MIAMI GARDENS — Ollie Gordon II has a plan for life after football and it involves leaving Earth. The Miami Dolphinsrunning back said if he wasn’t playing football, he’d be an astronaut.
It’s an unexpected answer from the 225-pound running back whose preferred method of moving through a football field is running straight through whoever gets in his way. But spend a little time around Gordon and the answer starts to make sense.
He has boundless energy, an infectious laugh and he seems to be determined to make sure nobody around him takes life too seriously - at least until it’s time to work.
“You gotta have that switch,” Gordon said. “Whenever you’re on the field … you gotta have a game face on. Whenever you’re off, you know, you gotta be goofy.”
For now, Gordon’s mission is a little closer to home. With De’Von Achane sidelined for the season with a torn ACL, Gordon has an opportunity to carve out a bigger role in Miami’s backfield. The Dolphins are getting a closer look at what made him one of college football’s most dominant backs while at Oklahoma State - he is 6th in the NFL at 5.02 yards per carry. He’s also proving he can bring the same personality to the field that already has made him a presence in the locker room.
“He runs violent,” Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said. “I love that about him.”
Jeff Hafley appreciates Ollie Gordon II's growth
Hafley has noticed Gordon’s growth beyond physicality. He described Gordon as a passionate player, and said that he is beginning to see leadership qualities emerge as Gordon takes on more responsibility within the team. Gordon’s passion for the game is a quality that his teammates have seen from the beginning.
“He’s an energy ball,” offensive lineman Patrick Paul said. “You can hear him, you know he’s there.”
Wide receiver Malik Washington has noticed the same shift recently. Gordon’s personality has always stood out, Washington said, but now his play is beginning to match the energy he brings into the locker room every day.
For Gordon, positivity is contagious, and he tries to set the tone himself.
“If I can start off with a great attitude, I feel like all my teammates will all start off with great attitudes,” Gordon said. “Sometimes they pick me up, I feel like it’s great to have that.”
His optimistic outlook is something he says he gets from watching his mother, Tarona Smith, carry a go-getter mentality throughout his childhood.
“My mom's been the most influential,” Gordon said. “She showed me that anything could be done.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley says Ollie Gordon II 'runs violent'
