Yardbarker: Cletis Gordon

Cletis Gordon feels at home

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:34:35 -0500

Cletis Gordon is getting a crash course in the Cowboys defense and special teams units. Signed Tuesday, Gordon could be active Sunday at Kansas City with the Cowboys shorthanded because of injuries to safeties Gerald Sensabaugh and Mike Hamlin. Alan Ball will take his work at safety after playing corner since the season began. Wade Phillips said the team did not target a safety because Hamlin is expected back after the bye and Sensabaugh has not been ruled out of Sunday's game. "I&...

Cowboys to add Cletis Gordon

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:47:04 -0500

With a roster space available after waiving running back Chauncey Washington on Monday, the Cowboys will give it to cornerback Cletis Gordon, provided he passes a physical first. Gordon played for Wade Phillips in 2006 with San Diego but was cut by the Chargers in August after they gave him the second-round tender as a restricted free agent. He was later cut by Houston and claimed again by Detroit ... and cut again. At 6-1, 205, Gordon has size and speed. In 29 career games he has 22 solo t...

Good practice in London

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:35:30 -0500

Despite my sleep issues the first two days, we had a high energy practice yesterday, prob one of our best of da year. Afta practice a lot of the guys went to the spa and relaxed a bit. I just went up and caught up on some sleep. I crashed until about 10, stayed up til 3 and then hit it again until 7:30. My mom gets in today. She's never been outta the country so we'll both be experiencing it together. I was a little worried about her traveling by herself, but she was excited to get here and I'm excited to see her. I'll get a chance to see her after meetings and practice. I'm sure we'll head to London and check out all the sites. I'll send some pictures when we get down there.

In London to Play the Saints

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:15:03 -0500

My first time out of the country and I'm having trouble with this time change. First night I got about 4 hours and tonight it was 5. I went to bed at 12 and woke at 5. I'm making up for it with little naps, like when we ride to the city it's about 45 minutes to an hour and I'll sleep on the ride there and back, but I need to get back normal fast. Usually I go to bed about 11 and get up at 6:30. We start practice today. Our first meeting is at 8 and then we're on the field at 1:15. I'm hoping we're all up and ready to go when we hit the field. Don't want to be sluggish in practice. We need a good week. Like Coach said earlier to us, this is a business trip. We'll enjoy the sights and everything, but the sole focus is winning. Yesterday was our day off so we did get to the city to get a closer look at Big Ben and the ferris wheel, London Eye and Buckingham Palace and the Tower Bridge. It's been cool just walking around the city with a bunch of the other guys. It's been a little chilly, about 50 yesterday, but the sun was shining and there were a lot of people out. I'll try to get some photos and maybe some video up in the Yard.

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.

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!

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.

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

Busy Week

Thu, 24 May 2007 14:18:23 -0500

This has been a relatively busy week for me. We started installing the defense on Monday. Basically, we learn something new every day in the meeting rooms and then head out onto the football field and execute what we learned. It is not always easy to remember everything that's thrown at us. We just have to spend extra time studying our playbooks until we get the concept down completely. It is vital to know your material well. That allows players to be more comfortable on the field and to just go out there and make plays. This year's defense is similar to last year's despite some new coaches. There are some tweaks and wrinkles that we're working on, but I think it will help our defense achieve even more than we did a year ago. The team loves Coach Turner. He's a player's coach. He is just a good guy who wants to win. The offense looks pretty good and it's only May. Credit that to Coach T. and the offensive staff. The Bolts will be putting up numbers!!! Besides learning new plays, lifting weights, and practicing hard every day, there are a few other things that I'm involved with. Last week, I did my first commercial. I partnered with MADD in their attempt to help kids stop using alcohol before the legal age of 21. It was fun to do. I must of had about 1000 takes. I also leave Friday to head back home to Louisiana for this football camp that is held in the area where I grew up. It will give me a chance to share knowledge about life and football with some kids who have dreams like I did. I'm really excited and look forward to attending the event. I'll let you know how it goes.