Preston Poag had the evening deliberate. The North Murray, Ga., soccer coach seemed forward on the Georgia Bulldogs’ schedule to see when Ladd McConkey had a free weekend. He satisfied the then-Georgia receiver to skip out on a deliberate searching journey. The event known as for it: North Murray was going to retire McConkey’s jersey quantity.
However two weeks after Poag almost moved McConkey to tears by telling him of the dignity, the receiver known as his former coach with a request. He pleaded to not have his jersey retired.
There are many different nice gamers on the faculty that might deserve the dignity, McConkey informed him.
“Shut the crap up and get your butt here,” Poag responded.
Whilst his star outgrows his small hometown in northern Georgia, McConkey has maintained his humble nature with the Chargers, who the 22-year-old rookie leads with 30 catches for 376 yards and 4 touchdowns getting into a highway recreation towards the Cleveland Browns (2-6) at 10 a.m. PST Sunday.
After his 111-yard receiving, two-touchdown effort towards the New Orleans Saints — a recreation by which he grew to become the primary Chargers rookie since Keenan Allen in 2013 to have 100 yards receiving in a recreation — McConkey smiled shyly when the faintest whiff of reward was directed towards him. He was merely joyful to get into the top zone and make performs for his workforce.
His teammates had been able to sing his praises as an alternative.
“Beast,” security Derwin James Jr. mentioned. “Dog. Y’all seen him. … Ladd that guy.”
Because the Chargers (4-3) seemed for replacements for longtime stars Allen and Mike Williams, McConkey quietly has turned himself into one in every of quarterback Justin Herbert’s most sure-handed targets.
McConkey, a second-round choice who was the ninth receiver taken in final April’s draft, is third amongst rookie extensive receivers in yards receiving per recreation.
If McConkey reaches the century mark Sunday, he would be a part of Allen as the one Chargers rookies to file back-to-back 100-yard receiving video games.
Rewatching the movie of McConkey’s performs towards the Saints, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh was struck by the way in which the receiver appeared to look one place after which catch the ball in one other. It reminded him of former Carolina Panthers star Steve Smith Sr.
Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey (15), who caught two landing passes, celebrates a win over the Saints with linebacker Joey Bosa.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Instances)
“They have a subtle way of catching it,” mentioned Harbaugh, who was the Panthers scout workforce quarterback when Smith was a rookie. “They catch it like just a couple feet away from where they’re looking. It’s pretty cool.”
The receiver places up huge numbers by perfecting the smallest particulars. From the primary days of coaching camp, Herbert observed how exactly McConkey broke out and in of routes, how he positioned his physique to stop defenders from undercutting him and the way he actively grabbed the ball when it got here in his path.
With expertise which are onerous to show, McConkey is what Herbert known as, “a friend to the quarterback.”
“He’s natural at it,” Herbert mentioned.
McConkey all the time has had “the it-factor,” Poag mentioned. The previous North Carolina State quarterback and pitcher coached him as early as 9 years previous when McConkey, regardless of his small stature, was untouchable towards even older opponents.
He performed receiver, operating again, defensive again, punter and kick returner for North Murray, a faculty in northern Georgia about 15 miles south of the Tennessee border. As a senior, he led the Mountaineers to Georgia’s Class 3A quarterfinals for the primary time as their beginning quarterback.
Nonetheless, main schools had been sluggish to imagine McConkey may very well be a authentic prospect. Coaches beloved his movie then side-eyed the slight construct of a 5-foot-11, 165-pound receiver in particular person. Even after he obtained curiosity from Georgia, coaches from smaller faculties doubted he would ever play for the Bulldogs, asking Poag what would occur when a giant SEC defender lined up towards him.
“They won’t touch him,” Poag mentioned confidently.
McConkey helped Georgia to 2 nationwide championships, catching 5 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns within the Bulldog’s blowout title win over Texas Christian in 2022 in SoFi Stadium.
Now catching the passes and scoring touchdowns in the identical stadium, McConkey has made the transition to the NFL look seamless. He modestly shrugged on the suggestion, nonetheless, saying there are nonetheless “bad days that y’all don’t see.”
He credited the coaches at Georgia for making ready him to face the pains of the NFL.
“I feel like coach [Kirby] Smart and everybody at Georgia kind of prepared me for this,” McConkey mentioned. “We practiced hard at Georgia, we take game reps at practice, so now it’s just transitioning over here and continuing that, but taking it to another notch.”
Haunted by among the identical minor accidents that interrupted his school profession, McConkey has nursed a hip damage for the final three weeks because the Chargers have struggled to maintain their receiver room intact.
The workforce is hoping to get Quentin Johnston (ankle) again quickly after a two-game absence. Signed because the veteran chief for the new-look group, free agent D.J. Chark Jr. went on injured reserve with a hip damage that became a lingering groin damage.
Whereas he toiled within the coaching room to return to the sphere, Chark, 28, watched with satisfaction because the Chargers’ younger receivers skilled their first breakthrough moments. After McConkey’s signature second, Chark can’t wait to get in on the enjoyable.
“I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Chark mentioned.
