Melvin Gordon was able to face a different environment in a training camp when he left the Los Angeles Chargers after five seasons, but the Denver Broncos apparently present a unique challenge.
Gordon told reporters on Sunday that his biggest obstacle in camp to date was the fact that the practice field is thousands of feet above sea level.
From ESPN:
“I’m having a little bit of trouble, I have a little bit of a struggle up here with the height,” Gordon said after Sunday’s practice. “What I keep hearing is if we play elsewhere, we will not even get tired, so I look forward to it.”
Rather than short-circuiting, the biggest struggle with thin air has been short-circuited:
“Right now, it’s hard to finish downfield, and things like that,” Gordon said. ‘It’s really dry, I try to drink water every second, my lips are dry. That’s the biggest adjustment, working all offseasons and coming here and still feeling like you’re not in shape because of the height. “
Gordon is not the first player to make that adjustment, but he will do so under a lot of pressure to show that he is worth a big role with the Broncos, who signed Gordon on a two-year $ 16 million deal this offseason.
So far in the camp, Gordon has split off offense over time with Phillip Lindsay, who ran more than 1,000 yards for two seasons in a row. Gordon comes off a season in which he placed 612 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games with the Chargers after a failed contract hold.
It’s a new team and a new height for Melvin Gordon. (Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
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