When people think about an NFL team, usually one person immediately jumps to mind. Players like JJ Watt on the Texans, Peyton Manning on the Broncos, Adrian Peterson on the Vikings. And a while back, when a fan thought about the San Diego Chargers, Junior Seau usually popped in their heads. Who is the next Junior Seau for the Chargers?
When Seau was out there on the field for the San Diego Chargers, it was “Light’s Out.” Seau chased down quarterbacks, hit extremely hard, and had a motor like no one else. He quickly became one of the most popular players on the Chargers, and soon he was the face of the franchise and a San Diego sports icon.
Who is the “Next Junior Seau” of the Chargers today? When an NFL fan thinks about the Lightning Bolts, who is that one person that comes to mind?
Is it: -Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Ryan Mathews, Eric Weddle, or Keenan Allen? Someone else?
I believe the face of the franchise, right now, is Philip Rivers. Rivers has been producing since he arrived, and wants to deliver a Super Bowl for the city of San Diego.
A starting quarterback since 2006, Philip Rivers didn’t dissapoint. Rivers’ career passer rating is 96.0 which is third-best all time among NFL quarterbacks. He is a fierce competitor and loves to win. Charger fans love his tenacity and he is never satisfied unless the Bolts got a win.
Comparing him to Junior Seau, Rivers isn’t quite up there yet. When Seau was at San Diego playing for the Chargers, I remember him being the face of the NFL. It is very hard to find a player like Seau in the world.
Rivers could very well be one of the biggest faces of San Diego Chargers history. There is no doubt he has the skills to do it, but as the quarterback of the team, it’s “up to him to win a Super Bowl.”
However, the Chargers may have found their next Seau in Keenan Allen. Only in Allen’s rookie season, he racked up over 1000 yards recieving and had 8 touchdowns.
Allen has the potential to be like Brandon Marshall of the Bears, maybe even better. After only his rookie season, there isn’t one true NFL fan who doesn’t know the name of Keenan Allen. He makes the toughest catches, and has been playing with a chip on his shoulder after not being selected in the early rounds of 2013 Draft.
Only time will tell, but let’s give a moment to remember the tragedy of Junior Seau. No doubt, he was the face of the Chargers franchise and a great player. Everyone misses you Junior Seau.
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