Training camp can be a grueling time for an NFL player, but it's a necessary one. By the time Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon had contacted trainer Todd Durkin, he had felt that. The then-holding out back wasn't in NFL shape, and he felt the repercussions.

Durkin had the challenge of getting Gordon — who was seven pounds heavier, per Ian Rapoport — in-shape to play whenever his holdout ended.

“Although we did strength training and squats and lower-body stuff, too, my whole thing was, I needed to get his lungs in shape because he wasn't where I wanted him to be,” Durkin said, via NFL.com. “If he had to play in mid-August, he wouldn't have been ready. Week 1, for instance, he was needing quite a bit of recovery between reps. We were trying to do 2-minute drives and he was feeling the ramifications. Now, we've been pushing the pace, and he's ready. He's ready.”

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Durkin believes Gordon is ready. On Sunday, he'll have to prove that. Though initially not expected to play, when the Chargers ran into depth issues, Gordon became the natural answer to Los Angeles' problems. The problem: he hasn't taken an NFL hit since January.

“There's no way to replicate that same collisions as Sunday,” said Durkin. “We busted his tail to try to mimic it but he's not getting hit, it's not the same. We've been going all out, but there's nothing like having a 240-pound linebacker chase you. But lung-wise, he'll be able to handle it.”

Gordon will get for the first time in a long time on Sunday. But, he may not do so much. The Chargers are expected to keep him on a limited snap count. Though Gordon trained to get in shape, his body has to readjust to being back in pads.