Kris Dielman

Kristopher M. Dielman[1] (born February 3, 1981) is a former American football guard who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for Indiana University. The San Diego Chargers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2003, and he played his entire professional career for the Chargers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and was a member of the Chargers 50th Anniversary Team.

Kris Dielman
Dielman with the San Diego Chargers
No. 68
Position:Guard
Personal information
Born: (1981-02-03) February 3, 1981
Goshen, Indiana
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:320 lb (145 kg)
Career information
High school:Troy (OH)
College:Indiana
Undrafted:2003
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:120
Games started:97
Player stats at NFL.com

High school and college career

A graduate of Troy High School in Troy, Ohio, Dielman was an all-state and all-conference linebacker and tight end. He also lettered in basketball. Off the field, Dielman was both homecoming and mid-winter king at Troy High School.

After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Indiana University where he played for the Indiana Hoosiers football team. Kris played tight end for Indiana under former San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron[2] and former Chargers offensive line coach Hal Hunter, and earned All-Big 10 honors his junior year. Dielman's blocking was a huge contribution to the success of then-IU quarterback Antwaan Randle El, who became the first player in the history of NCAA football with 8,000 pass yards and 3,000 rush yards in Dielman's junior season. Cameron was Dielman's head coach and Hunter was his offensive coordinator. Once Cameron got a job as the Charger offensive coordinator, Hunter left for North Carolina. Dielman's new coaching staff started playing him more at defensive line, a position he had experience throughout his college career and where he later became a team captain during his senior season.[3]

Professional career

San Diego Chargers

Dielman went undrafted out of college, but signed on with the San Diego Chargers on April 28, 2003. Dielman reunited with his former Indiana head coach Cam Cameron, who served as the Chargers' offensive coordinator.[4]

The Chargers converted him from a defensive tackle to an offensive lineman, and before long Dielman had established himself as a starter at left guard. Right away Dielman made a name for himself in large part due to his gritty, hard-nosed style of play on the offensive line.

He was released by the Chargers on Aug 26 at the roster cut down to 65 before being re-signed to the practice squad on Sept. 1. He was then called up to the active roster with six weeks left in the season.

By his fourth year in the league, Dielman was a rising star and an integral part of LaDainian Tomlinson's record breaking 2006 season. Dielman's teammates referred to him as their "enforcer" and "battering ram". Dielman was chosen as a 1st Alternate for the 2007 Pro Bowl.

In the off-season the Seattle Seahawks offered him a large contract worth $48.2 million but he returned to San Diego to sign a six-year deal with the Chargers that guarantees him $17 million over the first two years and is potentially worth $39 million, becoming one of the highest paid guards in the NFL.

In an interview with USA Today's Jim Corbett, Charger general manager AJ Smith remarked, "He's a special kid. The loyalty he showed is very, very rare. I knew if he could just be paid like a premier guard, he would stay with us because of who he is. Seattle was legitimate, and he didn't want any part of it. He said, 'I want to go home with my team.' It's the best thing in the world to happen for us. He's a Pro Bowler waiting to happen."[5]

In 2009, he started all 16 games for just the second time in his career and earned his third Pro Bowl invite despite allowing a career-high three sacks. He was penalized just three times on the season, the lowest total since he moved into the starting lineup in 2005.

In December 2010, Dielman was selected as a Pro Bowl starter for the second time, his fourth Pro Bowl overall.[6] Dielman suffered a concussion in the sixth game of the 2011 season against the New York Jets. He had a seizure on the team plane after the game, and he missed the remainder of the season. In February 2012, Dielman announced his retirement from pro football due to the risk of further head injuries. On July 21, 2012, the San Diego Chargers released Dielman from the team's reserved-retired list by the request of his agent.[7][8][9]

References
  1. "Dielman on Pro-Football-Reference". rbref.com. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
  2. "Dielman, Brandt Sign With NFL Teams". Archived from the original on March 6, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  3. "Chargers.com - News » Headlines » What a Diel!". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Dielman's loyalty to Chargers shines through". USA Today. April 4, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  6. Jenkins, Chris (December 28, 2010). "Gates, Dielman, Rivers voted to Pro Bowl". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011.
  7. "Pro Bowl guard well-respected". chargers.com. February 29, 2012. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012.
  8. Farrar, Doug (March 1, 2012). "Chargers' Kris Dielman, 'the ultimate old-school, self-made player,' retires in emotional press conference". yahoo.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012.
  9. Wilson, Bernie (March 1, 2012). "Chargers G Dielman retires due to concussion". yahoo.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012.
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