Ricky Lynn Bell was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). Bell played college football for the USC Trojans, gaining 1,875 yards rushing in his junior season. The first overall pick in the 1977 NFL draft, Bell was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Gary Lynn "Big Hands" Johnson was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was a four-time All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He played the majority of his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers, and he was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.
Joe Dan Washington Jr is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.
Wesley Sandy Chandler is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and ranked twelfth in NFL history in receiving yards and thirteenth in receptions when he retired. Chandler is a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
John Larry Jefferson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was selected in the first round of the 1978 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in San Diego, where he became the first NFL player to gain 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers after a contract dispute with the Chargers, and later finished his playing career with the Cleveland Browns.
Duane Julius Thomas was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the West Texas State Buffaloes.
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.
William Alan Munson was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1979. He also played college football for Utah State where he set multiple passing records as a senior in 1963.
Donald Matthew Macek is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers for fourteen seasons. Macek played college football for the Boston College Eagles. He was drafted by the Chargers in the second round of the 1976 NFL draft. Despite being underrated throughout his career, some have considered him among the top performing NFL centers during the 1980s and the best Charger at that position up to that point in time. In 1991, he was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame and to the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2004.
Gary Lynn Garrison is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He attended San Diego State University from 1964 to 1965. His 26 touchdown receptions are still a career school record.
Charles Ray DeJurnett was an American football defensive tackle. He played college football at San Jose State. From 1974 to 1986, he played professionally in both the World Football League (WFL) and National Football League (NFL) for the Southern California Sun, San Diego Chargers, and Los Angeles Rams. DeJurnett was selected to the WFL All-Star team in 1975.
Woodrow Lowe, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker from 1976 to 1986 for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). Lowe played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide under Bear Bryant from 1972 to 1975.
Leroy Jones was an American professional football player who was a defensive end. He played the majority of his 11-year career with the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL).
William Dean Shields is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 1975 NFL draft. Shields also played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.
Malcolm "Mike" Thomas was an American professional football player who was a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1975.
Jacque Harold MacKinnon was an American professional football player who was a tight end, playing most of his career in the American Football League (AFL) with the San Diego Chargers. He also was a member of the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League (NFL) and the Southern California Sun in the World Football League (WFL). He played college football at Colgate University.
Robert Horn was a National Football League (NFL) linebacker from 1976 to 1983. He was a member of 1971 class 3 high school football championship team at South Salem High School. He played college football at Oregon State University from 1972 to 1975 and was selected in the fourth round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1976 NFL draft. He played six seasons for the Chargers from 1976 to 1981. He then played in the 1982 and 1983 seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. He concluded his playing career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1984.
The 1976 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's seventh season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 17th overall. The Chargers improved on their 2–12 record from 1975 and finished 6–8, but missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season. The Chargers started off the season by winning their first three games, but they struggled through the rest of the season by losing eight of their last eleven, which included four shutout losses, two of which were to division rival Denver.
The Bruise Brothers were a group of American football players who played on the defensive line for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). The foursome, consisting of Fred Dean, Gary Johnson, Louie Kelcher, and Leroy Jones, formed one of the most dominant lines of their era. The Chargers selected Johnson, Kelcher, and Dean in the first two rounds of the 1975 NFL draft, and traded for Jones the following year. They helped San Diego lead the league in sacks in 1980.
