HOF CLASS OF 2026: "Running among legends' - The Melvin Gordon story
September 01, 2026 | Football
Melvin Gordon still catches himself reminiscing about that cold November day in 2014 when one of his signature moments as a member of the Wisconsin football team came to life in a host of astonishing ways.
One of the best running backs in UW history, Gordon said he's caught multiple replays of his mesmerizing effort against Nebraska at Camp Randall Stadium.
"I go back a lot and watch it," Gordon said of his 408-yard rushing performance that set a Football Bowl Subdivision record at the time.
It's hard to quantify the ingredients of Gordon's performance. He scored four touchdowns during the 59-24 victory on runs of 62, 1, 6 and 26 yards. He was so electrifying and the Badgers were so dominant that Gordon didn't take a single snap in the fourth quarter. Instead, he heard the crowd of 80,539 serenade him with chants of "Mel-vin Gor-don" while those on the home sidelines couldn't recall a more raucous rendition of "Jump Around."
"It was just a crazy day and sometimes I don't realize how crazy it was," Gordon said. "Then I start going to (events) and people tell me years later how big of a memory that was.
"I guess we made a lot of memories for people that day."
Gordon galloped for 408 yards against Nebraska on Nov. 15, 2014
Leaving a Legacy
Gordon went on to record the second-most rushing yards in a single FBS season with 2,587 and set the career standard for per-carry rushing average with 7.79. He wound up winning the Doak Walker Award as a junior and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He was also a unanimous consensus first-team All-American, the offensive player of the year and the running back of the year in the Big Ten Conference. He was subsequently chosen by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.
That resume, especially the work ethic Gordon invested in his craft, is why he's part of the 2026 UW Athletic Hall of Fame. Asked to put that honor into perspective, Gordon went right for the top shelf.
"It's my highest one," he said. "I'm a Wisconsin kid, so getting into the Wisconsin Hall of Fame is big."
Gordon, from Kenosha, teamed with Montee Ball and James White to form one of the most lethal depth charts in FBS history. All three are Wisconsin Hall of Famers, while Ball is in the College Football Hall of Fame and White made a name for himself as a three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.
Ball, Gordon and White currently rank third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in career rushing totals in UW history.
"They both were my mentors and I know how hard they worked behind the scenes to make those teams great," Gordon said. "They showed me the way.
"Montee had a lot of success when we were there. Me and James, we kind of had to take a backseat and we really had to climb our way up the road to make a name for ourselves."
At least one Badgers teammate saw vast potential in Gordon from the get-go. Standout linebacker Chris Borland, who will join Gordon in this current Hall of Fame class, was one of the first to think Gordon would be a superstar.
"It was clear that if he did the right things and developed and avoided injury that he was going to be a superstar," Borland said. "It was fun to see someone so earnest, with so much potential, who was also a bit raw and probably never having been coached like he was about to be coached by Thomas Hammock.
"He got about as big as he could get in terms of being a college football star, but he always retained a really great work ethic and was a great teammate.
"Melvin had that rare combination of knowing he's a star and then knowing he's one of 100 guys on the roster, too," Borland added. "I've always admired that about him."
Hammock, who served as the UW associate head coach and running backs coach from 2011 to 2013, turned out to be a major character in Gordon's development.
"Every day he was on me. I mean, every day," Gordon said. "He stayed on me. He made sure I stayed competitive. He made sure I did everything right when it came down to the classroom. I didn't miss class. I kept my grades up.
"It was hard. I'm not going to lie to you. It was some of the hardest coaching I've ever had in my life."
Gordon said he nearly quit his freshman season, but Hammock talked him out of it.
"That's how hard the coaching was," Gordon said. "It was extremely tough. But I stuck with it and he stuck with me."
Then-Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema reflected on Gordon's place among the threesome of ball-carrying standouts.
"Each one of them had a very unique skill set that was really extraordinary," said Bielema, who left after the 2012 season to coach at Arkansas and now coaches at Illinois. "Melvin was probably kind of the biggest, every-down back, really powerful, great burst.
"Melvin was such a long strider – big and athletic – he could do things in space that none of those other guys could do."
Gordon was asked if he'd maximized his time at UW. "I was the third option for two years, so I always felt like I had to maximize my opportunity," he said. "I feel as though I gave Badger fans, Badger Nation, all that I had."
Best of Three
Two: Asked about his worthiness for the College Football Hall of Fame (of which he is now eligible beginning in 2026), Gordon didn't hesitate.
"I feel like I did what I needed to do to make my stamp in the college football world," he said.
Three: Now retired from the NFL, Gordon and some of his teammates from Wisconsin are investors in "Vibez Golf Club," a brand that focuses on making the game more diverse and accessible for beginners and athletes from all walks of life.
