57 Fun Facts About Chargers

Which stadium became the Chargers' home when it opened in 2020?

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood opened in 2020 as the shared home of the Chargers and Rams; MetLife Stadium is the NFL's only other dual-tenant venue.

Which Chargers linebacker was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2005?

Shawne Merriman, the 12th overall pick in 2005, recorded 10 sacks as a rookie and won Defensive Rookie of the Year, celebrating each sack with his 'Lights Out' dance.

Which hotel heir was the Chargers' original owner?

Barron Hilton, son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, paid a $25,000 franchise fee to found the Chargers in 1959 and sold control of the team in 1966.

The Chargers' owner said the team's name was inspired by what?

The owner recalled fans yelling 'Charge!' to a bugle call at Los Angeles ballgames and denied any link to his Carte Blanche credit card business; a fan had submitted the name in a contest.

Where did the Chargers play their home games from 1961 to 1966, their first years in San Diego?

Balboa Stadium, built in 1914 beside San Diego High School, was expanded to about 34,000 seats for the Chargers; The Beatles played there in August 1965.

Who was the Chargers' first head coach, hired away from the Los Angeles Rams?

Sid Gillman, let go by the Rams after the 1959 season, became the Chargers' first head coach in 1960 and pioneered the deep vertical passing game.

By what score did the Chargers win the 1963 AFL Championship Game, their only league title?

The Chargers routed the Boston Patriots 51–10 in San Diego on January 5, 1964, and their coach then publicly sought a game against the NFL champion Chicago Bears.

Which Chargers back was MVP of the 1963 AFL title game after rushing for 206 yards on just 13 carries?

Keith Lincoln also led the team with 123 receiving yards and completed a 20-yard pass, accounting for 349 yards of offense in the title game.

Which Chargers receiver was nicknamed 'Bambi' by teammates?

Lance Alworth's baby face and deer-like stride earned the 'Bambi' tag; he caught a pass in 96 straight games and in 1978 became the first AFL player in the Hall of Fame.

How many holding penalties was Chargers tackle Ron Mix called for in ten seasons?

Ron Mix, 'The Intellectual Assassin', was flagged for holding just two times in ten seasons with the Chargers and later earned a law degree and practiced as an attorney.

For how much was the Chargers franchise sold to a group led by Gene Klein in 1966?

Gene Klein and Sam Schulman led a 21-man group that bought the Chargers for $10 million in 1966, a record price for a pro sports franchise at the time.

In what year did the Chargers move into the newly built San Diego Stadium in Mission Valley?

San Diego Stadium opened in August 1967; it became Jack Murphy Stadium, then Qualcomm Stadium, hosted three Super Bowls, and was demolished in 2021.

San Diego Stadium was renamed in 1981 for Jack Murphy, who had what job?

Jack Murphy was a sportswriter, the San Diego Union's sports editor and columnist, who campaigned to bring the Chargers to town; the stadium carried his name until Qualcomm bought the rights in 1997.

What was the nickname of the pass-heavy offense the Chargers unleashed starting in 1978?

Air Coryell, named for coach Don Coryell, led the NFL in passing yards six straight seasons from 1978 to 1983, an NFL record.

Before the NFL, the Chargers' 1978–86 head coach won 100-plus games at which college?

Don Coryell went 104–19–2 at San Diego State from 1961 to 1972, and his Aztecs staffs included future Hall of Fame coaches John Madden and Joe Gibbs.

Which Chargers quarterback was the first with three straight 4,000-yard NFL passing seasons?

Dan Fouts passed for 4,000-plus yards in 1979, 1980 and 1981; his 4,802 yards in 1981 set an NFL record, and his father Bob was a longtime 49ers broadcaster.

Which Chargers tight end caught 13 passes and blocked a field goal in the 1981 'Epic in Miami'?

Kellen Winslow caught 13 passes for 166 yards, blocked a potential game-winning field goal as regulation ended, and was famously helped off the field by teammates.

What was the final score of the Epic in Miami, won by the Chargers in overtime on January 2, 1982?

The Chargers won 41–38 after leading 24–0 in the first quarter; Miami tied it at 38 before the game finally ended 13:52 into overtime.

Which Chargers kicker won the Epic in Miami with a 29-yard field goal in overtime?

Rolf Benirschke's 29-yard kick came 13 minutes and 52 seconds into overtime, after he had missed a 27-yarder earlier in the period.

What was the reported wind chill at the January 1982 'Freezer Bowl' AFC Championship?

Kickoff air temperature was −9 °F with strong winds, producing the reported wind chill of −59 °F, the coldest by wind chill in NFL history.

What rule did the NFL adopt after the Raiders' 1978 'Holy Roller' win over the Chargers?

After the play the NFL ruled that only the fumbler may advance a late fumble; Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler later admitted he had flipped the ball forward on purpose.

Which Chargers receiver retired in 1986 with the most receptions and receiving yards of any NFL wide receiver?

Charlie Joiner's 750 catches and 12,146 yards were career records for a receiver when he retired after 1986; Bill Walsh called him the most intelligent receiver the game had known, and his No. 18 is retired.

In which California city was Alex Spanos, who bought control of the Chargers in 1984, born?

Alex Spanos was born in Stockton in 1923 to Greek immigrant parents, began by selling sandwiches to farm workers there, and built A.G. Spanos Companies into one of the country's largest apartment developers.

Which linebacker's No. 55 is retired by the Chargers?

Junior Seau, a San Diego native, made 12 straight Pro Bowls with the Chargers and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015, three years after his death.

Which head coach, hired in 1992, took the Chargers to their only Super Bowl?

Bobby Ross's 1994 Chargers went 11–5, then upset the Steelers 17–13 in Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game to reach the franchise's only Super Bowl.

Which quarterback, acquired in a trade with Washington, led the Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX?

Stan Humphries, acquired from Washington in a trade days before his first Chargers season opener, quarterbacked the 1994 Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX, where they were 18.5-point underdogs to the 49ers.

What was the final score of Super Bowl XXIX, the Chargers' loss to the 49ers in January 1995?

The 49ers won 49–26 as Steve Young threw a Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes and was named the game's MVP.

Which quarterback did the Chargers take second overall in 1998, right behind the Colts' first pick?

Ryan Leaf went 4–14 as a Chargers starter and was released in 2001, while Peyton Manning, taken one slot ahead of him, went to Canton.

LaDainian Tomlinson played college football for which program?

LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 5,263 yards at TCU, including an NCAA-record 406 yards against UTEP in 1999, before the Chargers took him fifth overall in 2001.

How many total touchdowns did LaDainian Tomlinson score in his record-setting 2006 MVP season?

LaDainian Tomlinson's 31 touchdowns in 2006 were 28 rushing, a record, plus three receiving; he also threw a pair of touchdown passes that did not count toward the total.

How many points did Tomlinson score in 2006, breaking Paul Hornung's 46-year-old single-season record?

Tomlinson's 186 points in 2006 passed Paul Hornung's 176 from 1960; he was also co-winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award that season.

What regular-season record did the 2006 Chargers post, the best in franchise history?

The 14–2 Chargers lost only at Baltimore and Kansas City, by a combined six points, yet fell 24–21 at home to New England in their playoff opener.

Which head coach did the Chargers fire in February 2007, weeks after a division-winning season?

Marty Schottenheimer's feud with GM A.J. Smith led to his firing on February 12, 2007; he retired with 200 regular-season wins and no Super Bowl appearance.

Which quarterback, drafted first by the Chargers in 2004, was traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers?

Eli Manning had said he would not play for San Diego, so the Chargers dealt him to the Giants on draft day for Philip Rivers and picks; both quarterbacks started for 15-plus seasons.

With which team did Philip Rivers play his final NFL season in 2020?

Philip Rivers left the Chargers after 2019 and spent 2020 with the Indianapolis Colts, going 11–5 and reaching the playoffs before retiring that January.

Which sport did Antonio Gates play in college at Kent State before becoming a Chargers tight end?

Antonio Gates played basketball at Kent State, helping the Golden Flashes reach the 2002 Elite Eight, then signed with the Chargers undrafted and retired with a tight-end record 116 touchdown catches.

Drew Brees suffered which injury in his final game as a Charger in 2005?

Drew Brees suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder against Denver in the 2005 finale; the Dolphins passed over the injury, and he signed a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints.

Which Chargers defensive end, the third overall pick in 2016, was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Joey Bosa had 10.5 sacks in 12 games as a 2016 rookie; his father John played for the Dolphins and his brother Nick is a fellow Ohio State product and Pro Bowl edge rusher.

In the November 2016 vote on Measure C, a hotel-tax plan for a new San Diego stadium, what share said no?

Measure C needed 66.7 percent approval but drew only about 43 percent yes, so 57 percent said no; the relocation letter followed that January.

How much did the Chargers pay the NFL as a relocation fee to return to Los Angeles in 2017?

The $645 million fee, payable over ten years, was set by the league; Dean Spanos announced the move in a letter posted on January 12, 2017, and hired Anthony Lynn as coach the next day.

The 'LA' logo the Chargers unveiled on relocating in 2017 was widely mocked for resembling which team's logo?

The interlocking 'LA' looked like the Los Angeles Dodgers' logo with a bolt-shaped tail; it was pulled within days and the team went back to its own bolt.

Roughly what was the capacity of the Chargers' temporary Carson home (2017-19), then the smallest NFL stadium?

Dignity Health Sports Park, then called StubHub Center, on the Cal State Dominguez Hills campus seats about 27,000 and is the home of MLS's LA Galaxy.

In 2019 the Chargers made which 1960-era look their primary home uniform?

Powder blue jerseys, a nod to the 1960s look, became the primary home uniform in 2019; in that era the helmets carried each player's number on the side.

Which quarterback, the sixth overall pick in 2020, won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Chargers?

Justin Herbert, a Eugene native who played at Oregon, won the 2020 award and threw for 5,014 yards in 2021, the most in franchise history at that point.

Why did the Chargers' rookie quarterback make an unplanned first start in Week 2 of 2020?

A team doctor punctured Tyrod Taylor's lung with a pain-killing injection minutes before kickoff against Kansas City; the rookie went on to throw 31 touchdown passes, a first-year record at the time.

In the 2022 Wild Card round, the Chargers lost to Jacksonville after blowing a lead of how many points?

The Chargers led 27–0 and lost 31–30, the third-largest blown lead in playoff history, a collapse that helped seal Brandon Staley's fate a season later.

In which seasons did Jim Harbaugh play for the Chargers before becoming their coach in 2024?

Jim Harbaugh, 'Captain Comeback', quarterbacked the Chargers in 1999 and 2000 near the end of his playing career, and later coached the 49ers against his brother John in Super Bowl XLVII.

Where was the Freezer Bowl AFC Championship, which the Chargers lost 27–7 in January 1982, played?

Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati hosted the game; Ken Anderson threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Bengals in −9 °F air, and the Chargers did not return to a conference title game until 1994.

Which general manager picked the Chargers' name for the new franchise?

Frank Leahy, the former Notre Dame coach serving as the team's first general manager, chose 'Chargers' from the entries in the team's name-the-team contest.

The Chargers lost the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship Games to which team?

The Buffalo Bills beat the Chargers 20–7 in 1964 and 23–0 in 1965, back-to-back AFL title games that followed San Diego's 1963 championship.

What was the Chargers' record in 1973, a low point of the early-1970s struggles?

The 1973 Chargers went 2-11-1, with Harland Svare replaced by Ron Waller midseason; the team did not post a winning record again until 1978.

Which defensive end spent 1975–81 with the Chargers before entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Fred Dean played for San Diego from 1975 to 1981, then won Super Bowls XVI and XIX with the 49ers and entered the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Brandon Staley's first offensive coordinator was the grandson of which coaching legend?

Joe Lombardi, grandson of Vince Lombardi, came from the Saints to run Staley's offense in 2021 and was fired in January 2023, replaced by Kellen Moore.

Staley and GM Tom Telesco were fired in December 2023 one day after a 63-21 primetime loss to which team?

The Las Vegas Raiders routed the Chargers 63-21 on Thursday night, December 14, 2023; Staley and Telesco were fired the next morning, and Giff Smith finished the 5-12 season as interim coach.

What record did the Chargers post in Jim Harbaugh's first season, 2024, earning the AFC's fifth seed?

The Chargers went 11-6 in 2024, Jim Harbaugh's first season after nine years at Michigan, and took the AFC's fifth seed before losing at Houston in the wild-card round.

Which Chargers running back led the American Football League in rushing yards in 1965?

Paul Lowe ran for 1,121 yards in 1965, the most in the American Football League that season, averaging five yards a carry for the Chargers.

The Chargers' only playoff win over the Chiefs came in a wild card game in which season?

The Chargers shut out the Chiefs 17-0 in San Diego in the 1992 season's wild-card round, their first playoff game since the 1982 season.