Josh Gordon

Joshua Caleb Gordon[1] (born April 13, 1991), nicknamed Flash,[2] is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft.

For other uses, see Josh Gordon (disambiguation).

Josh Gordon
Gordon with the New England Patriots in 2019
Free agent
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1991-04-13) April 13, 1991
Houston, Texas
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Lamar (Houston, Texas)
College:Baylor
Utah
Supplemental draft:2012 / Round: 2
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2019
Receptions:247
Receiving yards:4,252
Rushing yards:89
Receiving touchdowns:20
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Gordon's first two NFL seasons were highly productive; in 2013, his second season, he led all players in receiving yards and was a first-team All-Pro selection. During his NFL career, Gordon has been suspended multiple times for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He was indefinitely suspended by the league for his fourth violation during the 2014 season, being unable to play for the next three seasons. Following a lengthy rehabilitation period, he was reinstated midway through the 2017 season. In September 2018, he was traded to the New England Patriots. In December 2018, after facing another suspension from the NFL, Gordon announced he was stepping away from football to "focus on his mental health"[3] prior to returning in August 2019, just before Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season. He was placed on injured reserve in October 2019 and shortly released thereafter, whereupon he was claimed by the Seattle Seahawks.

Early years

Gordon was born to Elaine and Herald Gordon in Houston, Texas on April 13, 1991,[4] and he has two brothers. Gordon is of Haitian descent.[5]

Gordon attended Lamar High School in Houston, where he played football, basketball, and ran track. He played basketball as a sophomore. In football, he caught 20 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. As a senior, he was named first-team All-District 20-5A after totaling 25 receptions for 531 yards (21.2 average) and nine touchdowns.[4]

He also competed in track & field as a senior, where he ran a leg on the Lamar 4 × 100m and 4 × 200m relay squads, helping them capture the state title in both events with times of 42.69 seconds and 1:30.43 minutes, respectively.[6]

During the college recruitment period, Gordon was targeted by Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas Tech. According to Rivals.com, Gordon was ranked as a 3-star wide receiver, while Scout.com rated him as a 2-star at the position.[7][8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Josh Gordon
Wide receiver		 Houston, Texas Lamar 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 4.40 Jan 26, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 75
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 224 (WR)   Rivals: 70 (WR)  ESPN: 128 (WR)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Baylor Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  • "2009 Baylor Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  • "2009 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 12, 2012.

    College career

    Gordon accepted an athletic scholarship to play football for Baylor University. Although he received multiple Division I offers, his choice of Baylor was easy due to his supervised probation which required him to not leave the state of Texas.[9] However, in October 2010, during his sophomore year, he and teammate Willie Jefferson were found asleep in a local Taco Bell drive-through lane. Police found marijuana in Jefferson's car. Jefferson, who was driving, was kicked off the team due to it being his second violation, but Gordon was only suspended.[10][11]

    In July 2011, Gordon was suspended indefinitely by head coach Art Briles for later failing a drug test and testing positive for marijuana.[10][11]

    In August 2011, Gordon transferred to the University of Utah, where he sat out the 2011 season after declaring too late for the 2011 Supplemental Draft.[10][11]

    Statistics
    YearTeamGRecYardsAvgLngTD
    2009Baylor9177.070
    2010Baylor134271417.0947
    Career224372116.8947

    Professional career
    Pre-draft measurables
    Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
    6 ft 3 1⁄8 in
    (1.91 m)    		 224 lb
    (102 kg)    		 32 3⁄8 in
    (0.82 m)    		 10 in
    (0.25 m)    		 4.52 s 1.57 s 2.64 s 35 1⁄2 in
    (0.90 m)    		 10 ft 2 in
    (3.10 m)    		 13 reps
    All values from NFL Combine[12]

    Cleveland Browns

    2012 season: Rookie year

    Gordon was taken in the second round of the 2012 Supplemental Draft by the Cleveland Browns.[13][14] On July 16, 2012, Gordon signed a four-year, $5.3 million deal with the Browns.[15]

    Gordon finished among the top rookie wide receivers in the 2012 draft class. He recorded 50 catches, 805 yards, and five touchdowns in the 2012 season. Gordon scored his first NFL touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 5, where he finished with two catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns.[16] Gordon had his first 100-yard game against the Oakland Raiders in Week 13, where he finished with six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.[17] Gordon had a then career-high of eight catches against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14.[18]

    2013 season

    On June 7, 2013, the NFL announced that Gordon would be suspended for the first two games of the 2013 season due to violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.[19] In Week 12 Gordon had 237 receiving yards, and 261 the following week, the first time in NFL history that a wide receiver had back-to-back games with at least 200 receiving yards.[20] On December 26, 2013, he was named the Cleveland Chapter PFWA Player of the Year following the season.[21] The next day, Gordon was voted to his first Pro Bowl. In just 14 games, he finished the 2013 season with a league leading 1,646 receiving yards,[22] and was named first-team All-Pro.[23]

    2014 season
    Gordon during 2014 training camp

    On July 5, 2014, Gordon was arrested for driving while impaired in Raleigh, North Carolina.[24]

    On August 27, 2014, Gordon acknowledged that the NFL suspended him for one year for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.[25] On September 19, 2014, his suspension was reduced to 10 games amidst the new NFL drug policy. Gordon was officially reinstated on November 17.[26]

    On December 27, 2014, exactly one year removed from being selected into the Pro Bowl, the Browns suspended Gordon from the final game of the season due to a violation of team rules.[27]

    Due to Gordon's suspensions, he only played five games in the 2014 season and caught 24 passes for 303 yards.[28]

    2015 season

    Gordon was suspended for the entire 2015 season due to violating the league's substance abuse policy.[29][30] Gordon entered the NFL's substance abuse program after pleading guilty to a driving while impaired charge in September 2014 and was prohibited from consuming alcohol during his time in the program.[31] The suspension was for one year starting on February 3, 2015 and he was not eligible to return until the start of the 2016 season.[32]

    2016 season
    Josh Gordon at Browns' training camp

    On January 20, 2016, Gordon applied to the league for reinstatement.[33] His request was denied in March when it was reported that he had failed another drug test.[34]

    On July 25, 2016, Gordon was reinstated by the NFL. He was allowed to participate in training camp but was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 regular season.[35]

    On September 29, 2016, Gordon left the Browns to enter an in-patient rehabilitation facility. He was one week away from reinstatement to the NFL, serving his previous sentence of four regular-season games. In a press statement, Gordon wrote, "After careful thought and deep consideration I've decided that I need to step away from pursuing my return to the Browns and my football career to enter an in-patient rehabilitation facility. This is the right decision for me and one that I hope will enable me to gain full control of my life and continue on a path to reach my full potential as a person. I appreciate the support of the NFL, NFLPA, the Browns, my teammates, my agent and the community through this extremely challenging process."[36]

    2017 season

    On March 1, 2017, Gordon again applied to the league for reinstatement,[37] but was denied on May 11, 2017.[38] On November 1, Gordon was finally reinstated, but on a conditional basis, meaning that he would be eligible to return in Week 13.[39] He was officially activated off the Commissioner's Exempt list on November 30, 2017 for the Browns' Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.[40] He finished the game with 85 receiving yards in a 19-10 Browns loss. On December 10, 2017, while playing the Green Bay Packers, Gordon scored his first touchdown since the 2013 season.[41]

    2018 season

    Gordon played in only one game for the Browns in 2018. During Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made a late-game reception for a 17-yard touchdown resulting in a 21-21 tie following overtime.[42] The following week the Browns indicated that they would be parting ways with Gordon after he "violated the team's trust".[43] Initially, it was reported that the Browns finally lost patience with him after he injured his hamstring during an off-field event on September 12. The Browns had been led to believe he was shooting a promotional video for his clothing line and didn't know he was running 40s. However, it was later reported that there were multiple factors in the decision to part ways with the troubled receiver. Reportedly, the Browns were angered when he reported to practice 10 minutes late on September 13 and was "not himself." According to The Plain Dealer, the Browns feared that he was struggling to stay sober, and had done everything they believed they could do to keep him on the right path.[44]

    New England Patriots

    2018 season

    On September 17, 2018, Gordon was traded along with a seventh-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2019 fifth-round draft pick.[45] In his first game with the Patriots, Gordon caught two passes for 32 yards in a 38-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins. In the next game against the Indianapolis Colts, Gordon caught Tom Brady's 500th NFL touchdown pass. It was also Gordon's first touchdown as a Patriot. In the next game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he recorded five receptions for 42 yards as the Patriots narrowly won 43-40. During Week 7, the Patriots went on the road to face the Chicago Bears. In the 38-31 victory, Gordon recorded four receptions and 100 yards to record his first 100-yard game as a Patriot.[46] Later in the game, he took on defensive back duties to defend against Bears' quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's Hail Mary pass.[47] On November 4, Gordon recorded five receptions for 130 yards and a 55-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.[48]

    On December 20, Gordon announced that he would step away from football to focus on his mental health. The NFL later stated that Gordon will be facing an indefinite ban for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement under the NFL drug policy.[49] Gordon finished his first season with the Patriots with 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns.[50]

    Without Gordon, the Patriots reached Super Bowl LIII where they beat the Los Angeles Rams by a score 13-3. Although he did not play in the game because of his suspension, Gordon still received a ring for his earlier contributions to the team.[51]

    2019 season
    Gordon in a game against the Washington Redskins

    On March 12, 2019, the Patriots placed a second-round tender on Gordon, securing his services for the upcoming 2019 season, should he be reinstated by the NFL.[52] Gordon took to Instagram shortly after to thank the team, and reaffirm his commitment to getting back on the field.[53][54] Two weeks later, during a press conference at the Governors’ meeting in Arizona, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about Gordon's status, and said that "the NFL was focused on getting him on the right track, and hopefully back on the field soon".[55] Ultimately, on August 16, 2019, the NFL conditionally reinstated Gordon, thus granting him the opportunity to play Week 1.[56] During Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, in his first game since Week 13 of the 2018 season, Gordon had three receptions for 73 yards and one touchdown in a 33–3 win.[57] On October 23, 2019, the Patriots placed Gordon on injured reserve with a knee injury.[58] He was waived from injured reserve on October 31, 2019.[59]

    Seattle Seahawks

    On November 1, 2019, Gordon was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks.[60] In Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, Gordon caught one pass for 58 yards and threw a pass that was intercepted by safety Tre Boston during the 30–24 win.[61]

    On December 16, 2019, Gordon was suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs and substance abuse, his fifth suspension for violating the policy.[62]

    NFL statistics
    Legend
    Led the league
    Bold Career high
    Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
    GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
    2012CLE 16135080516.171T50000011
    2013CLE 1414871,64618.995T958817.634000
    2014CLE 552430312.63200000000
    2015CLE Suspended
    2016CLE Suspended
    2017CLE 551833518.65410000000
    2018CLE 1111717.017T10000000
    NE 11114072018.055T30000000
    2019 NE 662028714.4441111.01000
    SEA 51713919.95800000000
    Career63562474,25217.295T2068914.834011

    Records and achievements

    NFL records
    • First player in NFL history to record 200 receiving yards in two consecutive games[63]
    • Most consecutive games, 200+ yards receiving: 2 (November 24, 2013, 237 yards; December 1, 2013, 261 yards)
    • Most receiving yards, two-game span: 498 yards (November 24, 2013, 237 yards; December 1, 2013, 261 yards)
    • Most receiving yards, three-game span: 649 yards (November 24, 2013, 237 yards; December 1, 2013, 261 yards; December 8, 2013, 151 yards)
    • Most receiving yards, four-game span: 774 yards (November 17, 2013, 125 yards; November 24, 2013, 237 yards; December 1, 2013, 261 yards; December 8, 2013, 151 yards)

    Browns franchise records
    • Most receptions, game: 14 on (November 24, 2013 against the Pittsburgh Steelers; tied with Ozzie Newsome, 1984)[64]
    • Most receiving yards, game: 261 yards (December 1, 2013 against the Jacksonville Jaguars)[65]
    • Most receiving yards, season: 1,646 yards (2013)[66]
    • Most receiving yards per game, season: 117.6 (2013)[67]
    • 100+ receiving yard games, season: 7 (2013)[68]

    References
    1. "Josh Gordon Pro Football Reference Profile". pro-football-reference.com.
    2. Risdon, Jeff. "Josh Gordon proving he's still 'Flash' with blazing 40 time". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
    3. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25580285/new-england-patriots-receiver-josh-gordon-says-stepping-away-focus-mental-health
    4. "Josh Gordon Bio". Baylor Bears. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
    5. "Josh Gordon on Instagram: L'union Fait La Force #Ayiti #BeFree".
    6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    7. "Josh Gordon". Scout.com. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
    8. "Josh Gordon". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
    9. Yang, Nicole. "A timeline of Josh Gordon's history with substance abuse and suspensions". Boston.
    10. McClain, John (July 12, 2012). "Former Baylor WR Josh Gordon hopes to leave his past behind him". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
    11. "Receiver-starved Browns gamble on Josh Gordon in Supplemental Draft". Sports Illustrated. July 12, 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
    12. http://www.draftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=90107&draftyear=2012&genpos=WR
    13. Davis, Nate (July 12, 2012). "Browns select ex-Baylor WR Josh Gordon in supplemental draft". USA Today. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
    14. Schefter, Adam (July 12, 2012). "Browns take Josh Gordon in Round 2". ESPN. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
    15. "Browns sign supplemental rookie WR Gordon". ESPN.com. July 16, 2012.
    16. "Cleveland Browns at New York Giants - October 7th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
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    45. Shook, Nick (September 17, 2018). "Browns trade Josh Gordon to Patriots for fifth-rounder". NFL.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
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    57. Buchmasser, Bernd. "The Tom Brady-Josh Gordon connection is picking up right where it left off". PatsPulpit.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
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    59. Williams, Charean (October 31, 2019). "Update: Josh Gordon was indeed waived Thursday". NBCSports.com. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
    60. Thomas, Oliver (November 1, 2019). "Seahawks claim wide receiver Josh Gordon off waivers from New England". PatsPulpit.com. Pats Pulpit. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
    61. "Wilson leads Seahawks past Panthers". www.sportsdata.usatoday.com. December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
    62. Bergman, Jeremy (December 16, 2019). "Seahawks WR Josh Gordon suspended indefinitely". NFL.com. NFL. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
    63. Sessler, Marc (December 1, 2013). "Josh Gordon's consecutive 200-yard games set record". NFL.com. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
    64. "Most receptions in a single game, Cleveland Browns". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
    65. "Most receiving yards in a single game, Cleveland Browns". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
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