Clay Fails Chargers’ Physical

Tackle John Clay, traded along with two draft picks to the Chargers from the Los Angeles Raiders Saturday for Pro Bowl tackle Jim Lachey, failed to pass his physical Sunday morning. Clay is suffering from a strain in his lower back.

Clay arrived in camp Saturday night and all indications were that he would practice Sunday. However, the back strain he suffered during an intra-squad scrimmage at the Raiders’ camp in Oxnard Wednesday, was still bothering him.

Clay was filling out a form Sunday morning in the team doctor’s office when he came to the question: “Have you ever had any back injuries?”

Clay wrote, “Yes.”

Somebody noticed his answer and asked him, “When?”

“Last Wednesday,” Clay said.

Charger Coach Al Saunders said he hadn’t been told about the injury.

“I was not aware of anything until a couple of our trainers came running out on the field (during a morning workout) and told me he (Clay) wouldn’t be able to practice,” Saunders said. “I’m disappointed because we were not informed, as far as I know, in any way that he had an injury.”

The Raiders and Chargers, long time AFC Western Division rivals hadn’t worked a trade since 1976 before Saturday.

But Charger director of football operations, Steve Ortmayer, said the Raiders told him of Clay’s injury and that everything was on the up-and-up.

“All this is, is a young man who’s hurting just a little bit,” Ortmayer said. “He told me himself that he could practice. It’s just that the doctors wanted to hold him out for a day or so as a precautionary measure. I’m not concerned at all.”

“I don’t know why (Ortmayer) didn’t tell me about it,” Saunders said. “Maybe he didn’t think it was a serious thing. All I know is that John will go to a back specialist today to get X-rays because we want to see what the extent of the problem is. I expect him to be practicing in the next couple of days.”

Raiders’ Coach Mike Shanahan, in Oxnard, said the Raiders were not trying to slight the Chargers in any way.

“As far as I knew, everything was all right with him (Clay),” Shanahan said. “He worked out Thursday and Friday and we held him out Saturday because of the trade.”

Clay, a first-round pick by the Raiders in the 1987 National Football League draft, reported to Charger camp weighing 320 pounds. He said he would like to play at 300 pounds and that the extra weight was a result of taking a few days off.

“We don’t even know what the best playing weight for him is,” Ortmayer said.

Lachey, meanwhile, arrived at Raider camp Sunday, passed his physical, and worked out with his new team.

The Chargers spent much of the Sunday denying a published report that said the two draft picks the Chargers received Saturday might be sent back to the Raiders in exchange for a running back.

“There isn’t any running back that I know of coming here,” Ortmayer said.

Charger Notes

Coach Al Saunders said that all players except those who have been hurting with injuries or who have just recently arrived in camp, would be given today off. Charger players were given Monday’s off last season. Saunders said he is setting this up as a normal game week. The Chargers open their exhibition season Saturday night here against the Dallas Cowboys . . . The Chargers’ first pick in this year’s draft, wide receiver Anthony Miller, rested during Sunday’s afternoon practice because his hamstring tightened up.