79-459: Ekeler is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Austin Ekeler (born 1995), American football player Mike Ekeler (born 1971), American football coach See also [ edit ] Eckler , surname [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with the surname Ekeler . If an internal link intending to refer to
158-983: A charter member of the American Football League (AFL). They spent their first season in Los Angeles before relocating to San Diego in 1961 to become the San Diego Chargers . The team joined the NFL as a result of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 . In 2017, the Chargers moved back to Los Angeles after 56 seasons in San Diego, a year after the Rams had moved back to the city after spending 21 seasons (1995–2015) in St. Louis . The team previously played at
237-556: A group of executives, including Eugene V. Klein and Sam Schulman . The team moved to San Diego Stadium in 1967 and continued to perform well, though not winning any championships. By 1970, they had joined the NFL following the AFL-NFL merger . The team struggled in the early 1970s, with coaching changes and a decline in performance, finishing with a 2–11–1 record in 1973. The Chargers hired Don Coryell as head coach in 1978, introducing
316-476: A junior, he had 19 rushing touchdowns and led Division II in all-purpose yards per game with 203.9 and scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game. As a senior, he had 1,495 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. Ekeler signed a three-year, $ 1.66 million contract that includes a $ 5,000 signing bonus with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL draft . In
395-410: A metallic white helmet, with a navy face mask, the newly revamped bolt in gold with navy and powder blue trim, and white pants. The road white jerseys with navy pants, as well as the alternate powder blue jerseys with white pants, were also redesigned with the new scheme. From 2002 to 2006 , the Chargers used the early-1960s powder blue uniforms as alternate jerseys, which many football fans (both of
474-826: A professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member 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 . The Chargers were founded in Los Angeles in 1959, and began play in 1960 as
553-638: A receiving touchdown in the 30–28 victory. In Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks and Week 9 against the Falcons, he had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in both games. In Week 16, against the Colts, he scored two rushing touchdowns. With those two scores, Ekeler and Marshall Faulk are the only two players in NFL history to have 10 or more rushing touchdowns and five or more receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons. In Week 17, against
632-555: A replacement for Pagano, as they hired Gus Bradley on January 20. Bradley was formerly the head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and before landing that head coaching job was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. The Chargers also announced they had hired Anthony Lynn to be their next head coach. In their first game back in Los Angeles at StubHub Center included an announced attendance
711-601: A single season. Ekeler, along with Colts running back Jonathan Taylor , led the NFL in touchdowns. Ekeler was ranked 46th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022 . In Week 4, against the Texans, Ekeler had 109 scrimmage yards, two rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown in the 34–24 victory. In Week 5, against the Browns, he had 16 carries for 173 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with
790-603: A specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ekeler&oldid=1067323060 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description with empty Wikidata description All set index articles Monitored short pages Austin Ekeler Austin Ekeler ( / ˈ ɛ k l ər / EHK -ler ; born May 17, 1995)
869-452: A touchdown as the Chargers won 45–10. He was the sixth player ever, and the first since Herschel Walker in 1986, to average over 10 yards per carry and reception in a 100/100 game. Overall, he finished the 2019 season with 557 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 92 receptions for 993 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. On March 16, 2020, Ekeler signed a four-year $ 24.5 million contract extension with
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#1732788097739948-731: A two-year contract with the Washington Commanders on March 18, 2024. He suffered a concussion in a Week 3 Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals and sat out the following week against the Arizona Cardinals . Ekeler's younger brother, Wyett Ekeler, plays football at the University of Wyoming . His mother, Suzanne Ekeler, played college basketball at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs . Austin's biological father left
1027-497: Is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Colorado Mountaineers , finishing as their all-time leader in rushing yards before signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. With the Chargers, Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns for
1106-420: The 2013 season , the Chargers made minor tweaks to their current uniforms. These include a two-tone nameplate (gold with powder blue trim on home jersey, navy with gold trim on away jersey, and white with navy trim on alternate jersey), collars matching the color of the jersey, and the addition of a gold stripe on the socks. On January 12, 2017, with the announcement that the Chargers were moving to Los Angeles,
1185-590: The 2017 season at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson , despite the stadium's 30,000 seating capacity being well below the 50,000 minimum that the NFL set for temporary homes. The home of Major League Soccer 's LA Galaxy served as the Chargers' temporary home field until they joined the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood starting with the 2020 NFL season . The Chargers became the second former San Diego professional sports franchise to move to Los Angeles, after
1264-787: The 2021 and 2022 seasons . Ekeler was born on May 17, 1995, in Lincoln, Nebraska , and attended Eaton High School in Eaton, Colorado , where he played high school football . He was a four-year letterer and starter for the Fightin' Reds; despite being only 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) as a freshman, Ekeler rushed for 454 yards and 8 touchdowns on 70 carries. By the end of his career, Ekeler amassed 5,232 rushing yards and 71 touchdowns (39 of which came from his senior year alone) on 561 carries, averaging 9.15 yards-per-carry, with another 581 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Despite this performance, Ekeler
1343-592: The 2022 NFL season with a 10–7 record and the 5th seed in the AFC. They lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars after blowing a 27–0 lead in the game. Despite the playoff loss, the Chargers were alleviating their attendance issues, with their average attendance during the 2022 season being in the top third of the league for a second consecutive year. On January 17, 2023,
1422-454: The Clippers in 1984. One week after the move from San Diego to Los Angeles was announced, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the other NFL owners were "angered" by the decision, and that "the NFL wants the Chargers to move back, though nobody believes that possibility is realistic." On January 13, the Chargers fired defensive coordinator John Pagano . It took the team one week to find
1501-696: The Detroit Lions , he rushed 17 times for 66 yards and a touchdown with additional work in the receiving game, recording six receptions for 67 in the team's 10–13 loss to the Lions. In Week 3 against the Houston Texans , Ekeler rushed nine times for 36 yards and caught seven receptions for 45 yards. In Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins , Ekeler rushed 18 times for 60 yards and one touchdown and caught five passes for 62 yards and one touchdown in
1580-686: The Divisional Round against the New England Patriots , he had three receptions for 19 yards in the 41–28 loss. Ekeler began the season as the starter while Melvin Gordon was in a contract dispute. In Week 1, Ekeler rushed 12 times for 58 yards and the game-winning touchdown, in addition to catching six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the 30–24 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts . In Week 2 against
1659-636: The Las Vegas Raiders , Ekeler had 15 carries for 117 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown in the 28–14 victory. The following week, against the Cleveland Browns , Ekeler had 119 scrimmage yards, two rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown in the 47–42 victory. In Week 11, against the Pittsburgh Steelers , he had 115 scrimmage yards, two rushing touchdowns, and two receiving touchdowns in
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#17327880977391738-548: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during their first stint in Los Angeles, Balboa Stadium and San Diego Stadium (also known as Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium) while in San Diego, and Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly named StubHub Center) from 2017 to 2019, while SoFi Stadium was under construction. The Chargers won the AFL championship in 1963 , and reached the AFL playoffs five times and
1817-467: The Los Angeles Rams , Ekeler rushed for 122 yards and had 39 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 72-yard run, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Ekeler finished the 2022 season with 204 carries for 915 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 107 receptions for 722 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, leading the league with 18 total touchdowns. In
1896-719: The Wild Card Round , Ekeler had two rushing touchdowns in the 31–30 loss to the Jaguars. In the regular season opener, Ekeler had 164 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 36–34 loss to the Dolphins. In Week 9, he had two rushing touchdowns in a win over the Jets. He finished the 2023 season with 179 carries for 628 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go with 51 receptions for 436 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in 14 games and starts. Ekeler signed
1975-404: The "Air Coryell" offense, a pass-heavy strategy that revitalized the team's performance. With quarterback Dan Fouts , the Chargers led the league in passing yards from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985. The team made four consecutive playoff appearances from 1979 to 1982, winning three AFC West division titles. Despite regular-season success, the Chargers faced challenges in the playoffs, including
2054-401: The 1960s uniforms. The redesigned lightning bolt was moved to the sides of the shoulders from the top, and includes a new numbering font and word mark in white, with gold outlining and powder blue interior trim. The pants also have a redesigned lightning bolt in gold, with powder blue trim on a navy stripe. Additionally, the team pays tribute to other uniform features from their history by wearing
2133-420: The 2010 season, the Chargers went 9–7 but missed the postseason for the first time under Turner. Five of the Chargers' seven losses were within one possession. In the 2011 season, the team went 8–8 and missed the postseason. In the 2012 season, the team went 7–9, missed the postseason, and fired Turner following the season. Prior to the 2013 season, the Chargers hired Mike McCoy to be their new head coach. In
2212-745: The 2013 season, the Chargers went 9–7 and made the playoffs despite a 3rd-place finish in the AFC West. The Chargers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 27–10 in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Denver Broncos 24–17 in the Divisional Round. In the 2014 season, the Chargers went 9–7 again but missed the postseason. In the 2015 season, the Chargers went 4–12. In the 2016 season, the Chargers went 5–11 and missed
2291-603: The 2018 season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs , Ekeler had 39 rushing yards to go along with five receptions for 87 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 38–28 loss. He scored a receiving touchdown in Weeks 4 and 5 against the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders . In Week 14, against the Cincinnati Bengals , he aggravated a neck injury, which sidelined him for two games. He returned for
2370-577: The 30–10 win. During Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans , Ekeler had only seven rushing yards but had 118 receiving yards as the Chargers lost 20–23. In Week 11 against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football , Ekeler rushed five times for 24 yards and caught eight passes for 108 yards in the 24–17 loss. During Week 14 against the Jaguars, Ekeler finished with 101 rushing yards on just eight carries, with four receptions for 112 receiving yards, and
2449-420: The 41–37 victory. Ekeler tallied 206 attempts for 911 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 70 receptions for 647 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Ekeler had eight games going over 100 yards from scrimmage. With 20 total touchdowns, Ekeler joined Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson as the only two players in Chargers franchise history to score that many touchdowns in
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2528-523: The AFC Championship. The team regressed to a 8–8 record in the 2008 season. However, they still won the division. They defeated the Colts in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Steelers in the Divisional Round. In the 2009 season, the Chargers went 13–3 and won the division again. The success was short lived in the postseason with a 17–14 loss in the Divisional Round to the Jets. In
2607-1076: The AFL Championship game four times before joining the NFL. Since then, the Chargers have made 15 trips to the playoffs and made four appearances in the AFC Championship game. In 1994 , the Chargers won their first and only AFC championship, and faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX , losing 49–26. The Chargers have eight players and one coach enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame : wide receiver Lance Alworth (1962–1970), defensive end Fred Dean (1975–1981), quarterback Dan Fouts (1973–1987), head coach and general manager Sid Gillman (1960–1969, 1971), wide receiver Charlie Joiner (1976–1986), offensive lineman Ron Mix (1960–1969), tight end Kellen Winslow (1979–1987), linebacker Junior Seau (1990–2002), and running back LaDainian Tomlinson (2001–2009). According to an article listed by Forbes ,
2686-448: The Chargers and of other teams) clamored for the team to bring back full-time. From 2007 to 2018 , the Chargers wore the alternate powder blue jerseys twice per season. The alternate powder blue jerseys were also worn in a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2008 . In 2009 , in honor of their 50th anniversary as one of the eight original AFL teams, the Chargers wore their 1963 throwback uniforms for three games. For
2765-487: The Chargers defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley on the same day. On December 15, 2023, head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired, one day after a 63–21 primetime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders . The Chargers finished the remainder of the season with interim head coach Giff Smith. The Chargers finished out the 2023 with a 5–12 record. The Chargers signed former Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh on January 24, 2024. Harbaugh served as
2844-484: The Chargers fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks coach Shane Day . The Chargers hired former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to be their new offensive coordinator on January 31. Chargers defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill unexpectedly left the team on February 20 to join the Miami Dolphins as their secondary coach and passing game coordinator, with the vacancy being filled by
2923-412: The Chargers started using navy blue jerseys and returned to wearing white pants. The team's uniform design was next revamped in 1988. It featured an even darker shade of navy blue. The lightning bolts on the jerseys and helmets were white, with navy interior trim and gold outlining; the facemasks became navy blue. In 1990 , the team started to wear navy pants with their white jerseys. From 1988 to 1991 ,
3002-402: The Chargers unveiled their first uniform redesign since 1988, on the team's official website. The team formally unveiled this new uniform set, which mixes old and new styles, in a private team-only event. Navy blue remains the primary color on the home jersey, but the familiar lightning bolt was reverted to gold, and now has navy outlining and powder blue interior trim. The latter color is a nod to
3081-407: The Chargers' viability in Los Angeles. Beyond low attendance, the Chargers receive only 18.75% of season ticket revenues through 2040, contributing to the reduced goal. In the 2019 season, the Chargers had a poor 5–11 record, and were swept by their division. Rivers entered free agency and ended his long tenure as the Chargers' starting quarterback. On September 13, 2020, Tyrod Taylor became
3160-519: The Chargers. In Week 2 against the Chiefs, Ekeler rushed 16 times for 93 yards and caught 4 passes for 55 yards during the 23–20 overtime loss. In Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers , Ekeler recorded 143 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown during the 21–16 loss. In Week 4, Ekeler suffered a hamstring injury and a hyperextended knee and was expected to miss four to six weeks. He was placed on injured reserve on October 9, 2020. He
3239-535: The Chiefs, 23–20, in his first start. In week 13, the Chargers lost to the Patriots, 45–0, in the worst blowout loss in team history. The season concluded in a 38–21 win over the Chiefs. Justin Herbert broke multiple rookie records throughout the season, but despite his record-breaking season, the Chargers finished the season with a 7–9 record. At the conclusion of the 2020 season, the organization announced that Lynn
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3318-532: The Divisional Round by the New England Patriots. Despite the historic season for the Chargers, the team fired Schottenheimer. Prior to the 2007 season, the Chargers named Norv Turner as head coach. In his first season at the helm, Turner led the Chargers to an AFC West title. The team defeated the Titans in the Wild Card Round and the Colts in the Divisional Round before falling to the Patriots in
3397-535: The Los Angeles Chargers are worth 3.875 billion dollars in August 2022 putting them at number 20 on the list of richest NFL teams. The Chargers were established with seven other American Football League teams in 1959. They began AFL play in Los Angeles the following year in 1960. The Chargers' original owner was hotel heir Barron Hilton , son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton . According to
3476-569: The Los Angeles Raiders and Rams were considered to be competing in the "Battle of Los Angeles" during the Raiders' tenure in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994. However, the rivalry ended as the Rams moved to St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland in the mid-1990s. The Raiders unsuccessfully attempted to move back to Los Angeles in 2015 following a failed joint stadium project with the then-San Diego Chargers. The intercity rivalry
3555-493: The NFL regular season). Herbert broke numerous sophomore year records, but despite his and the rest of the team's efforts, the Chargers missed the playoffs in a week 18 win-or-tie-or-go-home overtime loss to the Raiders. On February 3, 2022, the Chargers hired Vikings special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken . In 2022, the Chargers announced the location of a new headquarters in El Segundo, California . The Chargers finished
3634-439: The Raiders defeated the Chargers in overtime, 35–32. The winning field goal was unnecessary for the Raiders' playoff chances, and if the game had ended in a tie, both teams would have made the playoffs. With the field goal, the Chargers were eliminated. The Raiders lead the series 69–58–2 as of the end of the 2023 season, including having won the only playoff game between the two teams, the 1980 AFC Championship game . Initially,
3713-409: The Raiders intentionally fumbled in order to score a touchdown. This somewhat controversial play resulted in a rule change the following season. On November 22, 1982, the Raiders hosted their first Monday Night football game in Los Angeles against the Chargers. The Chargers led the game in the 1st half 24–0 until the Raiders scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to win 28–24. On January 10, 2022,
3792-530: The blue jerseys changed from white to gold. In 1974 , the sky blue was changed to dark royal blue. The helmet was also changed to dark blue and the players' numbers were removed. Additionally, the face masks became yellow, thus making them one of the first teams in the NFL (with the Kansas City Chiefs) to use a facemask color other than the then-predominant grey. From 1978 through 1983 , the Chargers wore their white jerseys at home, coinciding with
3871-659: The city; the league did acknowledge that a vote of the owners could change the situation. The team had a 9–7 record, but missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time. After a 12–4 regular season record, the Chargers qualified for the 2018 playoffs. The team defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the Divisional round. However, Chargers' attendance problems continued into their second season. For instance, there were so many fans of
3950-524: The coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. He went to Super Bowl XLVII with the 49ers where he lost to the Baltimore Ravens . He was the Michigan football coach from 2015 to 2024. There, he had a total record of 86–25 while reaching the college football playoffs three times, as well as winning the 2024 National Championship . Prior to beginning his coaching career, Jim Harbaugh
4029-410: The colors consisted of various shades of electric blue ("powder" blue, but technically called collegiate blue) or white jerseys, both with gold lightning bolts on the shoulders. The helmets were white and had both the arc-shaped lightning bolt logo, in gold or navy depending on the year, and the player's number. At first, the team wore white pants before switching to gold in 1966. In 1973, the numerals on
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#17327880977394108-517: The crowd. Following the hiring of coach Sean McVay in 2017, the Rams managed to win back-to-back division titles, including an appearance in Super Bowl LIII during McVay's second season as head coach. The Chargers experienced their own playoff success by boasting a 12–4 record in 2018 and making an appearance in the 2018 AFC divisional round but lost to the New England Patriots. The Rams won the first regular season matchup in Los Angeles between
4187-410: The end of the 2023 season, including having won the only playoff meeting between the two teams, a 2013 AFC Divisional game . The table below shows the five most recent NFL regular season records along with their respective finish in the NFL playoffs . The Los Angeles Chargers appeared in the postseason twice in the five last seasons, which happened in 2018 that resulted in a Divisional loss to
4266-753: The family at a young age and is currently serving a life sentence in a Nevada maximum security prison. Ekeler established the Austin Ekeler Foundation in 2021 with a mission "to help create opportunities for people to fulfill their passions and ultimately their lives." The same year he founded the Gridiron Gaming Group as a way for sports personalities to grow their online communities by livestreaming with other athletes. Ekeler married Melanie Wilking on May 25, 2024. Los Angeles Chargers National Football League ( 1970 –present) The Los Angeles Chargers are
4345-535: The famous " Epic in Miami " game in 1981. The 1990s brought further changes, including the hiring of Bobby Ross as head coach in 1992. The Chargers won the AFC West title in 1992 and reached the Super Bowl for the first time in 1994, losing to the San Francisco 49ers 49–26. Marty Schottenheimer was named as Chargers head coach prior to the 2002 season. He led the team to a 8–8 record in his first season at
4424-454: The helm. The team dropped to a 4–12 mark in the 2003 season. The Chargers drafted Eli Manning with the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. However, Manning did not want to play for the Chargers resulting in a trade with the Giants for quarterback Philip Rivers, who was their first round pick. The Chargers improved to a 12–4 record in the 2004 season. They won the AFC West. Their stint in
4503-506: The hiring of coach Don Coryell – when Joe Gibbs , a Coryell assistant in 1979–80, became head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1981, he did the same, and white at home became a Redskins staple through 2007 – but Coryell switched the Chargers to their blue jerseys at home starting in 1984 . With the exception of the 1991 season and other sporadic home games since, San Diego wears its blue jerseys at home. In 1985 ,
4582-409: The logo on the helmet changed to navy as well. Gold pants were also included in the rebrand. Powder blue also returned as the primary color. The Chargers–Raiders rivalry dates to the 1963 season, when the Raiders defeated the heavily favored Chargers twice, both come-from-behind fourth quarter victories. One of the most memorable games between these teams was the "Holy Roller" game in 1978, in which
4661-578: The official website of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , Barron Hilton agreed after his general manager, Frank Leahy, picked the Chargers name when he purchased an AFL franchise for Los Angeles: "I liked it because they were yelling ‘charge’ and sounding the bugle at Dodger Stadium and at USC games." In December 1960, the Chargers considered moving to San Diego , Atlanta , or Seattle , ultimately relocating to San Diego’s Balboa Stadium in January 1961, due to financial losses in Los Angeles. The city upgraded
4740-468: The post season for the third consecutive season. The team parted ways with Mike McCoy as head coach following the season. In 2017, the Chargers relocated back to Los Angeles. Chargers owner Dean Spanos announced the move in a letter to the city of San Diego posted to the team's official site on January 12, 2017. The team, which would pay the NFL a $ 645 million relocation fee announced it would be returning to their birthplace in Los Angeles starting with
4819-402: The postseason was short as they dropped the Wild Card Round to the Jets. The Chargers went 9–7 but missed the postseason in the 2005 season. Rivers took over as starting quarterback in the 2006 season. Rivers went on to be the franchise quarterback for the Chargers. In the 2006 season, the Chargers won the division and went 14–2, the best record in franchise history. The team was eliminated in
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#17327880977394898-518: The regular season finale against the Broncos and scored a rushing touchdown. Overall, in the 2018 season, he finished with 554 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 39 receptions, 404 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. The Chargers earned the #5-seed for the AFC Playoffs. In the Wild Card Round against the Baltimore Ravens , he had 43 scrimmage yards in the 23–17 victory. In
4977-409: The same uniforms they wore during their inaugural season in 1960 while in Los Angeles, as its primary home uniform beginning with the 2019 NFL season . The club also announced that the facemask color would change from navy blue to gold, which was previously worn when the team wore its royal blue NFL Color Rush uniforms. On March 24, 2020, the team announced new logos and upcoming new uniforms for
5056-586: The season opening 24–21 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football , Ekeler had two receptions for 18 yards in his NFL debut. In Week 4, against the Philadelphia Eagles , he had his first career touchdown, a 35-yard rush, on his first NFL carry. On November 12, against the Jacksonville Jaguars , he had 10 carries for 42 yards to go along with five receptions for 77 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Overall, he finished his rookie season with 260 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 279 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. In
5135-410: The stadium, increasing its seating capacity to 34,000. The Chargers’ defense was strong, recording forty-nine interceptions in their first season in San Diego. They won the AFL title against the Boston Patriots in 1963, but lost in the 1964 and 1965 championships to the Buffalo Bills . In the late 1960s, the Chargers faced ownership changes and financial difficulties. In 1966, Hilton sold the team to
5214-406: The starting quarterback for the Chargers and the first new quarterback to start since Philip Rivers' starting debut on December 31, 2005. He led them to win 16–13 due to a missed field goal by the Bengals. On September 20, 2020, Taylor suffered a punctured lung while receiving a pain-killing injection, forcing rookie quarterback Justin Herbert to start. Herbert led the team to a narrow loss against
5293-451: The tailback position. Ekeler attended and played college football at Western Colorado from 2013 to 2016 and is their all-time leader in rushing yards. As a freshman, Ekeler started nine games. He led the team with 1,049 rushing yards to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. As a sophomore, he had 14 rushing touchdowns and set school records with 1,676 rushing yards, 2,093 total all-purpose yards, and 190.3 all-purpose yards per game. As
5372-453: The team displayed stripes down the pants rather than lightning bolts. The Chargers went with all-white combinations in 1997 and 2001 , only to have the blue pants make a comeback. On October 27, 2003, the Chargers wore their navy pants with their navy jersey for a Monday Night Football game versus the Miami Dolphins that was played at Sun Devil Stadium , then the home of the Arizona Cardinals , due to wildfires in southern California. This
5451-429: The team unveiled a new alternate logo incorporating the letters "LA" with a lightning bolt. The logo was immediately and widely criticized for its resemblance to the Los Angeles Dodgers logo. The team tried to defuse the controversy by changing the color scheme of the new logo before scrapping it altogether after two days. The team officially announced on April 16, 2019, that it would wear its powder blue jerseys,
5530-460: The team. The new logos removed the navy blue completely, altered the double bolt lessening the curve, and debuted a new script logo featuring powder blue and gold and lightning bolt shooting from the A in Chargers. On April 21, 2020, the team unveiled their new uniforms. This uniform set has numbers on the helmet and includes two color-rush uniforms, a royal blue set similar to the one used in their previous look, and an all-navy set, which has color of
5609-433: The two teams in Week 3 of the 2018 season. The Chargers would win the next meeting in Week 17 of the 2022 season, the first matchup between the two teams at their new stadium. As of the 2023 season, the Rams lead the all-time series 7–6. As of the 2023 season, the Kansas City Chiefs lead 69–58–1, but the Chargers won the only playoff meeting between the two teams, a 1992 AFC wild card game . Broncos lead 73–55–1 as of
5688-534: The visiting Kansas City Chiefs at the Chargers' 2018 home opener that USA Today remarked it "was essentially a Chiefs home game". In December 2018, a Los Angeles Times columnist asked if the Chargers would receive a parade in the city if they were to win the Super Bowl. The team's struggles to draw fans reportedly led them to lower their initial revenue goal when they moved into the new stadium from $ 400 million to $ 150 million, and caused some owners to doubt
5767-513: Was fired as head coach. The Chargers signed Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley to become their new head coach on January 17, 2021. Brandon Staley brought in Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi , grandson of Vince Lombardi , as the new offensive coordinator, and Renaldo Hill , Broncos defensive backs coach, as their new defensive coordinator. In the 2021 season, the Chargers' record improved to 9–8 (with an extra 17th game added to
5846-429: Was a quarterback for the Chargers from 1999 to 2000. Except for color changes along the way, the Chargers have essentially used the logo of an arc-shaped lightning bolt since the team debuted in 1960. During its period in the AFL, the club also used a shield logo that featured a horsehead, a lightning bolt, and the word "Chargers". The team brought the logo back for on-field design in the 2018 season. From 1960 to 1973,
5925-411: Was a zero-star recruit who saw little interest from any Division I school. Wyoming recruited him but never offered him a scholarship, and his only scholarship offers came from Adams State , Chadron State , Oklahoma Panhandle State , and Western Colorado . However, the first three universities wanted to switch him to the defensive side of the ball; Western Colorado was the only school to offer him at
6004-636: Was activated on November 28, 2020. Ekeler made his return from injury in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills . During the game, he recorded 44 rushing yards and 85 receiving yards during the 27–17 loss. In Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons , he recorded 146 yards from scrimmage during the 20–17 win. Ekeler finished the 2020 season with 116 carries for 530 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with 54 receptions for 403 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. In Week 4, against
6083-498: Was just over 25,000, divided "around 50/50" between fans of the Chargers and the visiting Miami Dolphins. After the poor response, the NFL was reportedly considering ways to move the Chargers back to San Diego, although that possibility was considered unlikely. The league officially denied that such discussions were happening, as San Diego was stated not to have a usable stadium and that the Spanos family refuses to consider going back to
6162-457: Was revived only with the Chargers' move from San Diego in 2017, following the Rams' return to Los Angeles in 2016. Hostility erupted between the two clubs during a 2017 joint scrimmage at the Rams' training camp in Irvine, California. Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman and Chargers receiver Keenan Allen initiated an altercation and multiple players rushed into the skirmish, creating an uproar from
6241-544: Was the only game in which the Chargers had worn the all-dark combination until the uniform change in 2020. From the late 1980s to 2000, the Chargers wore white at home during some preseason games and dark for regular season games. In 2001 , the Chargers started wearing their dark uniforms for preseason games and white uniforms in September home games due to the heat before switching back to dark in October. In March 2007,
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