Charger tidbits!

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Woodhead practiced some as slot WR...

[Mister Hoarse]

This Dunlap fellow.. I like the cut of his jib.

[Beerman]

Woodhead practiced some as slot WR...

I saw that a lot in camp. Matthews generally stayed in the backfield when Woody motioned to the slot.

[homeless simpson]

• Manti Te'o is hobbled by a foot sprain but lacks not for comfort food.

his foot better not get fat or Rex Ryan might be salivating for him

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Foot sprain? Really technical medical term... NOT!

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Naval Academy graduate Middleton drawing interest from NFL

By BILL WAGNER bwagner@capgaznews.com twitter@Bwagner_CapGaz | Updated 5 hours ago

Former Naval Academy standout Wyatt Middleton has attracted the interest of several National Football League franchises and is hoping to land a contract.

Middleton, a four-year starter at safety for the Midshipmen, was invited to tryout sessions with the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams.

San Diego seems the most interested and has remained in contact with Chad Wiestling, Middleton’s agent.

“It seems like the Chargers really like me a lot. We’ve been talking with them ever since the workout I did,” Middleton said. “We’ll see if they pull the trigger and sign me.”

Middleton, a 2011 graduate of the academy, has been serving on a minesweeper for most of the past two years. As crew aboard the USS Ardent, Middleton was deployed to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other foreign locales.

Middleton has been based out of the 32nd Naval base in San Diego since returning from sea in February. The Georgia native spent two weeks back home in Atlanta doing intense training along with his older brother.

William Middleton, a fifth round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2009, has played four seasons in the NFL. The Furman graduate was just released by the San Diego Chargers and is looking to latch on with another team.

William Middleton was still with San Diego when members of the team visited the USS Ronald Reagan on Aug. 28. Quarterback Philip Rivers threw passes to members of the flight crew aboard the aircraft carrier.

That was the day the San Diego Tribune broke the news that San Diego was interested in Wyatt Middleton, who remains on active duty as an engineering officer.

“He’s actually a much better football player than I am,” William said of Wyatt.

Wyatt Middleton is hoping to gain early release from the U.S. Navy through a Pentagon program designed for service personnel with unique attributes. Since he has completed two years of active duty, Middleton is eligible to serve the next six years in the reserves while performing public relations work for the U.S. Navy.

However, it is somewhat of a Catch 22 situation since Middleton needs to be affiliated with an NFL franchise in order to show the Navy the value of placing him into the special program.

“I kind of need to sign with a team to start the process,” Middleton told The Capital this past weekend. “I think the Chargers management is doing its research with the military reserve status and how it all affects the salary cap. I’m just playing the waiting game right now.”

Middleton set a Navy freshman record with 88 tackles in 2007 and was a fixture in the secondary from the moment he entered the starting lineup. The 6-foot-2, 191-pounder concluded his illustrious career with 322 tackles and 41 starts.

Middleton’s signature moment came during the 2010 Army-Navy game when he returned a fumble 98 yards for a touchdown. The Black Knights appeared headed for a touchdown when Middleton snatched the ball away from quarterback Trent Steelman and raced the length of the field untouched for a score that totally turned the momentum of the game.

Wiestling, a former University of Maryland football player now with the Sports International Group, was reluctant to discuss specifics about Middleton’s situation other than to confirm contact from numerous NFL teams.

“There are teams that are interested, but the service commitment is a complication,” Wiestling said. “We’ll just have to let the process play out.”

Middleton, who served as Navy’s defensive team captain as a senior in 2010, said it would be a “dream come true” to get a shot at the NFL.