Sonny Gordon
| No. 31, 18, 16 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 30, 1965 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 2023 (aged 57) Dublin, Ohio, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Middletown (Ohio) |
| College | Ohio State |
| NFL draft | 1987: 6th round, 157th overall pick |
| Career history | |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
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]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10+1⁄2 in (1.79 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.60 s | 1.56 s | 2.66 s | 30.5 in (0.77 m) | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) | 19 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine[5] | ||||||||||||
Gordon was selected by his hometown Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL draft,[6] 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.[7]
Gordon died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in Dublin, Ohio, on April 26, 2023. He was 57.[2][7]
References
- 1 2 "Sonny Gordon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- 1 2 "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.
- ↑ "Sonny Gordon Combine Results". NFLCombineResults.com. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- ↑ "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- 1 2 "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
- Players of American football from Lynn, Massachusetts
- Players of American football from Middletown, Ohio
- Middletown High School (Ohio) alumni
- 20th-century American sportsmen