The San Diego Chargers All-time Team

No team has lived by the passing game the way the San Diego Chargers have throughout their nearly 50-year history. Original coach Sid Gillman set the standard in the 1960s with quarterbacks Jack Kemp and John Hadl airing the ball out to Lance Alworth, Dave Kocourek and Gary Garrison. The tradition continued under coach Don 'Air' Coryell during the late '70s and into the '80s. Pass-happy quarterback Dan Fouts threw his way into the Hall of Fame with the help of such reliable receivers as John Jefferson, Wes Chandler and fellow Hall-of-Famers Charlie Joiner and Kellen Winslow. During the '90s, under coach Bobby Ross and behind the leadership of unheralded quarterback Stan Humphries, the Chargers made their only Super Bowl appearance, a lopsided 49-26 loss to the dominant San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX. Since then, after some lean years, the Chargers have clawed their way back into the realm of the AFC elite with superstar players like Ladainian Tomlinson, Phillip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Shawne Merriman leading the charge.
As is the case with any 'all-time' list, there is room for arguement and discussion. My personal biases lean toward longevity (number of years played with team), quality of performance (number of starts at position, Pro-Bowl or All-Pro selections), and lastly, fan appreciation (Keith Lincoln comes to mind). That being said, current players such as Merriman and Cromartie will not be considered as starters due to their lack of tenure -- they may, however, be included under 'honorable mention'. Current players who have logged a suitable number of years with the Chargers, such as Tomlinson or Jamal Williams, will be considered for starting positions. So enough talk already -- let's get to it!!!

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