A look at the connections between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers.
NEW ENGLAND TIES
- Chargers WR Geremy Davis played collegiately at UConn from 2011-14, finishing his career with 165 catches for 2,292 yards.
- Chargers C/G Cole Toner played at Harvard from 2012-15, starting all 34 games he played in.
- Chargers wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan hails from Agawam, Mass. and attended the University of Maine. He also began coaching there as a wide receivers/tight ends coach.
- Chargers quality control-defense Addison Lynch is from Boston, Mass. and played safety at Bryant University in Rhode Island from 2007-11.
CALIFORNIA TIES
- Patriots QB Tom Brady is from San Mateo and attended Junipero Serra High School, where he threw for 3,702 yards and 31 touchdowns.
- Patriots WR Julian Edelman grew up in Redwood City and attended College of San Mateo before transferring to Kent State.
- Patriots WR Matthew Slater is from Anaheim and he attended UCLA, where he excelled as a kick returner, landing on first-team All-Pacific-10 conference in 2007.
- Patriots S Patrick Chung moved to Cucamonga, Calif. from Jamaica at age 12.
- Patriots LS Joe Cardona also hails from California, growing up in El Cajon.
FORMER PATRIOTS
- Chargers C/G Cole Toner had a stint on the New England practice squad during the 2017 season.
FORMER CHARGERS
- Patriots DL Lawrence Guy played for the Chargers from 2013-14, playing in 13 games and recording 16 total tackles.
FORMER NFL TEAMMATES
- Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn coached the running backs and was assistant head coach and offensive line coach Pat Meyer worked in a variety of roles when Patriots WR Chris Hogan, CB Stephon Gilmore and LB Ramon Humber played in Buffalo. Humber was also a member of the Bills when Chargers wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan worked in the same role. Finally, Chargers defensive line coach Giff Smith worked in the same role for the Bills in 2012 with Hogan and Gilmore.
- Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was the vice president of football operations for Indianapolis in 2012 when Patriots TE Dwayne Allen and DL Lawrence Guy played for the Colts.
- Chargers assistant head coach and special teams coordinator George Stewart coached the wide receivers for the Vikings from 2007-16, spending time with Patriots WR Cordarrelle Patterson. Patriots wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea worked under Stewart as an offensive assistant and defensive line coach Brendan Daly worked as a defensive assistant with the defensive line.
- Patriots QB Brian Hoyer played for Cleveland in 2013 while Chargers quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen was the quality control coach of the offense.
- Chargers WR Travis Benjamin played with Patriots DL Danny Shelton and QB Brian Hoyer for Cleveland.
- Chargers DT T.Y. McGill also played for Cleveland in 2017, teaming up with Patriots DB Jason McCourty and DL Danny Shelton.
- Patriots director of pro personnel Dave Ziegler worked in the Denver scouting department from 2011-12 while Chargers TE Virgil Green played for the Broncos.
- Chargers DT T.Y. McGill played with Patriots WR Phillip Dorsett and TE Dwayne Allen for Indianapolis from 2015-16.
- Patriots QB Brian Hoyer played for the Cardinals Weeks 14-16 in 2012 while Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was head coach of Arizona.
- Whisenhunt was also head coach of the Titans and defensive line coach Giff Smith worked in the same role from 2014-15 while Patriots DB Jason McCourty played in Tennessee.
- Chargers P Donnie Jones played for the Rams while Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels worked in the same capacity for the Rams (2011) and defensive line coach Brendan Daly worked in the same role (2009-11).
- Chargers assistant special teams coach Keith Burns worked in the same capacity for the Broncos from 2007-12, spending time with Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels when he was head coach in Denver and director of pro personnel Dave Ziegler worked in the scouting department. Ziegler also worked with defensive backs coach Ron Milus and linebackers coach Richard Smith in Denver.
- Patriots OL James Ferentz played with Chargers T Russell Okung and G Michael Schofield III on the Denver offensive line.
- Patriots DE Adrian Clayborn played in Tampa Bay in 2011 when Chargers running backs coach Alfredo Roberts coached the Buccaneer tight ends. Chargers quality control-offense Dan Shamash was quality control to the head coach in Tampa Bay with Clayborn.
- Clayborn also played for Atlanta from 2015-16 while Chargers linebackers coach Richard Smith was the defensive coordinator.
- Roberts also coached the tight ends in Indianapolis from 2012-15, spending time with Patriots TE Dwayne Allen, WR Phillip Dorsett and DL Lawrence Guy.
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
- Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore played for the South Carolina defense with Chargers DE Melvin Ingram III from 2009-11.
- Patriots LB Dont'a Hightower played at Alabama with Chargers NT Damion Square from 2008-11. Patriots special teams coach Joe Judge was also with the Crimson Tide at that time as a football analyst/special teams assistant. The trio won the National Championship together in 2009 and 2011.
- Chargers DE Darius Philon played with Patriots DL Trey Flowers and DL Deatrich Wise Jr. at Arkansas.
- Patriots LB Ramon Humber played at North Dakota State in 2005 when Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.
- Patriots RB James White shared the Wisconsin backfield with Chargers RB Melvin Gordon from 2012-13. Chargers FB Derek Watt was also a Badger with White and Gordon and Patriots consultant to the head coach Bret Bielema was head coach there in 2012.
- Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy shared the field with Chargers CB Michael Davis at BYU in 2013.
- Chargers K Michael Badgley and S Rayshawn Jenkins played with Patriots WR Phillip Dorsett and DL Ufomba Kamalu at Miami (Fla.). Dorsett also played with Chargers WR Travis Benjamin at Miami in 2011.
- Patriots DB Keion Crossen played with Chargers RB Detrez Newsome at Western Carolina from 2014-17.
- Patriots DL Malcom Brown teamed up with Chargers S Adrian Phillips at Texas from 2012-13.
- Patriots OL Joe Thuney played with Chargers DL Justin Jones and DT T.Y. McGill at N.C. State.
- Patriots DB Obi Melifonwu teamed up with Chargers WR Geremy Davis at Connecticut.
- Patriots coaching assistant Atif Austin was the special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach at North Dakota State in 2014 while Chargers LB Kyle Emanuel played there.
