Player Profile: Antonio Garay

Written by Cyndi Payne | 11 December 2010

Anotnio Garay, nose tackle: 6'4", 335 pounds, 31 years old, wears No. 71

"To play that position, you really have to be a stud." -- Ted Washington, 17-year NFL nose tackle

"You've got to be a bad ass to play there, no question.” -- Rex Ryan

"Oh, man, everything hurts. You just get used to it.” -- Casey Hampton, nose tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers

"The only option is football and the only position to play is nose tackle." – Antonio Garay, nose tackle, San Diego Chargers

Many adjectives can be used to describe Antonio Garay. Motivated. Tough. Intelligent. Persistent. Relentless. And diverse. Antonio Garay was born in Rahway, New Jersey, to melting-pot parents. The oldest of three children, his mother, Marsha, is devoutly Jewish, and his father, Tony, comes from a family that is Puerto Rican, Costa Rican, Jamaican and Catholic. His father was one of the most highly-touted NFL defensive linemen in the country in 1971, and spent time with the Los Angeles Rams, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and New York Jets. Growing up in New Jersey, Garay says, “I never had (NFL) posters up. I was never a super fan. When I was younger, I was [always] thinking about ‘who I was going to play for’ and ‘which one of these guys was going to be a teammate.’ I was always very goal oriented. I would write down [everything], ‘how many plays am I going to make this week?’ When I was younger, in order for me to get to college, I [had] to do well in school. I just became very goal oriented.”

Read more...

Player Profile: Vincent Jackson

Written by Cyndi Payne | 27 November 2010

The Return of Vincent Jackson

After two back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, and a ten-week contract holdout, He’s Baaaacckk, Charger Faithful!  The 6’5”, 230#, 27-year-old superstar, clutch wide receiver, Vincent Jackson Returns to once again help propel his team to the playoffs.

Vincent Jackson explained how he and Philip Rivers have been getting it done.  “One of the staple routes of our offense is the 9 stop, [the fade], whether its press or off coverage.  It’s good against both because you’re going to get defensive backs thinking you’re going up the field and you snap it off, you break down, and boom you’re a stationary target for the quarterback.  It gives you an opportunity to get some yards after the catch because the defense backs, especially teams that like to play off, they have to come down real fast and if they’re not playing tight enough, that ball is out on time, it’s automatic, I get the ball in my hands and I have a yard or two to make a move on the guy.”  Jackson is notorious for gaining yards after the catch, and notably touchdowns after the catch.

Read more...