Sonny Gordon
| No. 31 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 30, 1965 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died: | April 26, 2023 (aged 57) Dublin, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Middletown (Ohio) |
| College: | Ohio State |
| NFL draft: | 1987 / Round: 6 / Pick: 157 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Denman Preston Gordon (July 30, 1965 – April 26, 2023) was an American professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).
Gordon was born in Lynn, Massachusetts,[1] but attended Middletown High School in Ohio. He was both a basketball and football standout, as well as president of his senior class.[2]
He played collegiately for the Ohio State Buckeyes,[3] where, as a senior, he was honored by Gannett News Service as a third-team All-American.[4]
Gordon was selected by his hometown Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL draft,[5] but was released at the final roster cuts. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and appeared in seven games for them.[1]
Gordon was out of professional football during the 1988 season, but joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL the following year. He appeared in 33 games for the Tiger-Cats, over the course of two seasons, recording four interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He finished his career playing a single season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1991.[6]
Gordon died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in Dublin, Ohio, on April 26, 2023. He was 57.[2][6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Sonny Gordon Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ a b "Former Middletown High standout athlete, class president dies from ALS". Hamilton (OH) Journal-News. April 29, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2024 – via Yahoo Sports.
- ^ "Sonny Gordon Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Gannette (sic) News Service All-Americans". Iowa City Press-Citizen. December 2, 1986. p. 2b – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "Sonny Gordon Stats". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- 1965 births
- 2023 deaths
- American football defensive backs
- Deaths from motor neuron disease
- Ohio State Buckeyes football players
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
- Saskatchewan Roughriders players
- Sportspeople from Lynn, Massachusetts
- Players of American football from Essex County, Massachusetts
- Sportspeople from Middletown, Ohio
- Players of American football from Butler County, Ohio