Chargers Give Peace a Chance

Former University of Florida quarterback Wayne Peace, who has been out of professional football for a year, was among six free agents signed by the San Diego Chargers, team officials said Tuesday.

Peace, a four-year starter at Florida, set a national collegiate record in 1982 by completing 70.73 % of his passes. After his senior year in 1983, Peace began a two-year stint in the United States Football League, playing with the Tampa Bay Bandits and the Portland Breakers.

He walked out of Portland last year and failed tryouts with the National Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins. Peace then returned to Florida to finish his college degree.

Peace is due in San Diego on May 5 to begin workouts before the Chargers’ mini-camp later that month, said General Manager Johnny Saunders.

“He hasn’t played in a year, so the jury’s still out on how good he will be,” Saunders said.

Peace said he welcomed a second chance at playing pro football.

“I missed football so bad,” he said. “I think I lost my head and went overboard as far as signing with the USFL. I just felt I was too good a quarterback not to be in the game.”

Chargers Coach Don Coryell said Peace had a good chance at making the team because the club likely will carry three quarterbacks. The team carried two last year until starter Dan Fouts went down with a knee injury in the fourth game of the season. Fouts came back after a three-week layoff, but suffered a cracked bone in his leg before the season finale.

Also signed by the Chargers were wide receiver Timmie Ware, one of the last players cut by the Chargers during training camp last year; tackle Steve Collier of Bethune-Cookman, who had a trial with Cleveland in 1985; wide receiver Dwayne Dixon, who tried out in 1985 with Kansas City and Tampa Bay of the NFL; free safety Juan Johnson, of Langston, Okla., who tried out with Minnesota; and tight end Malcolm Moore, who played for the USFL’s Los Angeles Express in 1984.