PRO FOOTBALL REPORT WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Tolliver Shrugs Off Boos

The “Boo Meter” reached a nine at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium Sunday during the Chargers’ 17-7 loss to Houston.

As a point of reference, 10 would be 25 strike outs in a row.

All Charger quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver did was throw a couple of interceptions, take an untimely sack and toss one ball away when maybe he should have thrown to an open receiver.

The boos echoed.

“I’ve been booed before, and I’ll be booed again,” Tolliver said. “I got booed in college. I was booed in high school. I can remember pee-wee football when we were in third grade and you’d get booed. Fans are going to be fans. As you grow up and progress you learn to except it.”

The call that helped turn a missed field goal into an Oiler touchdown Sunday was officially “leaping” not “leverage.”

It happened in the first quarter. Oiler Tony Zendejas hit a ball that looked more like an onside kick than a field goal attempt. Linebacker Junior Seau, whose only assignment was to watch for a fake, decided to embellish his role, took a running start and leaped through the line of scrimmage.

The whistle blew and leverage was called. The definition for leverage in the NFL rule book is jumping or placing hands on a teammate to get height for a block, being picked up by a teammate or throwing a punch or forearm even if there is not contact.

All Seau did was run and jump. That’s called leaping, defined as: “Clearly running forward and leaping in an obvious attempt to block a field goal or PAT at or near the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.”

Seau came off the field and he and Coach Dan Henning had words. Asked what Seau said, Henning responded: “I’d rather not say. I’d rather not say what I said either.”

Seau said later: “I didn’t have any idea what was going on. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but it shows what I know about football.”

The Chargers signed two players to their five-man practice squad Monday: Cornerback Derrick Kelson, an 11th-round draft pick cut by the New York Jets, and offensive lineman Dean Brown, a 12th-rounder cut by Indianapolis.

Wide receiver Nate Lewis, who pulled a quadriceps muscle in pregame warmups Sunday, is expected to miss about a week, Henning said. . . . Safety Vencie Glenn (concussion) will likely return to the lineup Sunday at Pittsburgh.