Eric Weddle
Encyclopedia
Eric Steven Weddle is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 safety for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

.

Early years

Weddle grew up in Alta Loma, California and attended local Alta Loma High School
Alta Loma High School
Alta Loma High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States, that was established in 1963...

. At Alta Loma, he lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...

 in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....

, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

. In football, he was a three-time All-League selection and a two-time All-CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...

 selection.

Weddle added first-team All-Area accolades from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

 and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin is a daily newspaper based in Ontario, California and serving the San Bernardino Valley region. The Daily Bulletin is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of MediaNews Group....

. The second team All-Southern Section also received All-Region honors from Rivals.com and Student Sport Magazine. He was named the team’s Best Receiver and MVP as a senior.

The team captain had 129 tackles, five interceptions, four forced fumbles and five recovered fumbles on defense, adding 587 yards rushing, 22 touchdowns, 965 yards passing and five scoring tosses as a senior. He led Alta Loma High to the 2000 Mt. Baldy League championship.

College career

Upon enrolling at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...

 in 2003, Weddle was immediately put into action, starting his last nine games at right cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

. He earned Freshman All-American first-team and All-Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...

 honorable mention. He posted 60 tackles (29 solos) with four sacks, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He deflected four passes and intercepted another while also carrying the ball once (minus 6 yards).

In 2004, Weddle shifted to strong safety, starting eleven games. Despite sitting out the Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...

 clash with a right knee sprain, he ranked third on the team with 75 tackles (47 solos). He added one sack, 4.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...

 and a forced fumble. He advanced a fumble recovery 31 yards, batted away five passes and intercepted four others. He also averaged 10.5 yards on 20 punt returns.

Weddle earned Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-MWC, second-team All-American and Emerald Bowl
Emerald Bowl
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at 40,800-seat AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, California, since 2002...

 Defensive MVP honors in 2005. He started all twelve games, lining up at strong safety in five contests, at left cornerback in four and as a nickel back in three others. He ranked third on the team with 78 tackles (49 solos) and second with eleven stops for losses. He had four sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He led the conference with sixteen passes defensed (12 break-ups, 4 interceptions). He punted twice for 46 yards, attempted two passes and averaged 6.4 yards on 24 punt returns. He also rushed seven times for 35 yards and one touchdown.

In 2006 Weddle was a consensus All-American
2006 College Football All-America Team
The 2006 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, CBS Sports, ESPN, College...

 and unanimous All-MWC first-team choice. He was again named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He started the team’s first two games at strong safety before shifting to left cornerback and closed out the season as the nickel back. He made 64 tackles (40 solos) with a sack, a forced fumble and 2.5 stops for losses. He returned one of three fumble recoveries for a touchdown, deflected two passes and ranked eighth in the nation with seven interceptions. He averaged 5.5 yards on eight punt returns and completed 2-of-4 passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. He also carried 44 times for 203 yards (4.6 avg) and five scores.

In 48 games at Utah, Weddle started 45 times (9 at right cornerback, 12 at left cornerback, 6 at nickel back, 18 at strong safety). He recorded 277 tackles, as his 165 solo hits rank sixth in school annals. He produced ten sacks for minus 69 yards and 22.5 stops for losses of 108 yards. He set the school career record with nine forced fumbles and ranks sixth with six fumble recoveries, returning two for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Weddle is tied for sixth in Utah history with 23 pass deflections and ranks second (MWC record) with 18 interceptions for 148 yards (8.2 avg) in returns. His three pass thefts returned for touch-downs rank second in school annals. He ranks fifth on the school record books with 52 punt returns, good for 408 yards (7.8 avg).

On offense, Weddle rushed 52 times for 259 yards (5.0 avg) and six touchdowns. He completed 2-of-6 passes for 43 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He recovered an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...

 and also punted twice for 46 yards with a long of 34.

Nearing the end of an electrifying senior year, Doug Robinson of the Deseret Morning News
Deseret Morning News
The Deseret News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is Utah's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of...

 wrote an article championing Weddle for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...

 based on how valuable he is to the Utah Utes. He wrote, "The only people who spend more time on the field than Weddle each Saturday are referees. Against Air Force
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...

 two weeks ago, Weddle played every snap on defense and collected eight tackles. On offense, he led the Utes in rushing with 73 yards and scored Utah's only two touchdowns. He also served as the holder for the game-winning field goal. He played a total of 90 plays." Robinson wrote that Fisher DeBerry
Fisher DeBerry
Fisher DeBerry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Air Force Academy from 1984 to 2006, compiling a record of 169–109–1. DeBerry led 17 of his 23 Air Force Falcons squads to winning records and 12 captured a bowl...

, Air Force's
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...

 football head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 told Weddle after the game, "They're cheating you, son; they ought to give you two scholarships." Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...

 coach Joe Glenn
Joe Glenn
Joe Glenn may refer to:*Joe Glenn , American football coach*Joe Glenn , Major League catcher...

 said, "He should win the Heisman Trophy... I sincerely mean that."

2007 NFL Draft

In the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...

, the Chargers traded the 62nd pick (2nd), 93rd pick (3rd), and a 2008
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...

 3rd rounder and 2008 5th rounder to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 for the right to move up to the 37th pick and select Weddle. Chicago has so far taken Dan Bazuin
Dan Bazuin
Daniel Bazuin is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He was drafted at Central Michigan. While at Central Michigan University, he graduated with a bachelors degree in marketing.-College career:Bazuin...

, Garrett Wolfe
Garrett Wolfe
Garrett Wolfe is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played his college football at Northern Illinois. He is currently a free agent.-Personal life:...

 and Kevin Payne
Kevin Payne (American football)
-Chicago Bears:Payne was drafted by the Bears in the 5th round of the 2007 draft. An injury cut his rookie season short playing in only three games. In 2008 Payne was the starting strong safety for the Chicago Bears. In his first season as the starter, Payne posted career highs in tackles ,...

 in 2007, and Marcus Harrison
Marcus Harrison
Marcus Harrison is an American football defensive tackle free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft after playing college football at Arkansas...

 in 2008. Despite the price San Diego ended up paying for Weddle, experts still believed he would be of tremendous value to the Chargers. During the 2007 combine, Weddle ran a 1.43 10 yard time, tying him with Aundrae Allison and Marcus McCauley for the then fastest split time up to that point. "

In a short article by the Union Tribune 's Jay Posner, he quoted NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...

 draft analyst Mike Mayock
Mike Mayock
Michael Francis Mayock is a former professional football player, a safety with the New York Giants of the National Football League...

 as saying, "He will upgrade them athletically in the middle of the field. I like this kid a lot. He's an instinctive kid with a nose for the ball." ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 draft analyst Mel Kiper said, "That's an awful lot to give up. ... They're telling us they don't need all those other draft picks (because of the talent already on the roster)." Charger Assistant General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...

 and Director of Player Personnel, Buddy Nix
Buddy Nix
Buddy Nix is currently the General Manager for the Buffalo Bills. He previously was employed by the Buffalo Bills from 1993 to 2000. He joined John Butler and A. J. Smith with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2008, and returned to the Bills in 2009.Nix has three children: Steve and Stan , and...

 responded, "We're not worried about what we gave up; we're worried about what we got.
Pre-draft measureables
Wt 40 yd
40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...

20 ss
20 yard shuttle
The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting...

3-cone
3 cone drill
The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting...

Vert
Vertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...

BP
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...

Wonderlic
203 lb* 4.48s* 4.12s* 6.78s* 33½" 11* 27
(* represents NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...

)

2007 Season

As of September 1, 2007, after all the necessary cuts to reduce the roster to 53 players, Weddle is the strong safety behind Clinton Hart
Clinton Hart
Clinton Glenn Hart is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tallahassee Thunder as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He attended College of Central Florida.Hart has been a member of the Tampa Bay Storm, Philadelphia Eagles and San...

. He is also known to be the teams Dimeback
Dimeback
In American football, a dimeback is a cornerback who serves as the sixth defensive back on defense. The third cornerback on defense is known as a nickelback. The dimeback position is essentially relegated to backup cornerbacks who do not play starting cornerback positions...

 playing in 2nd/3rd and long situations, along with being the backup holder on special teams. It has been speculated that he would be used instead of the current holder Mike Scifres in situations where a fake field goal or extra point attempt would occur as he is a threat to run or throw the ball in those situations.

The Chargers led the NFL in takeaways for the 2007 season with 48. Weddle caught his first NFL regular season interception on October 28, 2007 against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....

. Weddle saw plenty of action his first season, playing as the Dime safety and finished his rookie season with 48 total tackles, one sack and one interception along with 6 pass deflections while playing in one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL.

2008 Season

At the start of the 2008 season, Weddle was officially named the starting free safety alongside Clinton Hart who was signed to a long-term contract extension in the offseason at strong safety. On September 22, Weddle made his first interception of the season against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in a week 3 Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

 game against quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

.
He finished the season with 127 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception.
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