Chargers Roster Breakdowns, 90-in-90: TE Sean Culkin

Player Factfile:

Name: Sean Culkin

Age: 23

Position: TE

College: Missouri

NFL games played: 0

Games played for the Chargers: 0

Fun fact: Culkin is a keen fisherman, and he's pretty good at it, too - his Instagram page has pictures of him posing with fish bigger than Darren Sproles!

Physically, Sean Culkin looks the part. He's 6'6, 250 lbs, which is pretty close to 'perfect' size for an NFL TE. He's also definitely got the strength, racking up an impressive 21 bench press reps at his Pro Day. He didn't run a 40-yard dash, but scouting reports say that he's more than athletic enough to be a factor as a receiver in the NFL.

The question therefore lies: Why did Culkin not produce in college?

Sure, Culkin was a good blocker in college, but that's about it. In a four-year career at Missouri, Culkin caught just 61 passes for 601 yards and 2 TDs. That's one TD every two years, and just 1.3 catches a game. In fairness, Missouri's offense was not one that incorporated TEs into the receiving game very much, but you have to feel that if Culkin was good enough, Missouri would have found a way to get him more involved.

Culkin has the potential to be more than just a blocking TE, but he couldn't ever shake off that label during four years in college, and the NFL is a completely different kettle of fish. You have to be realistic with this one, and say that there's probably not much chance that Culkin suddenly puts it all together and becomes a complete TE. His blocking probably isn't good enough to make up for being so one-dimensional, either. I can't see Culkin sticking around for long, personally. But that's enough of the negativity. He's on the team for now, which means we want to know more about him. Who is Sean Culkin?

Well, Sean Culkin seems like a pretty cool guy. The TE is incredibly sporty - alongside football, he loves basketball, hunting, boating, and fishing. Fishing seems to be a particular favorite of the TE, with a lot of his Instagram posts either being Culkin with a fishing rod, or a fish that's absolutely enormous. One reason Culkin potentially became so interested in fishing is that, as described in this excellent article, he grew up in a house that was just two minutes from an ocean. While there - and he was there a lot - he'd swim, fish, and use his boat to wakeboard and skimboard.

Culkin is also very musical (which, taking one look at his hair, doesn't surprise me). When some people say they're musical, it means they can play Wonderwall on guitar. When Culkin says he's musical, he means he can play both the guitar and the piano incredibly well. He started playing the piano when he was in early elementary school, and the guitar followed soon after. When Culkin does something, he takes it seriously, and he put in the hours to become an immensely gifted musician.

That work ethic followed Culkin to college, as he was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the best football student-athlete in the country. According to a teammate, "You’ll go in there at 11 p.m. on a Thursday night, and he is sitting at his kitchen table studying." Culkin's work ethic is probably the least surprising thing about him. You don't have so many hobbies (or become so good at so many different things) if you're lazy.

Culkin is also a devout Christian, having attended a Christian High School. Throughout his life, he's gone on a lot of mission trips with a group from his High School, including to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he spent time helping with projects such as constructing important buildings for the town. Whilst there, he'd also speak to the local children about Christianity.

It's remarkable that Culkin is only 23 because he's already done so much with his life. For now, he's able to add on 'NFL Tight End' onto his long list of accomplishments. Hopefully, that's a label he's able to keep for a while.