Ira Gordon
Encyclopedia
Ira Lawrence Gordon is a former professional American football
player who played offensive tackle for six seasons for the San Diego Chargers
. He was a starter for the last two. Left unprotected in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft
, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. He was expected to start for the Bucs, but wound up as a surprise training camp cut. Coach John McKay would not comment on outgoing players, but had earlier expressed concern that, although Gordon had potential to be one of the league's better guards, he would have difficulty learning the team's offensive system due to missing much of training camp with a contract dispute. Gordon believed that Buccaneer coaches soured on his outspokenness over harsh practice conditions, which included two-a-day practices in the Tampa sun with no water breaks, and refused to play football after the experience. The brother of Arizona State University
and Miami Dolphins
linebacker Larry Gordon
, he worked in Phoenix, Arizona
as a drug counselor after his NFL career.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played offensive tackle for six seasons for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was a starter for the last two. Left unprotected in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft
1976 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1976 National Football League Expansion draft was held on March 30 – 31, 1976. The expansion teams, the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, each selected 39 players from the other 26 NFL teams. When one player was chosen from an existing team, that team was then permitted to...
, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. He was expected to start for the Bucs, but wound up as a surprise training camp cut. Coach John McKay would not comment on outgoing players, but had earlier expressed concern that, although Gordon had potential to be one of the league's better guards, he would have difficulty learning the team's offensive system due to missing much of training camp with a contract dispute. Gordon believed that Buccaneer coaches soured on his outspokenness over harsh practice conditions, which included two-a-day practices in the Tampa sun with no water breaks, and refused to play football after the experience. The brother of Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
linebacker Larry Gordon
Larry Gordon
Larry Gordon was a former American football linebacker who played seven seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins...
, he worked in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
as a drug counselor after his NFL career.