Ty Allert, ILB
Chip Banks, OLB
Bob Bruggers, LB
Larry Evans, LB
Fred Forsberg, LB
Vince Osby, LB
Bob Rush, C
Patrick Sapp, LB
Galand Thaxton, LB
56 comes down to a two players with some interesting similarities.
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Both linebackers
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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.
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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.
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But for one, the future is still being written – even though it’s likely to be written with another team.
The Runner Up
(I think he's pissed about being chosen runner-up)
Shawne Merriman, LB
The Winner
Emil Karas, LB
So two simple questions arise:
1. Why not put it to a vote?
2. Why did I choose this way?
Well, the simple answer to number 1 is who really cares? Because we live in the here and now, Merriman seems like a big deal. But after next year and he becomes a former Charger – even if he goes on to greatness with another team – he basically amounts to a 3-year wonder; a guy who used ‘roids to compete; and a guy who relied a lot on downfield coverage for about ¾ of his sacks. "Oh, look! The quarterback’s about to run out of the pocket! Let me fall on him! Hey, that counts as a sack! Yeah, I know it’s only a 2 yard loss, but it’s still a sack!" My point is I save votes for the really important and tough ones.
And the simple answer to #2 is the overriding tiebreaker: Emil Karas won a championship.