“I’m competing against everybody, Gurley included.”

This is what respect looks like.

Gordon didn’t need the uncomfortably hot sitdown on the union’s patio to perk up quickly for an interview. About 10 minutes in, he reveals what he’s really after.

The running back crown.

Then he reveals what might be in his way.

SEC running backs.

Specifically, Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon.

This is not a derivative of empty football trash talk that floods message boards and timelines. Gordon actually does a ton of research on his running back competition. He followed Gurley and Yeldon “heavily” last season, he says, searching for stats on his iPad whenever WiFi allowed. There’s healthy admiration here.

That this could be a historically loaded tailback class nationally isn’t lost on Gordon, a redshirt junior who eschewed the NFL draft after a 1,609-yard season in part to compete against the best.

As the NFL continues to devalue running backs, these three have potential first-round ability and play in systems that run the ball by committee, which helps stave off injury.

Gordon respects them but make no mistake. He is coming for them. The race for the country’s best running back — and possibly a Heisman invite — is “on.”

“It’s been on,” said Gordon, whose Badgers open the season against another tailback factory, LSU. “I’m competing against everybody, Gurley included.”

25 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

25 responses to ““I’m competing against everybody, Gurley included.”

  1. 81Dog

    he seems like a sharp young man. I hope he gets his wish to meet Todd Gurley in New York in November!

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  2. I Wanna Red Cup

    Wait a minute. Gordon miust not read the stats. Just ask SBlue, what is there about Gurley to get all excited about ?

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  3. DawgPhan

    He must be confusing Mason with Gurley. Mason is the best RB in the country. Also the best QB, lacrosse player, and, I believe, is nominated for a Nobel prize in awesomeness.

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  4. W Cobb Dawg

    “These trhee have potential first-round abllity”.

    Barring injury or other misfortune, an nfl exec would be an idiot to pass on Gurley in the first round. He runs for TDs, catches passes for TDs, and can return KOs for TDs. An explosive game changer. Gordon acknowledges it.

    Dawgs need to do more than scratch the surface of Gurley’s ability – get him the ball and let him take us to the championship.

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  5. Can anyone tell me why all the cbs sports links on this site redirect me to cbs.com? It’s happened on more than one computer too.

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  6. uglydawg

    Recall another Wisconsin running back…”The Great Dane.”…won the Heisman over Peyton, I believe. Dane was a great back as long as he stayed in the Big 10….and until he faced UGA in a bowl game….LSU just might give Gordon the same treatment.

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    • DawgPhan

      He didnt. Charles Woodson beat Peyton in 1997. Dayne won for career achievements in the field of football in 1999. We are all lucky that he beat Hamilton though. Vick was probably the best player in the country that year, but they didnt give the award to freshmen back then.

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      • uglydawg

        My facts stand corrected…same point though…There are a lot of running backs in the SE that could be super-stars in the BIG.

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    • It’ll be interesting to see how Wisconsin stacks up against LSU, for sure.

      Dane was a great back as long as he stayed in the Big 10….and until he faced UGA in a bowl game….

      Exactly. Dane was one of the most overrated backs ever, IMO. And I thought so the whole time he was in college.
      ~~~

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    • AthensHomerDawg

      Didn’t that game start at like 11:00 am?
      Jeepers!

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      • ripjdj

        yes, right after a night at Mons Venus….. 11am was as painful as any starting time I can remember. Visited “I Wanna Red Cup” and his family during the game and when I stupidly admitted where I had been the night before every male in the section just started laughing. I quickly left and let Red cup explain to his wife and kids what Mons Venus was.

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        • DawgPhan

          everyone in our group was hurting that morning as well. goodness. nothing a little crown royal couldnt fix though.

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        • I Wanna Red Cup

          Actually, I was very vague. I am sure no one knew what it was. And not as hung over as you. Of course had not had as much fun as you the night before. Great game. I blame Bobo, who was 21-23.

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          • Bobo was ruthlessly efficient and I am certain at least one of those incompletion passes was a dropped ball and,back on point, Ron Dayne had the worst game of his career.

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  7. DawgFaithful

    Where’s the dumbass that was on here the other day that said Gurly is overrated based on his stats? Here’s the best running back in the nation last year statistically and he specifically names Gurly as the guy he’s chasing. Dumbasses please stay away from here.

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  8. Cojones

    Hope Gurley reads this and competes openly with him. Same goes for T.J.. Melvin has attracted attention by being a student of HIS game and his love of college football. Sounds like a good guy who can be respected in turn. Suddenly he has a few Dawgs following his cfb career and his confidence in self.

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  9. Dawgoholic

    JD, may want to look at it closer. Cojones got it right and added an extra period to be clear.

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