Los Angeles Chargers: 6 most underrated players in team history

Marion Butts, running back

Expectations generally are not too high for players drafted in the seventh round, and that held true for Marion Butts, who the Chargers took out of Florida State in the 1989 draft. However, Butts became a workhorse back for the Chargers in his rookie season and led the team in rushing in each of his five seasons with the team.

Butts only cracked the 1,000-yard rushing barrier once. That came during the 1990 season when he gained 1,225 yards on the ground en route to the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl selections for him.

During his prime, Butts was a straight-ahead runner who would generally try to run over and through defenders rather than run around them. He became one of the most effective backs in the league in the early 1990s and all of the yardage he gained on the ground added up.

He finished his time in San Diego with 4, 297 yards rushing. That still ranks third in team history, behind only Paul Lowe and LaDainian Tomlinson. He also had 31 rushing touchdowns and a yards per carry average of 4.2. His 1,031 rushing attempts are second-most in team history.

He finished his career by playing a season each for the New England Patriots and Houston Oilers, but his career should be remembered for his always productive and at times dominant tenure with the Chargers.