Lucas: Gordon and White focus on the next generation
June 11, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
Proud to be Badgers backs, duo thinking bigger than football in return to Madison
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Adopting the chorography from a Shawty Lo video ("Dey Know"), James White and Melvin Gordon used to celebrate touchdowns as Wisconsin teammates with a bouncy, little sideline dance that featured the tailbacks slapping hands and running in place, side-by-side.
They danced so often during the 2013 season — White rushed for 13 touchdowns and Gordon for 12 — that their celebration spawned a campus video including such power couples as athletic director Barry Alvarez and Ron Dayne, and chancellor Rebecca Blank and Bucky Badger busting their own moves.
Gordon liked to say that the dancing was merely a byproduct of the Wisconsin running back tradition. Two years earlier, in fact, White and tailback Montee Ball had their own sideline routine after scores. And there were plenty: Ball ran for a Big Ten-record 33 touchdowns with White adding six.
At the time, White explained, "We were just trying to have fun out there because you never know when those opportunities are going to come around again. You just know what it means when you do it, and you just want to continue to do it because it means we're scoring touchdowns."
After leaving Madison, White and Gordon made a commitment to return together and give back something meaningful to the community. They will get that chance this Saturday by co-hosting a non-contact football clinic (ages 6-18) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the McClain Center.
"We've been trying to do it for two or three years now, but the timing was just off for me and James," said Gordon, a first-round pick of the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers in the 2015 draft. "We tried to figure out a date that would work for both of us and we finally found one."
"It's just really exciting," said White, a fourth-round selection of the New England Patriots in 2014. "Once we left campus, we always talked about hosting a camp and kind of sharing our knowledge about football and life with the youth in Madison … Madison holds a special place in our hearts."
Both stressed their message will definitely extend beyond football drills to life skills.
"They can learn a lot about football," White said of one of the clinic's goal. "But I don't want the kids to just learn about football. I want them to learn some stuff about life. And it's not just about life as an NFL player. Kids can go on to be teachers, doctors, police officers and whatever they want to be.
"I just want to let them know that they can make a difference in the world no matter what they choose to do and however they choose to do it. I know they're coming here for a football camp. And that's obviously going to be the most fun that they have Saturday.
"They will get some personal instruction from me and Melvin. They will get some awards and some gear, and it will be a good time. But the thing that I stress to kids all the time is that they must get involved in the community and be good people because that's what the world needs."
Doubling down on that point, Gordon suggested, "Not everyone is going to be the next Peyton Manning or Melvin Gordon or James White, and that's why I want them to build relationships because they'll find other occupations and other things to become great at.
"We want to help them further realize that there's more than football."
At the same time, Gordon wants to increase the campers' aptitude for the sport.
"I want to give them drills they can take home and hopefully they can get something out of them," said Gordon, a Kenosha, Wisconsin, native. "I was doing drills with my dad when I was probably 7 or 8 and I still do them to this day. I feel like they've helped me become a better player."
After the 2017 season with the Chargers, Gordon moved to Florida to tweak and bolster his training by working out with White, who was born and raised in the Fort Lauderdale area and went to high school at tradition-rich St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the nation's prep heavyweights.
Gordon actually lived with White and his wife Diana last spring and summer.
"They let me stay in their guest room," Gordon chuckled.
Considering the Whites were newlyweds — James and the former Diana Civitello got married in early March of 2018 — wasn't Gordon pushing their hospitality by moving in as a house guest?
"Naw, it was cool because his wife went to school in Madison (Diana was a biology major) and we all stayed on the same floor," Gordon said. "They met, I feel, kind of because of me. I'm really close with her and when I asked to come down to Florida, it was like second nature."
Gordon has since moved into his own apartment in Davie, Florida, not far from the Whites.
"We go to the same facility," he said. "James is the reason I'm in Florida training."
Gordon has tapped into White's trainer, Adam Boily, at The System8 facility in Fort Lauderdale. Gordon and Boily first met at White's wedding, where they struck up a conversation about offseason training that resulted in Gordon relocating from California.
Of course, White welcomed his old UW teammate with open arms.
"We work together and compete with one another," he said. "We enjoy each other's company."
White and Gordon, after all, are Badger fraternity brothers. Sweet Feet and MG3.
They're proud members of the Wisconsin tailback frat that has an active chapter in the NFL.
"Heck, yeah, we're all so close," said Gordon, also listing Corey Clement of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dare Ogunbowale of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "All I've ever heard is that Wisconsin running backs don't pan out in the league. We're taking pride in changing that."
Last week, White was in Boston picking up his second Super Bowl ring with the Patriots.
"I can only hope and dream," Gordon said of being in that same position someday. "I'm happy for James. If I'm not in the Super Bowl, I always hope he's in it. That's just the way it is. He's like my brother. But I'd like to have my own, that's for sure."
As for living out the championship dream, not once, but three times, White conceded, "It's crazy to think about and it will probably hit me later on in life. Right now, I'm just kind of enjoying the moment."
Gordon and White are proud of another fraternity brother, Jonathan Taylor, one of four Doak Walker Award winners at Wisconsin; an elite list that includes Gordon, Ball and Ron Dayne. In 2018, Taylor led the nation in rushing; the second UW tailback to do so. Gordon was the first in 2014.
In just two seasons and 27 games, Taylor has collected 4,171 rushing yards.
Gordon had 4,915 yards in 45 games; White had 4,015 yards in 52 games.
"I've gotten to meet Jonathan a couple of times and he's a great person," White said. "It's not easy being a Wisconsin running back when the (opponent's) main goal is to stop you each and every week. He's putting up great performances when there are eight and nine guys in the box.
"He's still able to make the plays that he needs to make to help the team win.
"He's a special player and hopefully he will continue to get better and better."
Gordon, who's coming off his second Pro Bowl, got to work out a few days with Taylor.
"He's a lot faster than I thought he was, too," said Gordon, who has seen Taylor on tape enough to know his strengths. "I like the way he breaks tackles and he's got the speed to take it to the house. You think that you've got him down and he goes for 30 or 40 yards.
"He's a different style of runner than me and James. You want to say he's a power-back … but he's just so balanced in every area. As a running back, you need balance and vision and he has that to go along with his speed and low center of gravity. He's very exciting to watch."
What kind of advice would Gordon offer Taylor, who's going into his junior season?
"Every snap you take in practice," he said, "and every rep you take under that squat bar or under that bench, take it knowing that every guy on the team is looking at you to make the play when the team needs it. As a Wisconsin running back, I feel you have to know everyone is counting on you.
"That just comes with the job. So, my advice would be, 'Don't be content or complacent with where you're at right now.' I mean, the things that he has been able to do thus far at Wisconsin are unbelievable. But he's got to understand that it's about the now."
It sounded like White's advice to Taylor would be along the same lines.
"Go out there and be humble," he would encourage him. "Work on your weaknesses and improve on your strengths. There's always room to get better. There are going to be a lot of people obviously hyping him up. But he's got to ignore the noise and just go out there and have fun."
That's also the plan for Saturday's clinic at the McClain Center.
Gordon and White want to have some fun along with the football instruction.
"I don't know what the turnout will be," Gordon admitted. "We want to get the camp as big as we can, even if it starts out small. The goal is to build every year. That's what we want both want. We want to leave our mark on the field and off the field in Madison, Wisconsin."
