The San Diego Chargers announced their 40th Anniversary Team in 2000 to honor the top players and coaches in the history of the National Football League team. The Chargers began play in 1960 as part of the American Football League. [1] The anniversary team included 31 players and coaches voted on by fans and a media panel. [2] Four of the players were active on the 2000 Chargers squad. [3] The team became the Los Angeles Chargers after relocating in 2017.
* | Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame |
Years | Years with the San Diego Chargers |
---|
Position | Player | Years | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
QB | Dan Fouts * | 1973–1987 | |
RB | Keith Lincoln | 1961–1966, 1968 | |
Paul Lowe | 1960–1968 | ||
Chuck Muncie | 1980–84 | ||
WR | Lance Alworth * | 1962–1970 | |
Wes Chandler | 1981–1987 | ||
Charlie Joiner * | 1976–1986 | ||
TE | Kellen Winslow * | 1979–1987 | |
T | Ron Mix * | 1960–1969 | |
Russ Washington | 1968–1982 | ||
G | Ed White | 1978–1985 | |
Doug Wilkerson | 1971–1984 | ||
C | Don Macek | 1976–1989 |
Position | Player | Years | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
DE | Fred Dean * | 1975–1981 | |
Leslie O'Neal | 1986, 1988–1995 | ||
DT | Gary Johnson | 1975–1984 | |
Louie Kelcher | 1975–1983 | ||
LB | Woodrow Lowe | 1976–1986 | |
Junior Seau * | 1990–2002 | ||
Billy Ray Smith | 1983–1992 | ||
CB | Gill Byrd | 1983–1992 | |
Speedy Duncan | 1964–1970 | ||
S | Rodney Harrison | 1994–2002 | |
Charlie McNeil | 1960–1964 |
Position | Players | Years | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
K | Rolf Benirschke [lower-alpha 1] | 1977–1986 | |
John Carney | 1990–2000 | ||
KR | Lionel James | 1984–1988 | |
P | Darren Bennett | 1995–2003 | |
ST | Hank Bauer | 1977–1982 |
Coach | Years | Ref |
---|---|---|
Don Coryell * | 1978–1986 | |
Sid Gillman * [lower-alpha 2] | 1960–1969, 1971 |
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team plays its home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, which it shares with the Los Angeles Rams.
Keith Payson Lincoln was an American professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars before choosing to play with the San Diego Chargers in the AFL over the established National Football League (NFL). Lincoln was a two-time All-AFL selection and a five-time AFL All-Star. A member of the Chargers Hall of Fame, he won an AFL championship with San Diego in 1963, when he was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the championship game. He had a stint with the Buffalo Bills before returning to San Diego and finishing his career.
Frederick Rudolph Dean was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A twice first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, he won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Ronald Jack Mix is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle. He is a member of the American Football League (AFL) All-Time Team, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate play, he was a six-time first-team All-Pro, twelve-time Pro Bowl selection, and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was elected posthumously to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
"San Diego Super Chargers" was the fight song of the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). The disco song was written in 1979 during the Air Coryell era of the San Diego Chargers, and it was recorded by a session band dubbed "Captain Q.B. and the Big Boys." New Chargers owners replaced the song in 1989 with a non-disco cover version, but the original version was revived around 2002. The team itself was also sometimes referred to as the San Diego Super Chargers.
Natrone Jermaine Means is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers from 1993 to 2000. He was selected by the Chargers in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft. In 1994, he was selected to the Pro Bowl during San Diego's Super Bowl season. He is a member of the San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team. Means was nicknamed Natrone "Refried" Means and, later, "Natrone Means Business" by ESPN's Chris Berman, He is currently an assistant coach at North Carolina.
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 University of Arkansas, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. Smith was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the NFL's San Diego Chargers.
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.
Louis James Kelcher is an American retired professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), spending most of his career with the San Diego Chargers. He was a four-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Kelcher was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame and is a member of their 40th and 50th anniversary teams.
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach. He coached in high school, college, and the professional ranks; his most notable NCAA post was with the San Diego State Aztecs, then he moved on to the National Football League (NFL), first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986. Well known for his innovations in football's passing game, in particular the Air Coryell offense he created with the Chargers, Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Lionel "Little Train" James was an American professional football player who was a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. Undersized at 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and 171 pounds (78 kg), he spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984 to 1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season, when he set then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage. He also led the American Football Conference (AFC) in receptions that year.
Douglas Wilkerson was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers. Named to the Pro Bowl three times, he was also a three-time All-Pro, including a first-team selection in 1982. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame. He also played one season in the Austrian Football League for the Graz Giants in 1987.
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating back to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now known as the Los Angeles Chargers.
Steven Kent Crosby is an American former professional football coach and player. He spent 33 years in the National Football League (NFL)—3 as a player, 4 as a scout and 26 as a coach. Crosby was named the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year with the San Diego Chargers in 2007.
The San Diego Chargers announced their 50th anniversary team in 2009 to honor the top players and coaches in the history of the National Football League team. The Chargers were founded in 1959 as part of the American Football League. The anniversary team included 53 players and coaches selected from 103 nominees. The Chargers originally stated that only 50 members would be selected; the group is still sometimes referred to as the 50 Greatest Chargers. Online voting by fans accounted for 50 percent of the voting results; votes from Chargers Hall of Famers and five members of the local media made up for the other 50 percent. Over 400,000 votes were cast online. Dan Fouts and LaDainian Tomlinson received the first and second most votes, respectively. The team features eight Pro Football Hall of Fame members and 11 players that were active on the 2009 Chargers team.
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL) based in the Los Angeles Area. The club began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), and spent its first season in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961. They returned to Los Angeles in 2017. The Chargers created their Hall of Fame in 1976. Eligible candidates for the Hall of Fame must have been retired for at least four seasons. Selections are made by a five-member committee chaired by Dean Spanos, Chargers vice-chairman. As of 1992, other committee members included Bob Breitbard, founder of the San Diego Hall of Champions; Ron Fowler, president of the Greater San Diego Sports Association; Jane Rappoport, president of the Charger Backers; and Bill Johnston, the team's director of public relations.
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL) based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The club began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), and spent its first season in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961. They returned to Los Angeles in 2017. NFL teams assign each of their players a jersey number ranging from 1 through 99. The Chargers no longer issue four retired numbers.
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.
The 2017 San Diego Aviators season is the 23rd season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT) and its fourth playing in San Diego County, California.