Tag: Shawne Merriman

Shawne Merriman suggests Chargers should trade for Mike Williams

Shawne Merriman believes the Chargers should reunite with one of their former players.

The Chargers have reportedly shown interest in trading for Jets wide receiver Mike Williams, and Shawne Merriman, one of the team’s all-time best players, believes they should make the move to reunite with him.

“He’s that big-play guy you can count on,” Merriman said in an interview with Sports Casting’s Kyle Odegard. “And then you’ve got Ladd (McConkey) and (Joshua) Palmer that can make things happen underneath.”

Los Angeles cut ties with Williams this past offseason to clear up salary cap space. But bringing him back wouldn’t cost them much, as he is playing on a one-year contract with a $1.3 million base salary.

Early in the season, it looked like Williams would be a viable option for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In the first four games, he caught ten passes for 145 yards. Since then, Williams has only amassed two receptions for 21 yards.

Merriman said that Williams’ lack of production with New York can be attributed to him still working his way back from the knee injury he suffered last season in Week 3.

“I think also that Mike Williams coming off an ACL is just getting healthy,” Merriman said. “I try to tell people all the time, just because you’re on the field doesn’t mean you’re 100 percent. Your body has to adjust to playing again. You’ve been off for a year, so it takes a little bit of time. So I think it’s right for the Chargers to bring him back and get him on the field.”

A reunion between Williams and the Chargers would make sense. Los Angeles doesn’t have someone to threaten the deep parts of the field. Even with D.J. Chark Jr. coming back, Williams and Justin Herbert had a good connection in that area of the field during their time together.

Across seven seasons with L.A., Williams posted 309 receptions for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns. He averaged 15.5 yards per catch.

Watch: Chargers drop epic hype video ahead of season opener

The video will have you ready to run through a wall.

Chargers football is back! And it’s a new era under Jim Harbaugh.

Ahead of their season opener against the Raiders this Sunday, the team released their hype video, narrated by former star linebacker Shawne Merriman.

With “Dream On” by Baltic House Orchestra playing in the background, Merriman provided a motivating narration that should have anyone ready to run through a wall after watching the video.

Check it out:

Former Chargers GM A.J. Smith dies at 75

A.J. Smith was the winningest GM in the franchise’s history with 98 wins during his tenure.

Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith died on Sunday, according to Smith’s son, Kyle, who is the assistant GM for the Falcons.

Smith, who was 75, battled prostate cancer for the past seven years.

Smith served as the Bolts’ director of pro personnel/assistant general manager in 2001, the year they drafted Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson and quarterback Drew Brees.

Smith was promoted to general manager in 2003, and was in that role until 2012.

While Smith was the Chargers’ GM, he selected Eli Manning first overall in the 2004 NFL draft, despite Manning saying he would not play for the team. He was traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers, who had a long successful pro career.

Other successful Chargers players Smith drafted included Shawne Merriman, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles, Antonio Cromartie, and Eric Weddle.

Smith went on to be the winningest GM in the franchise’s history with 98 wins during his tenure.

After being let go of, Smith worked for Washington as a consultant before retiring in 2015. His career in the league began as a scout for several teams and he spent 15 years working as an executive for the Bills.

Shawne Merriman launches Lights Out Sports app, touts ‘milestone’ for MMA promotion

Shawne Merriman is taking the next step of growth for Lights Out Xtreme Fighting into his own hands.

[autotag]Shawne Merriman[/autotag] is taking the next step of growth for Lights Out Xtreme Fighting into his own hands.

Merriman, a retired NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, has launched his own Lights Out Sports app that will support live broadcasts for his budding MMA organization, starting with the next event on May 18 in Long Beach, Calif.

“It’s really big news and probably a milestone for us,” Merriman told MMA Junkie. “Lights Out Sports is my multisport streaming platform now that Lights Out Xtreme Fighting will be live. We’re still working with FuboTV … But for the most part, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting will be live on Lights Out Sports.”

To date, Merriman had promoted 15 events under Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. He is pleased with the partnership and exposure that he’s generated so far but is always looking to level up. Having his events available both live and globally accessible is a game changer to Merriman as all that will be required going forward is to click onto your smart device, download the app and watch the action play out.

“I’ve been working on this for a year or so,” Merriman said. “The streaming space is where everything is going. For me, I feel like it was time to take this next step. Combat sports is global, and the opportunity to be seen all around the world is more important to me than anything. There are very few things as far as platforms where you can be seen all over the world.”

Merriman, 39, has been a longtime fan of MMA and has even flirted with the idea of competing himself in recent years. He thinks he’s best served as a promoter, however, and using the cache he’s accrued from his NFL career to put the spotlight on athletes.

He will continue to that with his own organization and beyond, with Merriman claiming the Lights Out Sports app will also feature GLORY Kickboxing events and other combat sports.

Lights Out 16 on May 18 is headlined by a vacant flyweight title fight between Roy Echeverria (8-1) and Pablo Caballero (9-9) and begins at 8 p.m. ET.

Former NFL players react to video of Cam Newton brawl

Guys who have played with and against Cam Newton think it’s a bad idea to try to fight Cam Newton.

So, is trying to fight Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton a good idea? Well, maybe we should see what some of his old teammates and opponents think.

On Sunday, a video of Newton appearing to be attacked by multiple individuals at his 7v7 event in Atlanta went viral. The clip made the rounds to former NFL players, who had the following to tweet about the wild incident:

Ex-NFL All-Pro Shawne Merriman: Jamahal Hill’s recovery from Achilles injury ‘easier’ in MMA than football

Shawne Merriman reveals advice he gave to former UFC champ Jamahal Hill on Achilles injury.

Former NFL star [autotag]Shawne Merriman[/autotag] knows a thing or two about Achilles injuries, and when he heard former UFC champion [autotag]Jamhal Hill[/autotag] ruptured his, there was plenty of advice to offer.

Merriman is best known for his achievements on the gridiron, but for nearly two decades, he has been around the fight business, and is currently the promoter of Lights Out Xtreme MMA, which returns on Jan. 6 in Long Beach, Calif.

In July, Hill relinquished his light heavyweight title after he ruptured his Achilles tendon during a pickup basketball game with other MMA fighters. Merriman caught word of the news, and connected with Hill to offer advice from his own experience with the same injury.

“I’ve reached out to Jamahal Hill, and I was walking him through the process on what he should do, how many times he should work out, what he should be taking to speed up the process, as far as all your fish oils – I’ve been through it,” Merriman told MMA Junkie. “You know, which doctors for therapy to go see.

“… So the first thing when I saw Jamahal Hill tear his Achilles, I reached out and said, ‘Dude, go see this person.’ Do this, do that, because somebody like that with that level of talent, we can’t wait to see him back in the cage.”

After being released by the San Diego Chargers in 2010, Merriman dealt with his own Achilles issues. He was picked up by the Buffalo Bills, but landed on the injured reserve list twice due to the injury, the second of which ended his 2011 season.

Merriman believes the road to recovery from an Achilles injury is easier for an MMA athlete than for football players due to the differences in training methods and activity schedules.

“It’s easier in MMA and I’ll tell you why: Because you can go at your own pace,” Merriman explained. “If you start training, you go through camp, you can back off any point in time you want. If you don’t feel great that day, you can back off. In football, it’s 22 weeks. When Sunday comes around, you are going. I don’t care how you feel. So I think in football it’s a lot different. Also, you’re wearing cleats, the explosion, cutting, pushing off of that thing, someone else pushing up against you.

“Jamahal Hill will be completely fine. He’ll come back, you won’t even notice a difference in what he’s doing. That’s why his injury is going to be fine when he comes back.”

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Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman hopes UFC’s Tony Ferguson considers retirement

Former NFL star Shawne Merriman knows how hard it is to walk away from pro sports, and has some advice for UFC’s Tony Ferguson.

It wasn’t easy for former NFL standout [autotag]Shawne Merriman[/autotag] to walk away from the game he loves, but the former linebacker-turned-MMA-promoter knew when it was time. He hopes UFC’s Tony Ferguson will also have that revelation.

The biggest similarity between football and MMA is that they are both very physically demanding sports that take a toll on the body. Mentally, Merriman believed he could still compete on the field, much like Ferguson believes he can still fight against the best inside the cage. However, when the body wasn’t on the same page, and that’s when Merriman knew it was time to retire.

“If your body can’t hold up to compete, it is extremely dangerous,” Merriman told MMA Junkie. “That’s why, when you look at somebody like Tony Ferguson – like yeah, you can go in there and fight, but how are you going to look? How are you going to perform? When you can’t perform anymore, it becomes very dangerous, man.

“I hope at some point he considers it. He’s a hell of a warrior, and has done so much in this sport that he’ll just come to the realization that it’s time.”

Since walking away, Merriman has turned his attention to growing the next generation of MMA fighters at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. He’s been around the fight game for nearly two decades, and much like with NFL players, he can recognize when it’s time for a fighter to move on.

Ferguson, 39, has lost seven straight UFC fights. What he’s bringing to the cage now is a far cry from the fighter who won 12 in a row over six years. Most aren’t given that much leash when it comes to long skids, but for the Season 13 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” and former interim lightweight champ, the UFC has given Ferguson every opportunity to get back into the win column.

“I’ve been in Pro Bowls, been an All-Pro, been up for Defensive Player of the Year two or three different times, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and now I’m sitting around, hobbling around the field and I can’t get to the football anymore,” Merriman explained. “So, while you’re patted on the back as a warrior, people will sometimes just remember the last things you did.

“I hope that Tony Ferguson figures it out at some point in time. It’s one of the toughest things to do as an athlete, to come to that conclusion.”

Merriman’s next Lights Out Xtreme Fighting event takes place on Jan. 6, at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, Calif., and airs live on Fubo Sports.

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Former NFL star Shawne Merriman plans more notable football crossovers with Lights Out Xtreme Fighting

Shawne Merriman wants his Lights Out Xtreme Fighting promotion to be a home for former athletes making the transition to MMA.

[autotag]Shawne Merriman[/autotag] wants his Lights Out Xtreme Fighting promotion to be a home for notable athletes transitioning into combat sports to get their feet wet in MMA.

Merriman, a retired multi-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, will put on his 11th MMA event as a promoter on Saturday. The card takes place at Thunder Studio in Long Beach, Calif., and streams on Fubo Sports. Tickets are still available via the organization’s website.

As he continues to get further into his tenure of running events, Merriman has a vision for Lights Out Xtreme Fighting. In addition to being a place for prospects and rising stars to get experience as they work toward a UFC career, he sees it as a home for fighters who made their name in football, basketball or other notable sports to make the move into MMA. And he teases a number are on the way.

“We’re having more of these former athletes to make that transition,” Merriman told MMA Junkie. “I was talking to Le’Veon Bell the other day. I talked a little bit with Frank Gore. A lot of these guys are coming over to combat sports and we’re going to be announcing some big former athletes here shortly that are going to be fighting that was in the XFL, that was in the NFL, that are now saying, ‘My time is up playing football.’ We’re going to announce a few big fights here shortly.”

Merriman, 39, has been a longtime fan of MMA and has even flirted with the idea of competing himself in recent years. He thinks he’s best served as a promoter, however, and using the cache he’s accrued from his NFL career to put the spotlight on the fighters.

Lights Out Xtreme Fighting 11 is the best card Merriman and his team have put together to date, he said, with six-time UFC veteran and three-time Bellator veteran Albert Morales set to headline against Musa Toliver.

“This is our biggest card we’ve had,” Merriman said. “We have the next up-and-coming superstars. I want to keep getting behind these guys and promoting them and bringing some of these football eyes. I’ve been playing football my whole life. I’ve played on the biggest stage, which is the NFL, in this country. A lot of people who followed my football career get to see what we’re doing at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting.”

Former NFL star Shawne Merriman wants to give prospects ‘a place to be seen’ at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting

With a lot of “smoke and mirrors” in the regional MMA game, former NFL star Shawne Merriman says his effort to grow the sport is sincere.

With a lot of “smoke and mirrors” in the regional MMA promotion game, former NFL star [autotag]Shawne Merriman[/autotag] says his effort to grow the sport is sincere with Lights Out Xtreme Fighting.

Merriman’s fame came through a standout football career as a multi-time NFL Pro Bowl linebacker. However, like many athletes, he always has an affinity for combat sports, and in particular, MMA.

That passion began nearly two decades ago, when Merriman was drafted to the San Diego Chargers and formed a relationship with Jay Glazer, who has many connections to MMA. Merriman trained occasionally from there, crossing paths with the likes of Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell while in California.

Years later, Merriman’s love of MMA grew stronger. In 2019, he dipped his toe into the role of MMA promoter, with the desire to help the sport at a grassroots level. He’s put on nine fight cards since, with a number of fighters gaining experience under the Lights Out Xtreme Fighting banner en route to the UFC.

Lights Out Xtreme Fighting is expected to host its next event on July 22 in San Diego, and with a fubo Sports Network broadcast deal secured, Merriman said he’s enjoying the growth the company has displayed.

“There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors about how well these promotions are doing,” Merriman told MMA Junkie. “The reason why I don’t jump up and down and you don’t hear these things, is because I feel like we’re supposed to. We’ve got great fighters, great product – the fans come out. We just want to continue to give these up-and-coming guys a place to be seen. Because believe it or not, there’s not a whole lot of great promotions out here. I know they talk like they are, but there’s not a whole lot of them. We want to be one of the quality ones.”

Merriman, 39, said his current stance with Lights Out Xtreme Fighting is to help build the next wave of notable fighters in the sport. However, his background in the NFL does provide an additional layer of opportunity.

A handful of notable former NFL players have tried their hands at combat sports in recent years, and Merriman thinks it’s the beginning of a trend. Merriman sees much more crossover in the future, and he will use his relationships to give those athletes a place to grow before bigger promotions come after them.

“It was time for me to launch my own promotion, my own league, to concentrate on some of these former athletes and get them to transition over to MMA,” Merriman said. “It’s going to happen. I’ve been saying it for the last eight years. We’re starting to see Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Greg Hardy. We’re starting to see a lot of those guys make this transition. Watch over the next 12 to 24 months. Watch how many big name NFL guys transition over to MMA.”

Best Chargers draft pick by year since 2000

Taking a look at the best draft pick by each year for the Chargers over the past couple of decades.

The Chargers have seen a slew of top players roll through the franchise over the past couple of decades.

With the draft just a month away, let’s take a look at the best picks for the Bolts since 2000: