The Los Angeles Chargers didn’t make the most high-profile hire of the cycle this offseason when they brought on Chris O’Leary as defensive coordinator.
That’s especially the case compared to the name recognition of the man who just left, Jesse Minter. And it’s even more so compared to the hire of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
But Chargers players? They knew.
During his chats with media this week after his return to Los Angeles, O’Leary revealed the one player who reached out first.
“I think Derwin James called me as I was taking the job. It was fast,” O’Leary said, according to Omar Navarro of Chargers.com. “All of those guys, just to hear their excitement and know I feel the same way, made it special.”
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Chargers players react to coaching hire