A Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler, Melvin Gordon III, now 33, put together a solid career in the NFL. But before he began his professional journey, he was a star at the University of Wisconsin. Gordon's success as a Badger has now earned him the ultimate honor of being elected to Wisconsin's Hall of Fame.
And while recognition for his NFL work would be nice too, Gordon can't dent that being inducted into the Wisconsin Hall of Fame carries an extra special significance.
"It means everything to me, you know, just being a Wisconsin kid," said Gordon during an appearance on the Big Ten Network's Big Today Show on Wednesday.
"Everything fell according to plan. And I'm just excited and I'm happy for me and my family."
Gordon, who spent four years at Wisconsin from 2011-14, also touched on what former Badgers, and now Illinois , head coach Bret Bielema meant to him.
"He was good. He was a tough coach though. I'm not going to lie to you, he was very tough. His style was very different from what I was accustomed to, but it worked and we won. So I enjoyed it and I liked it and it made me tough," said Gordon about learning to appreciate his time with Bielema.
Saying Gordon produced under Bielema would be an understatement, too. He won the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back for his play during the 2014 season. He was also named a consensus All-American and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
In that historic 2014 season, Gordon ran for a staggering 2,587 yards on 343 carries for an average of 7.5 per rush. He scored 29 touchdowns on the ground then three more as a receiver, recording 19 receptions for 153 yards as a pass catcher. Gordon would then waive his final year of eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL Draft, where he was selected with the 15th overall pick by the then San Diego Chargers .
But even though he would find success in the NFL – racking up 6,543 yards across nine seasons with the Chargers, Broncos and Ravens , Gordon made his name in college as a Badger. He finished college with 4,915 rushing yards and 49 combined scores in 44 games and 22 starts.
Gordon will officially take his place among the legends of the Wisconsin program this coming weekend ahead of the 2026 Badgers' Week 3 matchup with Eastern Michigan.
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