Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers' rookie Melvin Gordon comes home to Wisconsin

Published Oct. 14, 2015 8:23 p.m. ET

foxsports

Melvin Gordon grew up three hours away from Lambeau Field. And he starred for four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, too.

You could say the Chargers' rookie running back is excited to head home and play the Packers.

"It will be big to go down there, just because I’ve got a lot of family members -- a grandma that can’t really fly out to California or go out to my other games will be able to come to this one and see me for the first time," Gordon told ESPN's Eric D. Williams. "So I’m real excited."

A family reunion could calm Gordon's rookie nerves. He's broken four runs of at least 20 yards, but hasn't been the immediate difference-maker fans expected he'd be.

But his head coach sounds like an honorary cheesehead when he talks about the rookie's potential.

"We’re very pleased with who we picked," Mike McCoy told a conference call of Wisconsin reporters. "Melvin Gordon’s a special player. He’s going to help us win a lot of football games here."

(h/t ESPN)