It was never about the jersey.
That, Carmen Gordon said Friday, she wanted to make clear.
The mother of Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has worn her son's number to work and to the store and just about everywhere else. On Sunday, she will sport it somewhere for the first time since he entered the NFL.
A game.
In 2015, Carmen made headlines during training camp, telling reporters she wouldn't wear Melvin's jersey during his rookie season _ he had to "show me a little something" first. Both said too much was made of those remarks. On Friday, she and Melvin picked out a jersey she plans to wear at Sunday's home opener against the Jaguars.
The shopping trip was part of a video feature that will air on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown." The two-hour show begins Sunday at 11 a.m. EDT.
Melvin has put his rookie season behind him.
This is another aspect of it.
He scored his first two NFL touchdowns Sunday in the season opener against the Chiefs, but the performance is not what prompted Carmen to wear Melvin's jersey this Sunday; "he showed up; he hasn't arrived yet," she said.
It was a conversation they had before the start of training camp.
"He said, 'Mom, you're wearing a jersey,' " said Carmen, who's regularly attended Melvin's games since youth football. "I said, 'Does that mean we're getting ready to ball out?' He said, 'Yes. We're getting ready to ball out.' ...
"It almost was like a distraction when I said it (last year). And it's like, it didn't stand for that. He knew what I meant when I said it. It's just a thing he and I and my husband have. I'm so proud of Melvin. ...Words can't even express. It's hard to get here. So many kids dream to get here and don't. Melvin is one of them. He's fortunate, and he doesn't take anything for granted. He appreciates all the fans. He takes that extra minute to sign autographs."
Gordon scored 1- and 6-yard touchdowns in the first and second quarter Sunday, respectively. He finished with 57 yards on 14 carries.
This Sunday, he'll face a Jaguars front that largely held Green Bay in check last week. Aside from a 28-yard Eddie Lacy run, the Packers were held to 67 yards on 24 carries, a 2.8 average.
Gordon and Woodhead combined to total 146 rushing yards on 30 carries in Kansas City.
"It didn't matter to me what she was wearing," Gordon said. "She could've had a raincoat on. I would've been cool knowing she was there, and she was. The jersey meant more to other people than it did to me. She's always supported me. She always wants me to know she's here for me through the good and bad."
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