Your End Zone’s Plugged? Call a Plummer

The Chargers began working on it in training camp but waited until Sunday to unleash it on the unsuspecting Steelers.

It was the first quarter, third and goal from the Steeler two, and from the sideline came Gary Plummer.

That’s Gary Plummer, the Chargers’ 6-2, 240-pound starting linebacker, who was being called upon to do his imitation of the “Fridge,” the Bears’ megaton defensive lineman, William Perry.

Plummer took position in the backfield in front of running back Marion Butts. On the snap, Plummer broke right as a lead blocker while Billy Joe Tolliver faked a handoff to Butts.

And the Steelers bit.

“I’m just supposed to be in the flat, and the tight end is supposed to be in the corner of the end zone,” Plummer said. “But Arthur Cox was held up on the play, and I just happened to be open.”

Plummer was wide open and caught Tolliver’s pass for a two-yard touchdown.

“I’ve probably run it about five times in practice, and they’ve thrown to me about three times,” he said. “Twice, it was batted away, and I think I caught it the other time.”

In camp, the team looked at both Plummer and linebacker Henry Rolling as goal-line specialists. But in recent practices, they have worked exclusively with Plummer.

“Now I know what it looks like when a running back sizes up the defense,” he said.

Plummer, a former nose tackle, recorded his first touchdown since scoring on defense for the Mission San Jose High Warriors.

Plummer had plans to hang onto the ball as a keepsake but bowed to peer pressure.

“They told me to spike it,” he said. “So I did.”

The Chargers’ only other score Sunday was also recorded by a defender.

On first and 10 from their own three in the third quarter, Steeler backup quarterback Rick Strom tried to hand the ball to running back Warren Williams.

But Williams dropped the ball, and defensive tackle Les Miller recovered for the touchdown.