Wisconsin’s Gordon talks #IowaSucks Instagram post

CHICAGO - Melvin Gordon's college football career at Wisconsin is over, but his personal rivalry with Iowa fans endures.

Gordon, a probable first-round pick in Thursday's NFL draft, got in a dig at Iowa fans last month during the NCAA basketball tournament. After both the Badgers and Hawkeyes advanced to the round of 32, Gordon posted a picture of himself on Instagram in the waning seconds of a 26-24 win at Kinnick Stadium last November. He wrote: 'Good morning world haha #IowaSucks.”

The picture, which displayed the All-American running back with his tongue out, went viral among Wisconsin and Iowa fans. At an NFL Play60 event Wednesday morning in Chicago, Gordon explained the picture was all in fun.

'It's a rival. They're a rival team. So we're talking a little trash,” Gordon said. 'I didn't mean anything by it. Everyone didn't know that picture was against Iowa. I just posted it because it was a cool picture; it just had my tongue sticking out. The fans were talking trash, and I just wanted to post it. It was a cool picture, I liked it.

'We were in the tournament with Iowa, but it had nothing to do with basketball. It was a cool picture. That was me, it was random. Everyone took it the wrong way, but it is what it is.”

Gordon originally committed to attend Iowa but changed his mind before the 2011 signing date. He enjoyed one of the nation's most prolific careers, setting the NCAA record for yards per carry at 7.79. He also rushed for 2,587 yards, which set a Big Ten mark and was the second-most in FBS history (2,628 by Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in 1988).

Gordon was 2-0 against Iowa in his Wisconsin career, and both games were held at Kinnick Stadium. He ran for 200 yards in last year's win. Iowa held Gordon to 62 yards in their 2013 meeting, Gordon's low the last two seasons.

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