Ty Allert, ILB

Chip Banks, OLB

Bob Bruggers, LB

Larry Evans, LB

Fred Forsberg, LB

Vince Osby, LB

Orlando Ruff, LB

Bob Rush, C

Patrick Sapp, LB

Galand Thaxton, LB

56 comes down to a two players with some interesting similarities.

• Both linebackers
• Both started their Charger careers strong, being named to Pro Bowls their first 3 years in San Diego. 
• And they both made playoff appearances in 2 of those 3 years.
• Then injuries started to take their toll and their playtime and skill diminished.  One missed an entire season; the other missed all but one game. 
• But for one, the future is still being written – even though it’s likely to be written with another team.

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Frank Buncom, LB

Steve Busick, LB

Jim Collins, ILB

Bob Horn, MLB

Ken Hutcherson, LB

Carl Mauck, C

Derrie Nelson, LB

Hmm, not that many guys wore 55 for the Chargers.  I wonder why that is… Maybe because one guy was HOGGING IT for 13 years!

Under normal circumstances, when the winner is so obvious, I forego the formality of a Runner Up, but there are a few 55s worthy of mention.

• Carl Mauck was a serviceable center who actually became one of the best Offensive Line coaches in the NFL, including for the Chargers.
• Frank Buncom was a high-quality linebacker (3 "All-Star" game appearances) on the great AFL teams of the 60s.
• Bob Horn was the forgotten centerpiece to the Coryell defenses – which must be some kind of oxymoron.

But let’s face it, this is all about another 55.

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54 presents a good mix of old-school and "current" school.

Ron Botchan, LB

Ed Flanagan, C

Carl Gersbach, LB

Tom Good, LB

Kurt Gouveia, LB

Eric Hill, LB

Jim Laslavic, MLB

Paul Latzke, C

Doug Miller, LB

Ralph Wenzel, G

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Okay, it’s the off-season, and BFTB may be hurting for a little content.  Therefore, the Golden Jersey series returns to the Front Page!  But also because #53 has a couple of familiar names.  Plus, in honor of some current members of the Chargers, this edition could be subtitled "Those Who Have Run-ins With the Law."

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James Burgess, LB

Jay Douglas, T

Mark Fellows, OLB

Dwayne Gordon, LB

John Holecek, LB

Mike Humiston, ILB

Brian Ingram, LB

Jeff Jackson, LB

Carlos Polk, LB

John Reeves, LB

Don Rogers, C

Angelo Snipes, OLB

Bob Stein, LB

Ray White, LB

It’s amazing to me that no 52 was really able to crack the starting lineup.  I don't "amazing" because there were so many swimming with immense talent.  It’s just amazing because of the sheer number of guys who wore 52. 

Therefore, 52 is short and sweet.  No jump or Runner Up necessary. 

The Winner

Ray Preston , LB

The only one who comes close is Ray Preston.  Preston’s stats were wholly unimpressive.  He amassed a total of 6 interceptions – and 5 of them came in one season.  (And as I mentioned earlier, "tackles" weren’t tracked until the mid ‘80s, after Preston retired).  But he meets several criteria for Golden Jersey consideration: longevity (9 seasons with the Bolts); exclusivity (the Chargers were the only team he played for); and contribution to victories (he was a starting LB on the playoff teams of ’79-’80).  Right this way for your fitting, Mr. Preston!

Don Brown, T

Terry Crews, LB

Joe Cummings, LB

Dick Degan, LB

Gerald Dixon, LB

Tim Dobbins, LB

Cedric Figaro, ILB

Wayne Frazier, C

Pete Lazetich, LB

Ben Leber, LB

Bill Lenkaitis, G

The Chargers’ on-going search for quality linebackers is evidenced by #51 (actually, by most of the 50s).  The truth is that very few of them stick for more than 3-4 years.  The 51 winner is the only one to play for more than 4.

Another thing these 50s guys have in common is that, at times, they’re hard to quantify.  They’re either linebackers or offensive linemen, so there aren’t a lot of stats to analyze (especially since the NFL didn’t appear to keep track of tackles until the mid 80s).  So I’m left going a lot by memory.

And as I remember, Ben Leber and Gerald Dixon were both solid, serviceable linebackers.  In fact, Leber is still doing a stand-up job for the Vikings (and might still be with the Chargers if it weren’t for the drafting and the presence of Shawne Merriman).  But stats or no stats, they don’t really hold a candle to the winner of Golden Jersey #51.

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A good one!  All hail!  In fact, as we get into the 50s, we’re gonna start to see some great battles among some pretty good linebackers.  But you’ll have to forgive the 50s for starting out with one of the best players at one of the most underappreciated positions in all of football, and forgive me for selecting him as the winner without a vote.

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Only four players have ever worn #49 in Charger history… and NONE since 1984!  I can’t honestly say that one player stands out above the others.  More like one nudges out the others.

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