Melvin Gordon, the Chargers' first round pick, got the most shout-outs from fans along the fence surrounding the team's training fields when I attended the second public workout Friday afternoon, July 31, at Chargers Park in Murphy Canyon.
Kids and adults alike pressed toward the cyclone fencing that snakes its way around the two fields. Sharpies brandished, souvenir memorabilia waved in the air--one young man brought a basketball to have signed by the football players--it reminded me of getting Dodger autographs at Dodger Stadium when I was growing up.
Philip Rivers, the Chargers' quarterback, was easily recognizable in shorts with slender and tanned legs below his number 17 jersey. He led the offense through slow-motion patterns near the end of the workout, after a drill on the near field in which a ball carrier had to evade or split two defenders who approached from the opposite end.
Jason Verrett, a defensive back, also got a lot of attention from autograph seekers at 4:45 p.m., after players spread out along the fence to sign autographs after a team talk at midfield.
There wasn't discouragement or disillusionment visible over the Chargers' possible departure for Los Angeles following 2015. These were the excited, the faithful, the true believers. They could name various individual players, with or without the roster that was handed out at the front gate and ran out. Murphy Canyon Road was lined on both sides with cars parked bumper-to-bumper for quite a distance toward Aero Drive on the south and Clairemont Mesa Blvd. to the north.
Faces of children, teens, and adults were etched with attentiveness and emotion for their over-sized gridiron heroes. Some of the linemen, at 6'6" and 6'9" and listed at 350 pounds, dwarfed this reporter, who measures 6'5" and 260 pounds. One circle at the end of practice to stretch out muscles and avoid injuries was made up of backs and the "littler people". The other circle of players limbering up at various angles in various positions was populated with players who were noticeably bigger--bulky behemoth linemen.
Behind the fence, fans called to friends as they clambered to spots along the fence when practice let out. Others shared information, some of it incorrect--like the Fan Fest being Wed., when it's actually scheduled for Sat., Aug. 8, at Qualcomm Stadium. Gordon, the 15th pick in the draft out of Wisconsin, worked his way down the fence signing autographs before calling it a day after several minutes. Other players, lesser known, interacted with fans and calmly complied with requests to take selfies. It was all in a day's work for the gentle giants.
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
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