Ladarius Green

[Mister Hoarse]

Gates has been looking DONE lately....not saying he can't be a productive TE in his twilight years, ala Tony Gonzalez...but he looks far from the dominant force he was in his heyday.

Whut?

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

:nonono:

[blahblahblah]

Green still needs to run better routes. In the seam that's ok because the coverage guys aren't great. On the outside he's going to struggle.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Behind Gates: meet the Chargers' Ladarius Green The tight end from Florida warms up to his new team, new town

By Nina Garin 05:30p.m. Dec 6, 2013

Whether or not they like sports, most everyone in San Diego knows the name of the Chargers’ future Hall of Fame tight end, Antonio Gates.

But what happens when Gates doesn’t play, or the Chargers need an additional tight end? In comes Ladarius Green.

Though Green spent most of his rookie year watching and training with Gates, this season the Pensacola-raised athlete’s been getting more playing time. In the last two weeks he scored his first two career touchdowns.

Green was a star athlete at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and became the Chargers’ fourth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Since moving to Mission Valley that year, the 23-year-old’s been warming up to San Diego both on and off the field.

Q: When did you first realize you were good at football?

A: I honestly didn’t realize I was good in football until my second year in college, granted I was on a football scholarship at the time. It wasn’t until some of my coaches and college teammates began saying I had a lot of potential and may be able to play on the next level.

Q: Why did you decide to go to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette?

A: I decided what college to go to by choosing which one had the better business school. I knew I wanted to major in finance.

Q: Many kids fantasize about being professional athletes, was it the same for you?

A: I believe playing for a professional team is a dream for any kid, mainly because it’s all we see on TV. My favorite ream was the Orlando Magic because I was a huge basketball fan growing up.

What I love about Mission Valley

My neighborhood is very quiet. It’s a great area full of working people and their children. There’s also a great spot on the hill with a gym, and a hot tub with a pool. And there’s a basketball court, which is always fun whenever family or friends come into town.

Q: Now that you’re in the pros, what’s it really like?

A: It’s a lot different from what I believed because there’s a lot more hard work and detail in the game.

Q: What is it like to be the backup for Gates?

A: Words can’t explain how great it is playing with Antonio Gates. Just knowing all of the things he has done for this sport, as well as all the records he has broken, it’s amazing just being on the same team as him. He has been a great mentor to me, giving me little tips on routes and different coverages. One of his greatest tips to me had to be telling me to just slow down and relax, not to rush anything, just play the game like I know how.

San Diego Chargers lose to the Cincinnati Bengals

17-10 at Qualcomm Stadium. Ladarius Green hauls

in this pass play for a 30 yard touchdown in the

second quarter. — Sean M. Haffey

Q: And now you’ve been getting more play time . . .

A: It’s a great honor to be getting more playing time now, mainly because, to me, it says that the coaches have some faith in me and think I am developing as a player.

Q: How do you focus on the game with all the cheering and activity happening around you?

A: When you’re on the field, you really don’t hear any of the cheering or things going on outside of the field. It’s almost like having tunnel vision and blocking everything else out.

Q: Chargers fans love to criticize the team, how do you handle that?

A: You handle criticism the same as praise, you take it and just try to grow from it.

Q: Are you worried about concussions?

A: No, I have never been worried about concussions. It’s just a part of the game and if you’re worrying about them, you won’t be able to give it your all.

Q: What’s the best advice you ever received?

A: Let go and let God.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t a professional athlete?

A: My ideal career was always in banking, whether being a financial adviser or almost anything in the financial field.

Q: What sports do you watch for fun?

A: I love watching basketball since it was my first love growing up. I played all through high school and wanted to continue in college, but wasn’t able to because the football coach wouldn’t allow us.

Q: What are your top three football movies?

A: “Any Given Sunday,” “Little Giants,” and “Remember the Titans.”

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I love to bowl and I own a ball and shoes.

Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: My ideal weekend in San Diego would be watching a movie on Friday at Cinepolis, going bowling on Saturday and winning our game on Sunday.