And now, a break from the football season and time for some meaningless drivel!  I’ve posted a few of these without causing a ripple on the front page, but now that there are some fun ones coming up, I thought I’d flash one, and maybe one every once in a while (and, of course, when a vote is necessary).

The 40s mark a departure from the 30s in terms of Charger players, past and present.  Lots of good ones to choose from with interesting legacies.

We start with #40.

The "Runner"-Up

Gary Anderson, RB

The popular, "state-of-the-art" choice here might be Gary Anderson.  After all, he was doing acrobatic leaps into the end zone before Reggie Bush was even out of diapers.  (Heck, the Bush family may have even been watching Anderson on Channel 39.)

In fact, after his short stint in the USFL, Anderson took the NFL by storm with what he was able to do out of the backfield.  Not too many Running Backs make it to the Pro Bowl their second season in the league after rushing for less than 450 yards!  But it was the 80 receptions for almost 900 yards that earned him the trip to Hawaii.

By ‘88, with the Coryell years well in the rearview mirror, Anderson was THE man on the Chargers, rushing for over 1100 yards.  But his discontentment was obvious.  The Chargers were a lame team with a lame head coach, and things were about to get lamer.  Anderson held out the entire 1989 season in a contract dispute.  The following season, he was shipped off into deeper purgatory.  That’s right, Tampa Bay.  He never rushed for more than 650 yards.  And more than costing himself a potentially great career, his stubbornness and greed cost him a Golden Jersey!

The Champ

Joe Beauchamp, CB

Sure, Anderson was the better athlete.  Flashier, more exciting.  But Beauchamp was solid.  He did what he did, he did it well, and he never complained about his contract or the training camp food.  Actually, I have no idea about his propensity to complain, but what I do know is that Beauchamp was with the Chargers – his only team -- for 10 seasons, played in over 100 games, played both Safety and Corner, and finished 5th on the team’s career interception list with 23, returning 3 for touchdowns.

Quiet and efficient.  They barely make 'em like that anymore.

The Others

James Fuller, SS

Derrick Harris, FB

Bob Jackson, FB

Jim Jodat, RB

Mark Montreuil, CB

Clarence Williams, RB