With Chargers training camp underway, and the season just right around the corner, Chris Ello takes an inside look at how the Bolts stack up position-by-position heading into 2009.
Today: Defensive Tackles (tomorrow: Defensive Ends)
Starter
Jamal Williams, 12th yr., Oklahoma State: If you’re looking for reasons why the Charger players voted Williams as the team’s Defensive Player of the Year in ‘08…well, there’s about 348 of them. That would be one for each pound that lines up over center each week and becomes an immovable object for enemy offenses.
Valuable, indeed.
And while a season was threatening to come apart around him, Williams stood his ground and had another stellar season (though he fell short of a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nod). The nice thing about being huge is that age isn’t as much of a factor as it is for, say, players who need to keep their speed. Sure Williams just turned 33 a few months ago, but it’s not like he has gotten any smaller.
Of course, stamina is an issue with the big fella, so it will be important for the Chargers to find somebody to step in from time-to-time. But when he’s in there, expect that opposing teams will have trouble finding any running room up the middle.
Reserves
Ian Scott, 7th yr., Florida: At a mere 302 pounds, Scott is a veteran still looking to find his niche. Drafted by Chicago in the 4th-round of the ‘03 draft, he had three relatively solid seasons with the Bears from ‘04 through ‘06, playing in 43 games and making 96 tackles.
Since then, he has bounced around through the Philadelphia and Carolina organizations before finally landing last season in San Diego, where he played in four games. If the younger players drafted to take his place don’t come through, Scott could wind up sharing some time with Ryon Bingham (see: defensive ends), backing up Williams.
Newcomers
Vaughn Martin, Rookie, Western Ontario:For those wondering why the Bolts would take a flyer on a 23-year-old player with no experience in
Can The Big Fella Push His Way Into the Lineup This Season?
American Football (and just two years of college ball in Canada) with their 4th-round pick in this year’s draft, here’s the answer: because not even the great Vince Lombardi could teach size. And this youngster has plenty of it: he’s 6-foot, 4-inches tall and weighs in the neighborhood of 330 pounds.
Not only that, but most who have seen Martin play say that it is his athleticism that surprises them the most. That’s why he has played more defensive end than nose guard in the preseason. He is, however, a big guy who one would think will eventually find his way back to the middle of the D-Line.
Will that be this year? Well, he’s going to have a lot to learn, being as Martin played just one year of high school ball before attending Western Ontario. Will he be able to learn defense with 11 players on the field rather than the 12 that play in Canada? Will he be able to deal with NFL offensive linemen when all he’s ever seen is Canadian collegians? We’ll see. One thing’s for sure, though: watching Martin try to make the big jump to the NFL from the Great White North will be interesting to follow.
Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Rookie, Michigan State: A local kid done good, Nwagbuo may have a shot to see some playing time this season. He’s big (6-foot-4, 303 pounds), and has a couple of years of Big 10 Conference playing experience behind him, having played in 24 games with the Spartans, including 18 starts.
Nwagbuo played only one year of varsity football at Spring Valley’s Mount Miguel High School, but honed his game in two years under Coach Mike Pompa at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.
–Ello
