San Diego Chargers Malcolm Floyd Talks Retirement

September marks the start of the NFL season and fans will flock to the stadiums and gather around TV’s in homes and Sports Lounges across America. In San Diego we are no different, for the next four months and hopefully longer, we will live week by week, win by win or loss by loss until the last game is played. In early August just as training camp was getting under way, I paid a visit to Charger Park and caught up with a couple of your favorite players, Malcolm Floyd and Danny Woodhead, and the newest member in the back field who we all have high hopes for, Melvin Gordon. 

Malcolm Floyd 

11th Season | Position: WR | Wyoming

Fine Magazine: Back in 2004 you caught your first TD reception that was also Philip Rivers first TD pass. You’re both are going on 11 seasons together now, can you tell about what’s been like as one of the longest tandems together in the NFL. 

Floyd: It’s been awesome, just like thinking back at it. It’s kind of sad, you know, about where it’s leading to but at the same time we’re just trying to take advantage of it here, this year and just trying to make the most of it. It’s been awesome, he’s been a great great role model, for me and the team, and I’ve been really blessed to have had him as a leader.

So what happened to that ball? 

I got it.  (Both laugh.)

This is the last year on your current contract, there’s been some hints of you’ll retire. You think we might see you being in a Chargers uniform for another year or two?

I doubt it. I think this has been in the plans since I signed this contract. I’m satisfied with the way my career’s gone. But it would be a lot better if I could just get a championship. 

Last season was a career high year for you, everything seemed to click. How’s it looking so far through camp this year?

It feels good. I feel a lot better this year. I’m really doing a lot of extra stuff, I’m trying to be there for my teammates too as well as making myself better on the field and off the field for them. So that’s my main focus this year, just going all in and being there for my teammates, because you never know when it’s going to be your last play, I still gotta finish this year before anything. I really want to do something great for my teammates and have them live on the legacy of what we passed down to them.

Danny Woodhead 

8th Season | Position: Running Back | Chadron State

Fine Magazine: You had a remarkable college career. How was transitioning from college to NFL for you?

Woodhead: There’s obviously a transition in everything, every level that you go from high school, college to NFL. The transition went even smoother than I expected just because I was going from a small division 2 school, you think it’s going to be just crazy. It takes time to get adjusted to the speed….and there’s definitely a speed difference, maybe that’s playing for it the worse. But, I think the mental side of the game is the biggest change.

2013 you can in here and sort of became a jack of all trades, kind of a go to guy. Then you had a personal best season, quickly became very popular with the fans and just how different was that playing for the patriots? 

Playing for the Patriots everyone noticed [you] just being in Boston and it being a very big market for the Patriots. So that helped things out once I transitioned here and had a big year. I’ve been fortunate; the fans here have been great to me. I’ve been very very blessed with the teammates around me, the staff and just the whole organization so it made the transition very smooth.

And how surprising was it see Anne Hathaway sport your jersey one day?

(laughs) That might have been as big of a surprise as any. But what’s cool is that how some of the fans have embraced me and obviously that one was a surprise.

I’ve heard this year that you have taken Kyle Emannuel under your wing. He’s an old family friend and he’s coming into his rookie season here, how is he coming along?

I think as me being on the offensive and him being on the defensive, it’s hard to see everything that’s going on. But it seems like the transitions went well. He’s a good kid; a hard worker and hopefully he can help us out this year.sure these players share the same passion for the team, and for the city, as we do. 

Melvin Gordon

Rookie | Position: Running Back | Wisconsin 

Fine Magazine: You’ve had a remarkable year after having a record setting college career, and being drafted number one by the Chargers. How do you like it so far and how is the transition going.

Gordon: The transitions’ been good. We got a great group of guys offensively and defensively, and I like to compete. So you go to those guys for help and anything else you want to follow up on. San Diego as a whole has been great as well as my teammates.

You have been here about six months, how do you like the city so far?

It’s good, it’s good. I try to get out when I can. Go to the beach, it’s real relaxing here.

You’ve been a huge learning curve, how is it different from the NFL to College?

Everything’s a lot faster, protections, running the routes, the reads when you run plays. Everything is just a lot faster and the guys are a lot stronger.

You’re having a very positive online trend right now, you’re being compared to a running back that came here years ago named LT, what do you say? 

I don’t think about it too much. I can never be LT, there’s only one LT, and there will only be one LT. I can just be Melvin Gordon, and I want to be good, I want to be great. I just come out here and work We have a lot of guys that are pushing me to the limit every day, and I follow behind some good leaders like Melvin Ingraham and Phillip [Rivers], and guys like that who know how to go about their business, and I’ll be where I want to be.

With attitude like these players are showing already, it leaves no doubt this team is ready to strike and give us a season we’ll be talking about for years. We have a good mix of experience and youth across the depth charts and as long as we can avoid key losses to injuries, we should be looking at one of the best teams the Chargers have fielded in recent years. As we the fans Bolt Up in Charge Blue, there will be little in our focus for the next four months except maybe next January.

Charges 2015 Season Schedule