Villanova Univeristy Athletics

One of three generations of his family to be a Villanova quarterback and the program record holder for passing yards in a single game for 27 years, Drew Gordon threw for 2,370 career yards on Wildcats teams that were a combined 21-9-1 (.694) during his career. His father, Andy, was a Villanova quarterback from 1946-48 and his son, Brett, followed in their footsteps with his own Hall of Fame career from 1999-02. Gordon was a member of the Wildcats varsity squad from 1969-71. He graduated in 1972 and was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1996.
 
Gordon was 181-of-333 during his Villanova career and threw for 2,370 yards with 21 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. His best single game performance came on Thanksgiving in 1970 when he threw for a school-record 395 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-26 victory over Temple. The previous Wildcats record of 315 yards in a game had been set earlier the same season by Gordon’s teammate Daryl Woodring, while his new mark from the Temple game would stand for 27 years until being broken in 1997. His son, Brett, holds the current mark with 460 passing yards in a 2002 game against Delaware.
 
At the time of their graduations following the 1971 season, Woodring and Gordon were the top two career passers in Villanova history. Gordon’s 2,370 yards remained eighth in the Wildcats record book at the time of his Hall of Fame induction and was still in the top 20 in school history more than 50 years later. He was as consistent as he was accurate, and Gordon threw for over 700 yards in each of his three varsity seasons. His best year was 1970 when he set the single game record as he went 66-of-120 that season for 883 yards and seven touchdowns. As a senior in 1971, Gordon posted career bests in completion percentage (60.2%) and passing efficiency (154.2) while throwing for 758 yards and nine scores.
 
The game against Temple in 1970 was the first of two times in Gordon’s career that he was a part of a school record being set. One year later on October 30, 1971 he threw for 344 yards and five touchdowns in a 33-27 win at Xavier. All five touchdown passes were thrown to star wide receiver Mike Siani who set Villanova records which still stand with the five touchdown receptions and 288 receiving yards on the day.
 
At the time of his Hall of Fame induction in 1996, Gordon still ranked second in school history to his teammate Woodring with a career average of 13.09 yards per completion. The mark remained fourth in the Wildcats record book when Gordon passed away in 2023. Gordon averaged 19.11 yards per completion in the 1971 game against Xavier, a school record which stood for 18 years before being broken in 1989. His career passing efficiency of 129.5 was still a Villanova career record when Gordon was inducted to the Hall of Fame. Gordon scored nine rushing touchdowns in addition to his passing numbers and was one of only 14 quarterbacks in school history at the time of his death to have 30 or more combined passing and rushing touchdowns.
 
Gordon coached at La Salle College High School in Philadelphia as an offensive coordinator for five seasons (1994-97, 2005) before becoming head coach prior to the start of the 2006 campaign. He would go on to compile a record of 91-26 (.778) in nine years as head coach and led La Salle to the 4A state title in 2009. He was the first coach to lead a Philadelphia Catholic League school to a football state championship. Gordon led his teams to eight appearances in the Philadelphia Catholic League championship game, including winning the league title in his first year in 2006 as well as five consecutive seasons from 2008-12. Gordon had a career playoff record of 19-4 and won four straight District 12 (City) championships. His 2009 state title earned him Nike Coach of the Year and U.S. National Guard Coach of the Year honors. He led his 2010 team back to the state championship game where the Explorers fell to North Allegheny after outlasting North Penn, 38-35, in the semifinals.
 
Long before his coaching career began Gordon was himself and All-Catholic quarterback at Bishop McDevitt High School in 1966 and 1967. His son, Brett, would serve as his offensive coordinator on the La Salle staff.
 
It was not only the family connection that kept Gordon involved with Villanova football after his playing career, as he was a longtime color analyst on Wildcats radio broadcasts over the years.
 
Gordon was born on April 4, 1950, one year after his father Andy completed his own standout Villanova career. Andy was the Wildcats leading passer in 1946 and 1948 under Hall of Fame head coach Jordan Olivar. He was a part of the 1948 squad which tallied Villanova’s first ever bowl game victory over Nevada, 27-7, in the Harbor Bowl in San Diego. Andy Gordon threw for 1,076 career yards and 12 touchdowns. The third generation of Gordon quarterbacks at Villanova was Brett, a 2017 Varsity Club Hall of Fame inductee who threw for 9,639 career yards and 83 touchdowns in a Wildcats uniform.
 
Gordon passed away on September 4, 2023 at the age of 73.