Yardbarker: Cletis Gordon

NFL Rookie Symposium

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:52:58 -0500

What's goin on Yardbarkers? Just stopping by to say hey and share a little video of me at the rookie symposium the other day. As you know, I'm not a rookie, but I was there to hang out with a couple of my new Charger teammates. Plus i had a chance to visit with my ex-teammate from Jackson State, Jaymar Johnson - 6th round pick by the vikings. If you've never heard of it, the rookie symposium is a program that's held every year for all the rookies in the league. It's a good opportunity for them to learn about the kinds of challenges they'll face (financial, personal - everything) now that they're NFL players. Check out the video of me and my new teammates:

Flash Gordon's workout

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:02:43 -0500

How's everyone in the Yard? Cletis "Flash" Gordon here, just working out and getting ready for the season. Saturday usually means a day off, but I spend my weekends doing things to advance my game. I live this. Check me out.

Cletis Gordon unveils recipe for success

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:00:09 -0500

Everyone knows Tom Brady is perfect. If you don't believe me, read the Internet. The Internet never lies, and the Internet says Tom Brady is perfect. A few teams came close to beating the Patriots, but no team played 'em tougher on D than the San Diego Chargers. The Bolts held the Pats to only 21 points, and it was the only game where Tom threw more picks (3) than TDs (2). Tom's QB rating that game? Only 66 and change. How did they do it? In this Yardbarker interview, San Diego CB Cletis Gordon unveils a recipe for success against the Patriots high-powered O. - Dewey

Watching game film on New England

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:39:01 -0500

This may sound stupid but New England is good. I picked up my game film Monday and have been watching it ever since. I set up my laptop, grab my notebook to take notes and start the DVD. We're playing against a team that is making history every week. I have really been trying to focus on some of their tendencies, the type of routes they run, some of their formations, just looking for little tips that might help you on any given play. Those little details can make all the difference in preventing big plays and helping you win. Again, this may sound stupid but Randy Moss is a deep threat and stretches the field a lot. Everyone knows that, but when you watch the film over and over you see just how impactful he is to everything they are doing. It really jumps out. He has 23 touchdowns and a lot of catches for 20+ and 40+ yards. We have to keep them from getting the big play to him. His presence opens things up for their other guys and those guys are really good too. Wes Welker is a big run after the catch guy, a YAC guy. The one thing that really jumps out to me watching this film is that New England just does not make mistakes. It really shows on the film. They had a lot of close games at the end of the season and they win those because they don't make the mistakes that the other teams do. They just execute. Normally when you're watching film you see teams go three and out or get a drive going only to have to punt a short time later. Not New England. When you watch them they are constantly marching down the field. It seems like every play works. The last two days have helped me get a feel for what they do. We meet this morning to go over the game plan and then I will really be able to start to visualize what I'd do against certain routes and how to execute my assignments. I'm excited to get going. Flash24

LT, Great Running Back, Great Motivator

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:35:55 -0500

One reason we have won seven games in a row is that our defense has really come together. We got off to a rough start when we were trying to figure each other out. When you get a new coaching staff it takes a little time to get acquainted. Coach Cottrell has done a great job bringing us together. He coaches with emotion and feels games are always going to be won on defense. He wants that pressure every week and expects us to carry it. He prepares us the same way every week and I think that has really helped us. It's routine now. It wasn't at first. We started 1-3 and seemed to be really up and down. We'd win one week and lose the next. Then it all changed with that Ravens game. We really came together and now we lead the league in takeaways and interceptions. I have to say, LT deserves a lot of credit in our turnaround as a defense. He did a pregame speech before the Ravens game and talked about the inner voice that every championship player has. It was really passionate and we all responded. We have won every game since. LT doesn't usually say too much. He lets his play speak for itself, but when he does speak up we all pay close attention. His timing was perfect. He needed to say something because we were so up and down. We lost to Minnesota and then beat the Colts and then lost a close one to Jacksonville. If we had lost to Baltimore who knows where we'd be. He wanted to get our attention and he did. As a defense, we definitely took it in and we've been playing off the wall, getting turnovers and shutting teams down. LT helped us make up our minds that it's now or never.

Winning without the Bye

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:39:26 -0500

I'm glad we didn't have a bye week heading into the playoffs. I really do think it hurts more than it helps. When you have momentum and you're winning games like we have been it's much better to keep playing than have a week off. When you get that down time guys seem to get a little too comfortable and it really knocks you off rhythm. I talked to Marlon McCree about that and he said the same thing. When you win six games in a row to finish the season you want to keep it going and the best way to do it is to go straight into the playoffs without a bye. We won a bunch of games last year and had a bye week. I was a little worried that it would knock us off rhythm and sure enough we came out flat against the Patriots. We lost coming out of our bye week in the regular season too. When you're winning you want to keep playing and I know it made a difference this time. That's why we're moving on and heading to Indy. And believe me it was a big win. It was by far the loudest I have ever heard the fans. They were great. The staff, coaches and players were all pumped up. It was a long time coming and you could feel it.

Back in Business

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:43:24 -0500

It feels good to get back on a winning streak. I knew we would get things turned around because of the type of guys we have on this team. Our ability to stay together and focus in the midst of a slow start speaks about our character as a team. The talent we have is obviously there, but that alone will not get the job done. We must continue to improve in all areas. I expect us to grow as the season goes on. The Chargers are full of competitors who are always trying to get better. We have two weeks to prepare for the Texans at home.

Never forget

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:08:41 -0500

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, will never be forgotten. So many innocent lives where taken that day. Don't let this day pass by without taken a moment to think about our country and what we all have been affected by.

Opening Night

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:01:57 -0500

After practice today me and some friends cooked shrimp and watched Indy destroy the Saints. I must say that the shrimp was better than the game. Watching the season opener has me excited about our game against the Bears on Sunday. I'm sure a lot of fans will be tuned in to see how their fantasy league players are accumulating points. LT's nike commercial has sparked some controversy with some of the Bears players. The intensity of the game will definitely be high. This is what football is about, two dominating teams going head to head. It's a sold out game and our fans will definitely be in full effect. If you weren't able to get tickets to the game make sure to tune in because I guarantee it will be exciting!

2007 AFC West Preview and Predictions

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:23:49 -0500

The Chargers creamed the competition last season with a 14-2 record. Are they still as good as last season without all their coaches? Will the Chiefs finally select a QB? Is Jay Cutler the next great QB in Denver? Are the Raiders going to score some points this year? Read each team blogger and get their in-depth preview for the season.

Training camp

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:46:55 -0500

Preseason games have started and we finally get a chance to compete against a different opponent. Training camp is always tough mentally and physically, but everyone seems to be enjoying the process. The four preseason games will enable us to get on the same page with our new coaches. Last night was our first preseason game against the seahawks. We lost the game, but there were some good things that we can build on to help us prepare for the regular season. We had some rookies who stepped up and made plays. That will help our team with depth and different weapons. Training camp has been going well for me and it carried over to the game last night. Our next game is Saturday against the Rams. Stay tuned. Geaux Chargers, Flash24.

Everyone is Ready for Football Season!

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:08:07 -0500

Football season has arrived! It is the most exciting time of the year for many people. There are players from pop warner to the pros who have been anticipating this football season every since the last whistle last fall. Also fans are geared up with team apparel and season tickets already. At least the die hard fans. How can I forget to mention the fans who scout every team's roster looking for players to put on their fantasy league teams. Every year is special around this time. What makes it truly special is that in each league around the country there's only ONE CHAMPION. Only one group of fans, one city or state that has bragging rights for a whole year. Who remembers runner-up? So players go out and leave everything on the field. To the fans, go support your team to the fullest. Good luck and Geaux Chargers! Flash24

Trip to the Bay to meet Ronnie Lott and Harris Barton

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:42:06 -0500

While taking a brief break from training, I had the opportunity on Tuesday to go and meet two former football greats in San Francisco. I never thought in a million years that i'd be having a two hour conversation with Ronnie Lott and Harris Barton. Ronnie Lott is arguably the greatest safety to play the game. Harris Barton was an offensive lineman who played in the Pro Bowl and had a great career in the NFL. Both guys won Super Bowls and have knowledge of the game on and off the football field. This was very exciting and an experience that will always stay with me. When Ronnie began talking, I acted like a sponge and absorbed as much information as my brain could store. He talked about the importance of being a professional and keeping a sense of urgency throughout your career. This was definitely something I could relate to having been undrafted. Ronnie also said that the great players consistently do things the right way, not gambling or guessing, but knowing your opponent and consistently playing a learned skill. I'll definitely use this valuable information to advance my game. Harris Barton and Ronnie Lott also talked about the importance of being active in the community and preparing for life after football. I mentioned my involvement with MADD and that I'm trying to reach out to the youth. Harris said it is more than just football. Players have to want to make a difference and interact with as many people as possible. They both stressed that the relationships players make early in their careers could be valuable to them over the long haul when football is over. I'll be sure to focus on these things and apply what I've learned to my life.

Sober Youth 24 Update

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:36:26 -0500

It's been awhile since my last blog. That was due to my busy schedule. My Sober Youth campaign has continued to make progress and the message is reaching the students throughout San Diego. I think it's a great time to continue to reach out to students with graduation coming up and the summer near. Last Thursday, I was on the 90.3 radio station with Chino to talk about my campaign and the upcoming season. It was cool to go behind the scenes and check out how they operate. Chino is a funny guy. Ill be sure to remind him that he has to wear the 24 jersey for those tickets to a game. On Monday, I had and interview on Good Morning San Diego on KUSI channel 9. It was also about the Sober Youth campaign. I really want to get this message out. There was an accident a couple weeks ago with 4 students from Perris High School that were killed. Alcohol was involved. That was a terrible situation for all of us. We are trying to prevent these situations in the future. Football is going great. Our practicing and off-season program ends Friday. I have continued to make progress on the field. We will have about six weeks to continue to train and get ready for training camp. Fun huh! I will continue to polish my game as a cornerback. My training sessions will be conducted with trainer Todd Durkin. Todd has trained a number of athletes such LT, Reggie Bush, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Q. Jammer, Marlon Mcree, and many more. The season is just around the corner. Go Chargers! Flash24

Video of my PSA for MADD

Fri, 25 May 2007 17:26:14 -0500

Here's the commercial I shot last weekend for MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. It's short, but we did so many takes that I'm surprised they were able to finish it so quickly. Tell me what you think. Cletis "Flash" Gordon for MADD