Shawne Merriman On The Changes In San Diego’s Defense: ‘[Last year], if we don’t call the right play, then we’re going to get gassed. Now, I think we have a better opportunity to be in a 1-on-1 situation.’
August 17, 2009 – 7:45 am by BunkThe San Diego Chargers sorely missed linebacker/defensive end Shawne Merriman a year ago. Without him creating pressure off the edge, the Chargers were unable to disrupt too many teams’ passing games. Merriman, of course, was sidelined all year after tearing his ACL. He tried to give it a go, but quickly realized the foolishness of risking a career threatening injury to his knee and decided to instead shut it down for the year. He’s back and reportedly at full strength, eager as anyone for the start of the 2009 NFL season. Merriman joined KLAC to talk about his rehabilitation, what kind of difference maker he thinks he will be for the Chargers defense and a little bit about how the start of camp for San Diego has gone so far.
On if he feels fresh and ready to go after missing all of last year:
“I do. There’s still some little things I’m working through but I’ve been feeling real good since I came in with the rookies on the 26th of July. So I’m just waiting, man. We’ll see what happens on the first preseason game and we’ll see how I feel during the preseason.”
On what, if anything, he learned last season even though he couldn’t suit up and play:
“Yeah, I did. The games I came to last year and wasn’t able to get in to the game, it was hard. It was hard for anybody to watch knowing they could be out there helping their team and they couldn’t. So right now I’m just making up for lost time.”
On how much better he thinks the Chargers defense will be now that defensive coordinator Ron Rivera will have had a full year, not to mention a full training camp, to work with his unit:
“Yeah, I think he realized what some of the guy’s talents are and what they’re really good at. And making guys be in situations where they can beat another guy 1-on-1. You know, last year, early on, I don’t think they were put in a position to win 1-on-1 battles. It was more like, if we don’t call the right play, then we’re going to get gassed. Now, I think we have a better opportunity to be in a 1-on-1 situation.”
On his time spent doing television work last year with Fox Sports and if he could see himself doing that when his playing career is over:
“I don’t know, it depends if people thought I was good or not. I definitely had a lot of fun with it. Jay Glazer and George, they really brought me along. But it was kind of restrictive because I couldn’t say some of the things I wanted to say, you couldn’t. You had to be a little bit more political, and I’m not that way. I’m just happy I’m out on the field, and maybe one day down the road I will do it. It’s definitely an option.”
On coach Norv Turner and why he thinks the coach always finds himself being criticized by media outlets throughout his career as a head coach in the NFL:
“I cant account for teams he’s coached in the past, and I don’t think anyone else can. It’s a different team that he’s dealing with; it’s a different team that he probably had a different strategy with, a different comfortable feel with. So you know, I don’t have any complaints. I think he’s done it well. I think he’s done a pretty good job with it so far and we’re going to see what happens next year.”
Listen here to Merriman on KLAC in Los Angeles with Petros & Money
Tags: ACL injury, KLAC, NFL's best pass rushers, San Diego Chargers, Shawne Merriman, steroids in sports
