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Tuesday, March 25
Updated: March 26, 12:45 PM ET
 
Schottenheimer steady trying to teach lessons

By Greg Garber
ESPN.com

The Chargers had two chaotic, cathartic seasons in one: a 6-1 start, followed by a 2-7 finish. The peaks and valleys all added up to the flat line of an 8-8 season. This prompted the Chargers to re-assess their direction.

As a result, Marty Schottenheimer will reprise his cherished role as teacher.

"Teaching is the thing I enjoy the most," Schottenheimer said last week from his office. "I think that is what I do best. It's so gratifying to see the things you've instilled applied in competition."

Marty Schoettenheimer
Schottenheimer
Last year, 10 rookies made the Chargers roster in Schottenheimer's first season in San Diego. This coming season, according to Schottenheimer, 10 more could land spots. There is a determined effort to get younger, especially on defense. Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison, 30, signed with the Patriots as a free agent. Linebacker Junior Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowler, has been encouraged to pursue an unlikely trade. If one doesn't materialize, Seau, 34, could be released in June.

"Junior Seau embodies everything you want in a player -- work ethic, dedication, passion," Schottenheimer explained after the decision was made. "But we felt this was something we needed to do, that's why we wanted to do it right. That's why we extended the courtesy to Junior and his representative to see if there's a trade that can be reached."

Clearly, Seau still has some gas left in his tank, but in the end the salary-cap numbers became unwieldy. Schottenheimer and the Chargers' personnel staff felt they had little choice.

"This game has become, particularly, on defense, a game of speed," Schottenheimer said. "Go through recent history and you'll find the most effective defenses are the ones that run the fastest. The Ravens. The Rams and this year, the Bucs. Speed is the great equalizer. With today's passing style, spreading the field out, you have to have speed.

"That's the way the league operates now. Back when I was playing, eight to 10 plays determined the outcome, then it went down to a half-dozen when I was coaching. Now, it's one or two plays."

If Schottenheimer sounds like an encyclopedia of football it's because he is. Twenty-six seasons tend to give you some perspective.

"We made a little progress last season, then we backslid," Schottenheimer. "That (opening) 6-1 could have been 4-3 or 3-4. The (closing) 2-7 could have been 5-4 or 6-3. We'll have our work cut for us, but I'm looking forward to it."

Not surprisingly, Schottenheimer, who turns 60 in September, has an old-school approach. He doesn't seek out players on a daily basis, doesn't do small talk.

"I try to be honest and forthright. The only thing you owe a player is honesty. That's not to say that things are sometimes unfair, because sometimes they are."

Greg Garber is a senior writer at ESPN.com.






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