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:

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Mini Camp this past weekend was great. It was good to get back on the field with my teammates and new coaches. The fans came out to support us and made our jobs easier. We all got a chance to see some of the new players.

There were a number of rookies that impressed me with their play. I think our front office did a good job of selecting talent. I remember covering Craig Davis on one play. He kind of got inside of me on a post route, which is hard to do. I was able to recover, but it was a really nice move. Overall, he impressed me with his route running and speed.

Eric Weddle looked good, too. He had a few opportunities to cover Antonio Gates. He did pretty good, displaying his ability to play man to man, which not all safeties are good at. Mini camp was a good introduction for the rookies. The real test will come in training camp.

Personally, I feel like I had a productive Mini Camp. I had the first interception of camp and also broke up my share of passes. My objective was to compete hard and try to stay in good position. I think I accomplished that. Now it's time for OCS, which is installing offense, defense, and special teams. We will continue to install up until training camp. Thats when the fun begins. Go Chargers!!!!!!