It’s a one-two punch that the Chargers hope can form a foundation for the future.
The Chargers wrapped up their three-day rookie camp Sunday with coach Mike McCoy impressed with his first two picks: right tackle D. J. Fluker and inside linebacker Manti Te’o.
Fluker, the first selection out of Alabama, and Te’o, the celebrated second-rounder out of Notre Dame, didn’t disappoint in delivering first impressions.
“D.J. Fluker did a heck of a job,” McCoy said. “When you see kids that come from Alabama, the way they’ve been coached, he really was the leader out there on offense. It’s great to see that because we need more guys like that. Very vocal. Very positive to everybody. (He) broke the team down at the end and I didn’t ask him to. I wanted to see who would step up and he stepped up without hesitation.”
Te’o was spot-on as well. He was front-and-center for the team stretching drills and finished first in drills with linebackers.
“(Te’o) did a great job,” McCoy said. “Like we talked about D.J. being the vocal one on offense, he was the vocal player on defense. That’s why we took him where we did and we’re looking for great things from him.”
For the Chargers to crawl out of their hole — missing the playoffs in three straight years — they need a productive draft. That includes the two at the top, a pair of players that should be starting come opening day.
Fluker knows it will take time to get up to speed, but he’s looking to take the fast track.
“Being able to be patient, that’s the main thing,” Fluker said. “Being able to be coachable. Being able to fight the adversity. Learning the scheme. Communicating. Talking to each other. That’s how you become a dominant team. Being able to be that guy and go out there and give great energy. That’s what the team needs.”
In Te’o, the team gets a player that comes with a back story, one that includes Te’o being a victim in a hoax regarding a fake girlfriend.
And while that subject still comes up, Te’o is doing a pretty good job of stiff-arming it.
“I think when you start focus on what people on the outside think that’s when you’re going to start getting into trouble,” Te’o said. “For me, I’m just focused on what I can do for my team and representing my team and my family the best way that I can.”
On a less important, but still interesting, matter, Te’o will wear No. 50, a tip of the hat to his Hawaiian heritage. Hawaii was the 50th state.
But it was Te’o’s state of mind, especially after all he went through, that is of more interest.
“I think I did pretty good,” he said. “When you’re out there, you kind of check yourself sometimes. Sometimes you go back to what your use to. What we did at Notre Dame and what we do here is kind of similar. There are little differences in the things that we do. I have to catch myself a couple times but it was so good to be out there and breaking on footballs, running down on runs, dropping back in pass … just playing football.”
McCoy made it clear he is expecting big things from Fluker and Te’o as well as all the Chargers. The sprint is on to opening day, with those not catching on fast being left behind.
“You want to find out how the players learn, because we’re going to throw a lot at them,” McCoy said. “They are way behind mentally in our system. They’ve only been here since (Thursday night) learning the system and we’re not going to slow down and wait for them. We’re going to go at the pace of the vets. We’ve already done a lot in the offseason with the players that are already here and they’ve got to do whatever they can to catch up.”