Gordon was born in Lynn, Massachusetts,[1] but attended Middletown High School in Ohio.
[2] He played collegiately for the Ohio State Buckeyes,[3] where, as a senior, he was honored by Gannett News Service as a third-team All-American.
[4] Gordon was selected by his hometown Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL draft,[5] but was released at the final roster cuts.
[1] 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.