| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | July 18, 1944 Madera, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died: | October 17, 2015 (aged 71) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| College: | San Diego State | ||||||||||||
| Position: | Defensive end / Defensive tackle | ||||||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1966 / round: 13 / pick: 117 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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Houston Robert Ridge Jr. (July 18, 1944 – October 17, 2015) [1] was a professional American football defensive linemen who played four seasons for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). He achieved notoriety for filing a class-action lawsuit against the team in 1969 after suffering career-ending injuries that he claimed were caused by steroids and amphetamines issued to players. Ridge ultimately reached a $250,000 settlement with the Chargers. [2] Related Research Articles Antonio Ethan Gates is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers during his entire career in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and was a six-time All-Pro selection. He retired on January 14, 2020, after 16 years with the Chargers. Marion Stevenson Butts Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, the New England Patriots and the Houston Oilers from 1989 to 1995.  Luis Alberto Castillo is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats before being selected by the Chargers in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. Castillo was one of the cover athletes for the Spanish language version of Madden NFL 08.  Nicholas Ryan Novak is an American former professional football placekicker. He played college football at Maryland and was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005.  Billy Ray Smith Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and was twice recognized as a unanimous All-American. Smith was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft, and played professionally for the NFL's San Diego Chargers.  Frank James Buncom Jr. was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the American Football League (AFL). He played most of his career with the San Diego Chargers and is member of the Chargers Hall of Fame.  Stephen Cooper is a former American football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Maine. He was signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003, and played his entire professional career for the Chargers. Eric Samuel Parker is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Tennessee.  Jacques E. Cesaire is a former American football defensive end and coach who is the defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He spent all nine years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers. The 1962 NFL draft was held on December 4, 1961 at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Robert Babich was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers and the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.  The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating back to Los Angeles, where the franchise played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now known as the Los Angeles Chargers.  Donald Farris Norton was an American professional football end in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at the University of Iowa and was drafted by the newly formed AFL in 1960, playing seven seasons for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960–1966), making the AFL All-Star team in 1961 and 1962. After retiring, Norton began to experience health problems from steroid use, which was widespread in the teams he played on. He suffered a heart attack at the age of 59 and died in 1997 after undergoing open heart surgery. The 1961 AFL season was the second regular season of the American Football League. It consisted of 8 franchises split into two divisions: the East Division and the West Division. The 1961 AFL Championship Game was a rematch of the first American Football League title game, between the Houston Oilers and the San Diego Chargers. It was played on December 24 at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California, and the Oilers were three-point favorites.  The 1963 San Diego Chargers season was the team's fourth in the American Football League. The team had gone 4–10 in 1962 but rebounded with an 11–3 record, winning the AFL West by one game over the Oakland Raiders, who were coached by former Chargers assistant Al Davis. San Diego scored the most points in the league and conceded the fewest. Their offense, led by veteran quarterback Tobin Rote, and featuring future Hall of Fame receiver Lance Alworth, gained more yards than any other team; Rote and Alworth were each named the league MVP, by the Associated Press and UPI, respectively.  The 1961 San Diego Chargers season was the team's second in the American Football League. Following a move from Los Angeles, it was the Chargers' first season in San Diego, where the team remained until returning to Los Angeles in 2017.  Oluseyi Ajirotutu is a former American football wide receiver and special teamer. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Fresno State. He is of Nigerian origin.  Corey Devon Liuget is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. References
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