Sonny Gordon

Denman Preston Gordon (July 30, 1965 – April 26, 2023) was an American professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).

Gordon was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, but attended Middletown High School in Ohio. He was both a basketball and football standout, as well as president of his senior class.

He played collegiately for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where, as a senior, he was honored by Gannett News Service as a third-team All-American.

Gordon was selected by his hometown Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL draft, but was released at the final roster cuts. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and appeared in seven games for them.

Gordon was out of professional football during the 1988 season, but joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL the following year. He appeared in 33 games for the Tiger-Cats, over the course of two seasons, recording four interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He finished his career playing a single season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1991.

Gordon died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in Dublin, Ohio, on April 26, 2023. He was 57.