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Five Questions for San Diego Chargers Long Snapper David Binn
Published: May 25, 2009
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David Binn has got a lot of perspective.
Binn, the San Diego Chargers long snapper, is the longest tenured member on the team. He was signed an undrafted free agent out of Cal in 1994 for San Diego and has been the Bolts’ long snapper ever since.
He’s seen the clichéd ups and downs of being on one of the most schizophrenic teams in the NFL in the last two decades.
Binn was on the one and only Chargers Super Bowl team his rookie year. He went through the Ryan Leaf-Moses Moreno-Craig Whelihan years. He saw the team hit bottom in a 1-15 season. Binn saw the highs of a franchise-best 14-2 year in 2006 and saw the team reach the AFC divisional round in the NFL playoffs the last three years.
Binn has seen it all. He was even romantically linked to Pamela Anderson, which makes Binn the most interesting member of the Chargers automatically—even without the franchise record for most games played with 239.
So what is there to ask Binn? A lot, and I’d start with these five questions:
1) Ryan Leaf was just indicted on drug allegations. How was he like as a teammate? Are you surprised that he failed in the NFL? Are you surprised that he’s gotten in so much trouble since he’s left the league?
2) Which team was better, that 1994 Super Bowl Chargers team or the 2006 club that won a franchise-best 14 games?
3) Of the quarterbacks the club has had between Drew Brees and Stan Humphries (Sean Salisbury, Craig Whelihan, Jim Everett, Ryan Leaf, Jim Harbaugh, Erik Kramer, Doug Flutie, or Moses Moreno), who would be best suited to lead the current version of the team to a Super Bowl?
4) Have you ever considered leaving the Chargers and why stay so long, especially during those down years in the middle of your career?
5) Who have you had a better relationship with, Pamela Anderson or the Chargers?
Bonus question: In becoming a long snapper, is that a skill that’s acquired through practice, or was it something you were born with?
Look For More Aggressive San Diego Chargers Defense Next Year
Published: May 16, 2009
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When the San Diego Chargers fired Ted Cotrell last year, it was a signal that the defense wasn’t doing enough—even without Shawne Merriman.
Through the first eight games, the Chargers were ranked dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed per game.
San Diego’s defense had just six interceptions and 16 sacks through the first half of the year.
Cotrell had to go—and in stepped Ron Rivera, a defensive mind that many think could be an NFL head coach.
Rivera came to the Chargers after a three-year stint as the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator. He was the guy in charge of the ferocious Bears’ defense when they went to the Super Bowl in 2005 season—the year the team ranked second in the NFL in total defense.
He brought an aggressive style—formed in his days as a Bears linebacker in the 1980s, when he won a Super Bowl.
Many were hoping for a miracle after Rivera took the helm—hoping to restore what was once one of the most feared defenses in 2006 and 2007.
San Diego did improve, finishing the year as the 26th best team against the pass. However, the defense still allowed the second-most points in the league at the regular season’s end.
But, Rivera was unable to completely change the mindset and put his stamp on the Chargers’ defense.
That should change with the defense getting a full offseason under Rivera—giving him the ability to instill his character and defensive acumen to the team.
What should happen? Look for this team to get more aggressive. Look for this team to get back to being a top 10 team against the pass and in sacks.
The year that Rivera led the Bears’ defense in a Super Bowl run, they were the second-best team in the NFL against the pass, they sacked the quarterback 41 times, and were second in the NFL in interceptions.
But Rivera shouldn’t be alone in what could be a turnaround for the Chargers’ defense this year.
Merriman does come back—and brings his fire, intensity and—most importantly—his 39.5 sacks back to the field.
Merriman is the type of game changer the Chargers missed on defense last year.
He commands double and triple teams, can often fight through those to get pressure on the quarterback, and has so much intensity that he still fired up the defense when he was injured the whole of last year.
In other words, San Diego was operating without its heart and soul on defense.
Place him back in the Chargers’ lineup—hopefully with a more aggressive scheme—and it is a totally different defense from last year.
San Diego is also committed to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Larry English—while he may be a backup plan if Merriman decides to leave after this year—gives the Chargers an extra rush specialist to spell either Merriman or Shaun Phillips.
English had 31.5 sacks in his tenure with Northern Illinois—a school record.
“We need to bring pressure and this is a guy that can bring the heat—physical, nasty, great presence,” general manager A.J. Smith told the Union-Tribune in April. “We’re going to put him in the mix, give him to coach Rivera and turn him loose.”
San Diego should not be the same team it was last year. The defense should remind fans of the defenses put on the field by Wade Phillips.
With Rivera, the addition of English and Merriman’s return—opposing quarterbacks should be having nightmares on Sundays next season.
