
Reader's Guide
Gordon was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin and briefly attended Grayslake Central High School in Illinois before transferring to Mary D. Bradford High School, where he was a two-sport star for the Red Devils in both football and track. In football, Gordon tallied 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns 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 Associated Press and the WFCA as a senior, after rushing for 2,009 yards with 38 touchdowns. Gordon was the Wisconsin Gatorade Football Player of the Year. As an outstanding track & field athlete, Gordon was one of the state's top performers in the long jump. 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. Gordon 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 in the nation. He was ranked the top player in Wisconsin by ESPN.com. Gordon chose Wisconsin over scholarship offers from Iowa, Louisville, and Michigan. He originally committed to the University of Iowa but decommitted and chose the University of Wisconsin–Madison instead. In college, Gordon attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he played for the Wisconsin Badgers football team from 2011 through 2014 under head coaches Bret Bielema, Barry Alvarez, and Gary Andersen. As a freshman in 2011, Gordon played in three games, recording 20 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for his first career collegiate touchdown in the 59–10 victory over South Dakota on September 24. Gordon was given a medical redshirt after suffering a groin injury. 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.
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