Charger Notebook : Early Likes Team, Not When It Took Him

Now that he has had almost a month to think about it, Iowa wide receiver Quinn Early has mixed emotions about where he went in last month’s NFL draft.

He was happy to become a Charger. He wasn’t happy about having to wait until the third round (60th player overall).

“At first I had a bit of animosity about going in the third round,” he said. “I thought I should have gone sooner. But San Diego is the team I wanted to come to.”

Actually the Chargers were one of three teams with which Early says he would have been happy. The other two were the Jets and the Rams.

The Jets were favored because he played his high school football in Great Neck, N.Y., the Rams and the Chargers because of their location.

“California,” he said, “because even though I’ve always lived in New York, I’ve always considered myself a California boy.”

The 49ers and Raiders are also in California. Early didn’t mention those two teams.

By committing to football, Early missed a chance to regain the Big Ten long jump title he won in 1986. “I miss track sometimes,” he said. “But I consider myself a football player that ran track. I just decided to put track on the shelf and concentrate on football.”

All of the Chargers’ 10 drafted players showed up for the first day of rookie camp workouts. There were also a smattering of veterans and a large number of free agents.

Among the veterans was tight end Rod Bernstine, who will play the H-back position in offensive coordinator Jerry Rhome’s new offense, which will be similar to the one he helped run in Washington. The H-back is a combination of tight end and blocking back.

Many veterans have been practicing under the supervision of coaches since the early part of the month. But Bernstine, a first-round pick in 1987, arrived a few days ago from Texas A&M;, where he has been attending classes.

“We wanted to catch him up on some of the things we’ll be doing with that position,” Charger Coach Al Saunders said.

The veteran minicamp will begin next Friday at the team’s practice field next to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The No. 1 draft pick, wide receiver Anthony Miller, did not participate in the full workout. He has been suffering from tightness in his right hamstring much of the month. Saunders did say he expects Miller to be ready for the veteran minicamp next week. Several rookies have been invited to participate in those workouts.

Free agent wide receivers Eugene Goodlow, a former Saint, and Mitchell Brookins, a former Bill, also have been slowed by tightness in their legs.

Saunders said the Chargers will probably take five quarterbacks to training camp in July. The six on the roster are Mark Malone, Mark Vlasic, Steve Fuller, Babe Laufenberg, Mike Kelley and Ed Rubbert.

“We’re a long, long way away from training camp,” Saunders said. “And we’re a long way from having to make any decisions at that position.”

The rookies and free agents took their physical examinations Thursday. Only one player, wide receiver Karl Dorrell from UCLA, failed. Dorrell has a bad back. The Chargers will waive him “right away,” Saunders said.