Chargers RB Austin Ekeler Joins Shawne Merriman No More "Same Ole Chargers" A New Era Is Coming This Season

special teams. And I'll tell anyone when people come and ask me and I'm trying to get into the NFL. I'm trying to make NFL roster. Okay, we'll go make special teams. You make special teams, you're gonna get your foot in the door and whatever your actual position is is going to be that. So he's one of the powderful panel, strongest guys, one of the hardest working guys on the team. And uh, I just love watching him, man, because he go out there and give it us all. So,

Austin Neckler, what's up, dude? What's going on? Man? Everything good, Everything's great, man, It's great. Trying to get this NFL p A things figured out figure we're doing this off season, but they're not gonna give you any shortance if you keep putting five on the panels when you're back. Hey, man, they's gonna know that I'm still working out even though I'm not in the building. When did you start lifting

like that? Because I like when I first when I first heard about it, and I said, when I watched you play, but when I first heard about you, always like, damn this dude, this dude was strong, and I've seen a hold on, hold on home. This whole poundful pound thing came. But when when did you start lifting like that? Man? I feel like I feel like my soccer year high school when I started lifting, But it was like my senior high school when I came like really apparent that

was like really strong. Uh, because I figured that out when I went to college my first year, I was like squatting more than the guys that have been there, actually more, I could clean, I could just do everything more than they could already did. Did you have it early on? Because I know how Um, a lot of those scout and recruiters and stuff get were they want their typical I need, I need my running back. Look

like this whatever did you get past? You get passed over by gosh yeah, bro, my senior year, Bro, I ran for like two thousand, three hundred yards rushing like forty three touchdowns. But like I had the numbers that anyone, anyone, if anyone in the nation that has a little taller or whatever, they're getting d one offers, right, But I didn't think the cookie cutter like, oh, this is what a running back supposed to look like kind of you know profile. But the thing is that they couldn't measure

like my mindset and that was so determined. They didn't understand that because they didn't know me. Right, What was some of the craziest things you heard early on that you know, you hear haters and all kind of stuff. Whatever.

I didn't hear anything crazy. But like the thing that I heard that kind of discouraged me is like one of my cousins he coached for Nebraska at the time, the corn Huskers out there, um, and he told me I need to get my my hundred yard meter dash time to like a ten eight, Like I need to be like a ten eight guy. And he's like, you know, I'm recruiting these guys like ten eight guys, and I was like, I was like eleven one guy like I was.

I was intense, and so that was kind of like, man like, that was like the first time I was like, oh, maybe I can't go D one, right, But then I get out there and I fall out and I'm just destroying kids. You know, they can't touch me. I just you can everyone out run through people and like just making it happen, scoring five six touchdowns the game. And I still didn't get in love, right. See. The thing is like I went to a small school, but it's like if you're in a small school, what do you do?

You dominate? Right, You got to dominate. If you're not dominated small school, you're not gonna get good look. I did that. I still didn't get a good look as far as from any Division one school. So it was kind of discourage you. But I kind of had to just like move on at some point. And I'm sure that motivated because you know, at the end of the day, dude, um, I've been in I've been in a position where I where I see guys all the time. You come in, they don't have to hyight. You know, the draft it

right around the corner. At any point in time did you think I think that you possibly begett drafted. What teams were you talking to before you actually came over to the Charge. Yeah, so I mean there's a few teams that were interested. Um. Actually, like almost every single team came to my my college, uh college practices in my senior year, Like I had one scouting. It seemed like every week there was a scout or two scouts

at my college. And that was that was crazy because there was never a scout on our college campus, Like there was no one that was out there balling, right, So there was no one that was even getting interest. Um. And so I had, you know, a couple of teams that were interested in just chatting. I finally got an agent and got some teams that were interested. But I was looking at green Bay and I was looking at

the Chargers. Um. Green Bay because the didn't have it, they had zero hit, zero running backs on the roster. And then the Charges because they had new coaching staff and Melvin Gordon was the only really established back in the room. Um. So it's just like a really good shot to go established in a place with no politics as far as coaches and stuff like that. Yeah, that's when you came in, and I think I me personally just because I've always been around the team or whatever,

I think I still noticing you on special teams and stuff. First. Oh yeah, that's where how I made the team. Man, That's how I made the team. I Actually, my my most proud stat still to this day, is my rookie stat. I led the NFL and tackles on punt like I led the NFL. Like out out there, no one could touch me. Man, I was flying down the field, my gunner out there, just you can't touch me, Get off me,

go making plays. Yeah. I tell guys all the time, especially when you come in and you don't get the shot or the looks that you that you normally get. I said, it's it's it's nothing wrong with beasting out on special teams and getting a shot that way, because all you need is a foot in the door. You gotta getet, you gotta get in, you gotta get in.

And here's the thing. I was six string. There's zero six string running backs that make the NFL roster, So well I better be first stringing something else, you know, or at least you know, getting reps or something else. Like I was getting all my reps on on Scout team, Scout team, Special teams right, um, and then there's zero six team reps on offense, so I get like three or four reps. I gave a practice you know that throwing like here go go run this little you know,

this little crap play. You know, it's a little swing to the left or whatever. But that for me, that was like, this is my chance, right, So I didn't make sure I was I was on all my cues and whatever it was. I was going a hundred percent and doing it to my best ability to try to get some type of Look but what people know about

you now? And like, yeah, you know that. So I say that now that you come in, you you grind your way up, you get an opportunity, and so it's more of a shock to people all the stuff you were doing, like oh my god, this guy, this guy can really play, he can ball out. So now you know you're not coming in surprise at anybody anymore, people coming in knowing what you can do right exactly in building off of that, that's just that's just me. That's

just been my mindset, right. I started a special teams in my in my mind, I was never a backup. I was always a starter. I was always a starter. It didn't matter if I was on paper if I was a backup. But in my mind, I'm starting this game on special teams. I'm starting this game as a backup, running back. Like when I gave my opportunity, I gotta go in there, I gotta make plays. And that's that was my determination. That's how I came in every single game. I was never a backup in my mind, and that

that mindset carried me through. And it's always been hey, awesome with your goals, Like, well, my goals are to build off of what I did the year before, right I made the team, I you know, had a just a year where I established myself that you know I

could play Now. I build off of that, build off of that into my second year, had a little bit more success, got some more offensive reps, and I had built off of that, And I was just always ready for the opportunity because I cared so much and putting so much work and really made my highest priority to be here and be in the space, and when I was in the space, to make advantage to take advantage of that opportunity. At that time, did did did Anthony Lynn?

Coach Lynda? Was he kind of supportive and that in that whole situational it was like an lynna know who I was, hold on what he didn't. He didn't even know who I was. I was number three. I came. I was number three. I actually after O T A. S and my my rookie year, I went up to him and I was I was so nervous because I

never talked to him. And I went up to him and I was like, hey, coach, when I got what I gotta do to make this team, and He's like, well, first of all, uh protect text quarterback, go talk to coach to was our special teams coordinator, and then uh don't fumble the ball, right those three things. So I went and talk to coach to. But the thing is like, he's like, when you came in actually made the team, he got up in front of the teams. I would be honest, you guys, I didn't know who this guy was.

This guy came up and talked to me. I didn't even know his name, and he didn't know my name until I made the fifty three man roster. Because I was just can't body for him, you know, but I was just out there. The first time he really noticed me was when we were in San Diego before the transition. I was on out team punt team, and I was busting ass down the field. Man, I'm flying, no one can block me, no one can touch me. And he comes in. He sees that and he's like, damgn coach

to team coach, who's that number three out there? And coach, you like, that's austome that going to give us a hell of a look out there. And I was like my first like yes, like come on, like give me a little shine, um. And it just, you know, it was just small moments like that that kept building up to a point where I was able like, hey, like

this guy, he's gonna make the roster now. And you got a lot of love from Field too, a lot of phil and I was and I was telling this, you know, I got a different Field story every single day of the week. Like he's such a damn character man, Like he just he does so much and he's funny. People don't know how he's a clown to man, like

a big ass kid. And so when when I saw that, Field kind of came out and supported and put his stamp on you too, man, I said, okay, yeah, and that's that's even before you really start getting on the scene. He kind of put a stamp when you're early on. Yeah. I think it's just because you know, I was, I was making plays and his his his play style kind of complimented what I was helping him do. Like he's not gonna run around, he's gonna check his check his progression,

and he's checking it down right. Well, he's checking it down to me and I'm running around and making people miss getting yard and She's like, okay, Like he started to gain trust in me, right, And so that's that was early on. Like even my rookie year, ID like five receiving touchdowns from him, right, So I'm making place he's like he starts to build that just that confidence like oh if like passes to Austin, like he can

do something with it. And that just continued to grow and grow and grow to the fact that, you know, my third year with him, now I'm having almost a thousand yards receiving because he's just dumped me the ball and I'm running around and scoring touchdowns. Do you see any similarity between Philip Rivers and and Justin Herbert does mean anything likely there's just total opposite people. Um, they're

not opposite people. I still see the same dedication to the game that Justin Herbert has said that that Philip had. As far as the knowledge of the game, Obviously Justin hasn't had as much time as Philip had. Um when I was with him anyway, Um, Philip knew what the defense is going to do based on who the defensive coordinator was. Like, that's the next level stuff right there. Uh. If you know Philip, Justin's you know, he's just getting into it. So he's starting to learn, but he's starting

to make the adjustment stuff, and he's just dedicated. He's puts the time in. Um, you know, I got I played with him for for two games, got injured, came back like like ten weeks later, and then I was just able to see just the different progression that he had made from those those weeks that I had off. Now he's checking place. Now he's sliding, the sliding, the front sliding, the protection, calling out you know, Blitzen. So I was just like, Yeah, this guy really cares. You're

really just getting it. And you know, I think he can grow to that with Philip was that, but it's gonna take a long time. Um. And he's got the talent too. We'll see if he does. He's definitely different as far as hit. The way he plays. You know, he's gonna run around, he's gonna throw the throw the ball down the field. Uh, Philip feeling feeling having that? Man, Yeah, he's so he's looking down and if you're not open,

checkdown where you're at. So you know, I still put into his ear like just I know you can run, man, but don't forget about your backfield, buddy. Man, I can get you some yards to on a little checked out for sure. And and and I'm just looking at at Justin Herbert, Man, I look at you guys, and I'll say this, if it was for injuries and certain positions, um, that would have been a total difference season. And you know, I hope. I mean obviously, injuries is always everything, especially

when you get later on under season. It's all about health. But you guys are right there. Were you were you surprised? Were you happy when when they brought in the new culture? If you got a scant of spending like real time with him? Yeah, not in real time. I chatted with them, uh probably twice three times. UM had it like I just a call, just kind of the leadership call with him and just really wanted to see like like coach, say, like what what's your mission? Man? Like what what do

you what are you about? Like we need to know that early on because as the leaders of this team, we need to know what you're about. So we can build that culture around that, and then we can also implement ourselves and the way we work, the way we the way we leave this team and bring other people along. UM. So that's what what it really is. Was I excited that we have new coaches. I'm I'm in different right.

Like every single year it's a new kind of combination, and so now we have a new we have new coaching staff, so it's just a new piece of that combination for this year. We have a lot of new players, which happens every single year, and so it's like now we have to put a lot of work into build chemistry, especially in the you know, a season where we don't

have the same type off season that we usually do. UM. So there's all these different factors, but the thing is we need a message we need a message from this man and so that we can we can give it to the community. Like everyone has to be involved the ownership, like from every top down, everybody in the organization has to be involved. And that's kind of what I'm going I'm going through this year. I'm trying to just bring energy.

Bring more energy to the Chargers, fans, bring more energy to the Chargers, the team, to the organization, because I feel like we've had this low. We've been in this like low. I don't know if it's because we moved from San Diego and then the fans are like it's still salty or if it's whatever it is, it doesn't matter. We have a new opportunity, right. We have a new stadium, new coaches, new jerseys. You know, quarterback just had Rookie

of the Year. We have a new field around the Charges, and it's like, look, look, we have an opportunity to come in instead of culture in l A that is not like any other culture that we've had in l A's for as far as football has gone. Right, we have a new opportunity, so come in. So if you're a fan and you come in to stadium and you're just like oh, let's see what happens this year. It's gonna be saying all Chargers, guess what. It might be the same old Chargers like, because the at least the

atmosphere is going to be but here. If we come in and we're preaching, like, hey, let's come in with some energy as a fan, let me try to help this team win games by getting as loud as I can. It's gonna be contagious throughout the entire organization, the entire culture. And guess what if you're if you're giving that love as far as from fans, guess what, We're already gonna be working out. We're already gonna be working hard. We're gonna be doing as much as we can't win games.

It just contagious for us. It gives us another reason to work, gives us that because work human too. We get off energy. Like if we have bad energy, like we should feel that. We feel that, man. And so if you come in the stadium you're a Charger fan, be a Charger fan, man, be in there beach yelling. I want you to be I want you to lose your voice by the time you're out of here because you're having so much fun your room and you're trying to help these guys win. Like we're on the field

grinding for you guys. And so that's what I'm saying. We're starting to start a new culture. Man, we got a new opportunity. Let's do it. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live. Now, I'm in the time, and I hate bringing up both up because you guys got a new organization, new players, new team, whatever. But the time that when we were winning, it was it was about

the fans. I mean, you came in the stadium and the fans, let you know, they were there, and that's it. And so we were coming out the warm ups and we see the fans and we started to get pumped up and we're going and everything get hyping. I'm hyping this person up and they're hyping me. I mean, it's it goes back and forth. But one thing I'm gonna say, man, is um, you know, Coach Staley he called me. He called me to the diet that he uh that they made an official And one thing I like about him, man,

I like his energy. I like his energy, and I don't know if it's because he's a defensive minded guy. And I'm just like, Okay, I'm glad they brought into his mind of coach. But I also feel that, you know, you guys are stacked on offense. You're gonna do what you do. I think the mentality is you just talked about. It's why I love the higher Like now, I don't you know, you never know what your money gonna come

in to do, or how they got married. Everybody got to when they walk in the door with the rob Ross beach. Hey, we're gonna change this whole thing around. We've seen another thousand times. So but I'm just from my conversation and talking to him on the phone, I was like this, this dude gets it. He really he really understands. He gets it and what the players you guys have, there's no mean not to make a run. And I'm sitting there like, man, you guys got it,

you got you're stacked. Um, we got that leadership. Me and I was talking about I literally said, I was like, coach, I'm tired of being up with games. Fourteen fifteen twenty one points and losing in the fourth quarter. Man, Like this is ridiculous. Like we're in this position where we're putting up points, we got the lead and then all of a sudden. It's not like, oh, we just got out play one or two times to see the like six seven, eight times that season. This is happening, man,

It's like, we gotta do something. It's either got to be like some type of message, some type of focus, some type of energy. It's got to be something. Man,

we gotta get this ship figured out. Since driving me nuts, and I know it's driving a lot of the other guys nuts, man, where Like I mean, we're winning games, it's not like, oh, we know, we're barely winning, Like we're up substantially and losing in the last quarter to like come on, and so yeah, I'm excited to see what coach has got man, build these relationships and put a new season together and get this grind going. Man. And I'm tired losing these games. So you better believe

I'm gonna getting everything. I gotta leave it all out there. Yeah, and since my old ask retired, don't think I can do with be a social media troll. I might the biggest troll to everybody I know. Man, I know, you know I talked so for me as far you know, all the Raiders fans Broncos, I mean, they hate my ass and I love it. I mean, I think it's great, and I talked you know, all day. But it's like

you guys have it. You're like you said, you're up, and I think that in my opinion, and I'm not in the locker room because the only people matters being in the locker room is that the big word that you need to be finished. You know what I'm saying, like finished games, because you finished for those games last year. In the in the season is different, and you're talking about You're not talking about you guys losing by two or three touchdown. We're talking about seven points of less.

And I'm sitting there and I already got my phone in my hand. I'm ready to jump on social media, pop off y'all. You know, you guys are spanking them and then yeah, you hear you hear a thing to get people all the same old charted. I'm like, dude, if they just finished, they got a completely different team exactly. Man, there's way too many examples of us being up and just driving it. Just drop the ball, just let teams just inch back in. And so that's that's what to me,

that's the same old charges. I'm tired of that ship, and so we have a new opportunity to change that. And that's what that's my mission. That's I don't know about the rest of the team. I'm gonna let everyone know on the team, like this is my mission. If

you're on board, let's go. And so the the last thream mail before I let you go, UM, tell me about your foundation too, because I've been you know, reading a lot you're doing lie with your foundation absolutely so kind of this energy, man, this energy that's been built up inside of me, It's come from just a lot of a lot of hard work, a lot of just building and grinding. Right, everyone has we all have our own build, we all have our own grind that we

go through. UM and the ideal part about my grind and this is where I envisioned myself being right. And so now I'm trying to help people that are just in situations where they still don't maybe know what they want to do. I'm trying to help those people try to find someone where Okay, this is where I want

to be see themselves in that they pursue that. But the only way you can do that is if you give resources to people with particular younger people where you're just trying to figure out what you're trying to do. You don't really have a lot of responsibility trying to

find what you're passionate about. And so through the Austin Equid Foundation, I'm trying to implement resources, uh into just communities that people can use to you try to learn about themselves, to work hard, to to build skills that

are transferable into their life throughout their entire life. For me, for instance, like I learned so much in the weight room, honestly because the weight room for me with therapeutic it taught me, social skill, taught me, mental toughness taught me, discipline, taught me how to work hard, right, and so those are things that have come with you know, other things, but in the weight room in particular. And so for instance,

I built a weight room for Santa Barbara High School. Um, you know, they have twenty two D students there and they have like one weight room that was functional in one of those breaking down and so like they had this huge need for that. They still need more, but

it's like, I'm just trying to do what I can. UM. And so I have another project that's gonna be nationwide UM that it's just gonna be I can't speak on it too much for yet, but it's it's going to be just another way for people to learn about themselves. And so the thing is, I'm trying to help the person that I used to be, right, I used to be this kid that I don't know what the heck I want to do. I'm just really trying to find myself.

But I had resources, right, I had resources, and I was able to take advantage of a lot of different things. And so those communities that don't have all these resources as far as like computer labs, as far as like uh, just access to like basketball courts or just just social thing like a park for instance, where you just are in stuff, you're doing things right, and when you're doing things,

you're learning things and you're just learning about yourself. And so that's the awesome that the Foundations trying to do, is trying to add resources to these communities. That's awesome, And I live. I got one more thing. Yeah, this this this game and thing? How deep? How deep are

you in the game and community? So because I look at um, you know, and I got friends and I got a couple, I played the I played in the apex Um tournament, okay, on on the ESPN and some other places whatever, I played over there, right, and so you're not a little bit, but you you all the way in with it, like how how deep are you in the game? So, I mean I have grit and Gaming Group, which is the company that I started basically, So I didn't I game a lot, but I didn't

starting Gaming Group because the game. I started because I wanted to connect with my community, right, Like I wanted to use as a social right, like people. There's a lot of people that play video games. There's a lot of athletes that play video games. And I was playing video games and I was like, how can I connect with the community on a deeper level outside of football, And it became video games, right, And so I started

playing video games. The community. They started asking me questions and it became more of a meet and Greek type of session. Right. It's more like a press conference where you used to come out and chat with whatever we're talking about that day and I was just getting so much from that, and I was like, well, I should have other athletes do this, right, like because if you come into like I'd stream on Twitch for instance, and it's like if you start doing that, you just know

the really direction. You just kind of do what you want to do. And so I was like, let me help people try to connect with their community, to build something, build their brand outside of of of football, you know. And so we have these big events, like we did an event for the for the Super Bowl and we it was huge, Like it was just my six my six members at the time. We have ten members now, but we had, uh we had like seven hundred thousand

viewers total unique viewers, and it's insane. It just blew up because people just were had there's a demand for this type of like interaction between like just athletes and uh just what they're doing in their personal life. And we're doing giveaways interaction and there there was just like the big just description there was just not a lot because of COVID, right, And so now we're doing one for the NFL Draft the first round where you're you're

gonna be involved, let's go. It's basically it's a big it's a big social right. So here's what we're gonna do. Um, we're gonna have our GG members um, and then we're also having guests like yourself, they're not a part of g G G come and represent a team. And basically what that means is you're gonna have your ten minute block and you're gonna be just talking about whatever you're

trying to plug. Whether it's you know, you know, lights out uh podcast, whether it's your Instagram, whether your foundation, whatever you wanna talk about. It's gonna be a big social event. Um, it'll be blown up. Twitch is working on it with us too, so it's gonna be a

massive event. Um. It's just gonna be a big social for people to experience the draft in a different way, right, because if you watch ESPN, if you watch CBS, whatever there, it's like very technical, right, It's all about these verses

numbers in college and stuff like that. It's like that's great if you're like really into it, But if you're like kind of like a casual person, you still like are a fan of this person or this team, you can come over and watch it on Twitch with us and kind of see it in a different in a different view and get some insight on such people that are involved in that community and see what they're up to, and then see what they think about the pick. I'm in.

I'm in. I can't wait for that. That's what to two? Which man? Two weeks? Yeah? Yeah, two weeks two which weeks will be on the on the draft day. I'm in, man, And I'm also gonna be a training camp coming to and check you guys out too. Now we got fans of let's go. Let's get the fans back, man, Let's get this energy going. Man. I need your help. I need your help. Man. We gotta start this new community out here, bro, because I'm in. Bro, I'm go. Let's

do it. Man, find my dude, take it easy, appreciate you all. It sounds good man. Have you going, man? Thanks guys, listening to another lights Out podcast with me Shawn Morimon, and uh, that was really cool. Um. I always half form when I talked to some of my former charges man, because I'm so involved a team. You guys see, I'm always trolling other teams fans and I

love it. I love when they troll back. It's all good, Um, but it's been great watching him half his success, and we talked a little bit about the differences between Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert and what Justin Herbert's future is gonna look like with the team. Futures look like. He is motivated, he is pumped up, and uh he's gonna do with tremendous things for the team this year. I can't wait to watch the big thing for the Charges

this year. Guys is finished. They finished games. They're gonna win a lot of games. So thank you guys for tuning in. I appreciate you guys. Always keep leaving those great reviews, um and downloading these podcasts subscribing. Man, I'm looking at the subscriptions going crazy, and really thanks for you guys, so keep tuning them leaving those great reviews. We'll be back next week with another one.