2011 Chargers Rushmore
By Ernie Padaon
Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE
You all know what Mount Rushmore is right? Arguably the top 4 Presidents of the United States carved onto a mountain out in South Dakota.
If we had a Chargers Mount Rushmore carved out in Chargers Park for the 2011 season, who would you have placed on it?
Here is my list:
Eric WeddleI was one of the guys that was not happy to see him get a HUGE contract. I wanted him back on the team, but didn’t like seeing us send out all that money. He shut me up real fast with his play this season! He was the best player on the defensive side of the ball and was selected to the All-Pro and Pro-Bowl teams. He led the league in interceptions with seven and was one of the few playmakers on defense. Hope he can continue playing up to that standard next season.
Antwan BarnesBarnes led the team in sacks with 11, while everyone else on the roster had struggles getting any pressure on quarterbacks at all. Despite his ability to put pressure on the quarterback, he still had to come off of the bench and split time with Travis LaGirl. We need to get him more opportunities to get after the quarterback. At the very least, we need to move him ahead of LaGirl on the depth chart.
Mike ScifresHe started out the year kicking field goals! He kicked in 3 extra points and then he nailed one from 40+ yards out. He is one of the best punters in the league and he had his best season last year with a new career high in punt average.
Jared GaitherI love the BIG LAZY! He didn’t allow a sack once he was brought onto the team and his addition to the starting lineup transformed our offense. All of a sudden, Philip Rivers was able to get time to throw the ball and make big plays down the field. His play may have saved some people’s jobs! He will be looking to get a nice payday from his play.
We had 5 players that headed to the Pro Bowl and only one of them is on my list. Philip struggled with turnovers and his play caused us to lose some games. Ryan Mathews still puts the ball on the ground and really needs to fix that issue. Antonio Gates was still recovering from his toe early in the season and didn’t look right until later in the year.
Vincent Jackson would be next up on the list. He played well and fought through injuries to get out onto the field and contribute.
Who would be on your Chargers Rushmore?