Chargers : Thompson Leads With His Fists

Every few days or so, there’s a massive pileup of bodies here, and Broderick (The Grass Stain) Thompson is usually the reason.

Thompson, a Charger offensive lineman, leads the team with some six fights during training camp.

Charger Coach Al Saunders thinks it is “dumb” for a player to throw a fist at a face mask, yet he readily concedes that any person who does so is an aggressive soul who cannot be taken lightly.

That brings us to Thompson, a 6-foot 5-inch, 265-pound guard/tackle who literally is fighting for a spot.

He is no fiend who enjoys rolling around in the dirt after a play has been whistled dead. He just likes to do his job.

“Most times, guys get upset with me because I’m aggressive, and I like to sustain my block as long as possible,” Thompson said. “And defensive linemen don’t like that. They don’t like to be embarrassed. They’re more quick-tempered.

“So that’s the cause of the fights, plus I do a little bit of holding. . . . Just a little.”

Maybe he does a lot of holding. After one of his recent fights, as he was walking off the field, he was approached by defensive coordinator Ron Lynn.

Lynn called out: “Broderick, Broderick. You didn’t block anyone today. You held all day.”

Thompson could have denied it, but he is truthful.

“Well, when I was in the USFL,” he said this week, “we practiced shooting our hands straight at the numbers and grabbing. Uh, I shouldn’t reveal my secret, should I? Well, anyway, a lot of guys do it, and it’s not detectable by referees. It’s pretty much an unwritten rule that they won’t call it. I mean, if my arms were out wide, they’d call it.”

Thompson, who played at Kansas, was originally signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive lineman. After the Cowboys cut him, he played for the USFL Portland Breakers in the summer of 1985. The Cowboys signed him again for the 1985 season, this time as an offensive lineman.

In 1985 alone, Thompson played 29 games of professional football, which is usually enough to take the fight out of anyone.

“About November, I was finding excuses not to go to practice,” he said. “I was mentally stressed out.”

In 1986, he was out of a job. The Chargers needed new blockers this season, and Thompson was signed.

“He’s improving pretty rapidly,” said Dave Levy, the offensive line coach. “He’s got a fighting chance.”

The worst brawl of all came Tuesday morning. Thompson and defensive end Tony Simmons got tangled, and they didn’t get untangled for a while.

“There were 50 guys around, saying, ‘Break it up! Break it up!’ ” Thompson remembered. “But nobody did. We went on and on. It was like a three-round fight, and I’m telling you, I was very tired.”

The day before, he had fought with defensive end Pete Catan.

“My fights are too close together if I want to challenge for the WBA championship,” Thompson said with a wink. “I don’t think my manager is scheduling my fights right.”

In an informal poll, the Charger defensive linemen indicated that they don’t think Thompson is a bad guy. After the fights, he’s usually in the shower room with them, telling jokes and so forth. And during film sessions, everyone looks for the instant replays of the fights.

“Well, a lot of times, they cut the fights out of the films,” Thompson said. “Sometimes, you’re kind of looking forward to seeing (the fight) because you know you got in one good shot. Actually, they let us see a couple of my fights. Everyone enjoyed it. They’ll run it back a couple of times, and everyone’s saying, ‘Ohhhhh. Ahhhhh.’ ”

All of Thompson’s knuckles appear intact.

“You tend to direct punches to the midsection, where there aren’t any pads,” said Thompson, who by now is an authority on the subject.

And Levy, asked about the brawls, said: “I’m glad. I don’t think he’s been cheap-shotting anybody.”

No. He’s just been holding on for dear life.

Charger Notes

The Chargers on Thursday waived outside linebacker Stan David, a free agent who was with Kansas City last season. . . . Defensive lineman Mike Charles, picked up off the waiver wire on Wednesday, practiced here Thursday. He was recently cut by the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for apparently being out of shape, He says he weighs between 305 and 310 pounds. “There’s no humidity here in San Diego, so I’m flying,” Charles said. “I can run all day.” The Chargers will try him at nose tackle and defensive end. . . . Coach Al Saunders said quarterback Dan Fouts probably won’t play this Sunday against the Rams, but he definitely wants Fouts ready for the last exhibition game--Sept. 4 against the Jets. “I think the last game is important to play in,” Saunders said. “And if he’s ready to play next Thursday night (at San Francisco), I think that would be good for him to get a little time--if not for him, for the other guys around him.”