National Football League

Melvin Gordon is exceeding the Chargers' expectations

Published Jun. 22, 2015 3:02 p.m. ET

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Ollie Wilson expected to find an empty training facility when he drove into Chargers Park at 5 a.m. on a Sunday.

Instead, he found his new prized pupil lifting weights and working out. Wilson, the Chargers running backs coach, told ESPN that Melvin Gordon is already ahead of his peers with that work ethic and focus. 

"So it’s one of those situations where he came in with a great desire to be a great player, and now he’s trying to work at it in that situation, and we’ll see how it goes," Wilson said.

Wilson is cautiously optimistic. After all, the last student he had with that much drive is a surefire Hall of Famer who just had his number retired by the team. 

Gordon is nothing close to LaDainian Tomlinson -- not yet, and perhaps not ever. But his laser focus is encouraging for a team still trying to find its first franchise ballcarrier since No. 21 left.

Wilson will see if Gordon is a worthy heir when the pads come on this summer.

"The next phase is the physical part of it, matching up with linebackers and that situation there," Wilson said. "But I don’t foresee him any different than he was starting with anything else because he works at it so hard.”

(h/t ESPN)

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