It will be a long time, if ever, that Badger fans who witnessed the 2014 football season will forget the name Melvin Gordon. On Thursday, Melvin Gordon got his own moment to never forget — hearing his name called at the NFL Draft in Chicago.
Gordon didn’t have as long as many mock drafts thought, as the San Diego Chargers moved up to the No. 15 pick and selected the Badgers running back. The Chargers clearly knew the man they wanted and got him.
“It’s Melvin Gordon,” Chargers GM Tom Telesco told Chargers.com. “This is a player we targeted really all the way through.
“We went into this thing saying we didn’t want to move any picks, but when a guy like Melvin is there, we just felt like, ‘Let’s get him.'”
He was the second running back picked in the 2015 NFL draft, as Georgia’s Todd Gurley was picked No. 10 by the St. Louis Rams.
It was a shocking sight to see, as running back was less of an emphasis in each of the last five years. However, with two picked in the top 15, there appears to be shift afoot. Either that, or Gurley and Gordon represented two of the best overall talents in this draft class.
Gordon told ESPN’s Suzi Kolber that this moment meant everything, including his family, his friends and his school.
In case you forgot just how freakishly good Gordon was here’s a nice reminder from the folks at Bleacher Report:
The San Diego trade with the 49ers to get the No. 15 pick, draft Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon pic.twitter.com/dgmPyJ6mVn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2015
As for how the Chargers see Gordon fitting in on the team, well Telesco apparently loves seeing his running backs score touchdowns.
“He’s such an electric player,” Telesco said. “He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He’s had a great career at Wisconsin and we think he fits our offense perfectly.
“He’s also a great pass protector, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can do a lot of things for us. He’s a red zone threat, has a nose for the end zone.
“We like people who score touchdowns. He’s going to fit in just fine.”
Teammates, friends and members of the UW media community were quick to weigh in with messages to and about Gordon.
Congrats @Melvingordon25! We've been through so much together and I couldn't be happier for ya! #Chargers
— Derek Watt (@DerekWatt34) May 1, 2015
#Badgers RB @Melvingordon25 took big chance coming back for junior year. He cashed in tonight. Taken 15th overall by RB-needy Chargers.
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) May 1, 2015
Congrats to @Melvingordon25 on getting drafted to the San Diego Chargers!!!
— Brian Calhoun (@brian_calhoun2) May 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/robhavenstein78/status/593955505200078848
@Melvingordon25 welcome bra!!!!!! Gotta face the big dawgs tho! #BroncosCountry
— Montee Ball (@MonteeBall28) May 1, 2015
https://twitter.com/James4DE/status/593955813078736897
Congrats @Melvingordon25 best of luck at the next level… #OnWisconsin
— Chris Maragos (@ChrisMaragos) May 1, 2015
There were even recruiting analysts taking notice that there may actually be more talent than first thought in the state of Wisconsin — a secret those in the state have known for the better part of two decades.
Maybe we need to start scouting the state of Wisconsin more. 2 Wisconsin natives in the 1st round. Gordon was ranked No. 54 overall on 247
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) May 1, 2015
Gordon is the highest Badger selection since J.J. Watt went No. 11 to the Houston Texans in the 2011 draft.
He’ll be heading to a Chargers offense that lost Ryan Matthews and had Brandon Oliver slide downwards as the season went on in 2014. No doubt that Gordon will be the guy they attempt to feature and work Oliver in to the mix on passing downs and spelling Gordon.
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