CHARGER NOTEBOOK / T.J. SIMERS : Miller Undergoes Knee Surgery
Chargers wide receiver Anthony Miller underwent arthroscopic surgery Friday to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.
Coach Bobby Ross said that the damage was more serious than team physicians first thought, but he still expects Miller to be recovered for training camp in July.
Miller, who finished the 1991 season on injured reserve with a quadriceps muscle tear, injured his knee in a non-contact drill in the team’s first mini-camp practice Thursday. He will have his knee immobilized for a short period of time before he’s allowed to begin full rehabilitation.
The Chargers had expressed excitement at the progress being made by their wide receivers, but Miller hurt his knee and Nate Lewis left Friday with a sore hamstring.
Lewis is expected to return today, but the team already went on the prowl for immediate help with two days of practice to go.
They signed Robert Claiborne, a former San Diego State wide receiver, who was a 12th-round pick of the Lions in 1990, and were waiting for Amod Field’s arrival, a free agent who last played with Phoenix.
In addition, General Manager Bobby Beathard said the team has an interest in signing Walter Stanley, a wide receiver who played for Washington, Detroit and Green Bay, and Keith McDonald, who was cut by the Chargers last season.
The Chargers were not happy with the play of their wide outs last season, but Ross was upbeat.
“I think that we have three kids that can really get up the field in Miller, Lewis and Shawn Jefferson,” Ross said. “Some other people are coming along, but they are different receivers. They don’t have that up-the-field speed. I think we would like to have one more.
“I’m not displeased with our receivers. I’m convinced that if we have a problem similar to what they had last year in catching the ball, that it’s strictly mental. I haven’t seen anything that would tell me our receivers aren’t good enough to play in this league.”
The Chargers are employing a new cadence system designed in part to draw the opposition offsides. On Friday, it lured defensive end Burt Grossman, but then everybody lured Grossman offsides last year.
“You didn’t expect me to stop right away, did you?” Grossman said. “It’s like biting your nails; you can’t stop right away.”
Jimmy Laister set a new personal high in mini-camp practice days attended without quitting: two.
“I’m here to stay,” Laister said.
After his first mini-camp workout last year, Laister complained of heart problems and returned to his home in Oregon.
The Chargers selected Laister, a 6-6, 305-pound offensive tackle, in the sixth round of the draft. They were unaware, however, that Laister had undergone a surgical procedure a few months earlier to correct an irregular heart beat.
“The heart’s better; it feels great,” Laister said. “I’ve convinced myself that everything is fine.
“I left last year because of fear that I could lose my life. At that time there was the Hank Gathers’ situation, and although people told me it wasn’t the same thing, we were taking the same medication.”
Laister said he no longer is on medication. He said that the surgical procedure that was performed on his heart in early 1990 has allowed him to return to football without concern for his health.
Beathard said that physicians have cleared Laister for play. “They can’t find anything from what happened last year,” he said.
“He’s a different kid. I know it’s early, but at this stage it looks like what happened has helped him really grow up.”
Mini-Camp Notes
The improvement of wide receiver Nate Lewis might mean more work for Eric Bieniemy. Lewis has improved his chances of becoming the team’s No. 2 receiver in recent workouts, and if he becomes a full-time starter, the Chargers might have to find new kickoff and punt returners. “That would take a little bit of a load off Nate,” Coach Bobby Ross said. “Eric is strong, has good quickness, and you want somebody in that kickoff position who is really strong.” . . . Wide receiver Shawn Jefferson, an impressive performer in the team’s voluntary workouts the past few weeks, had trouble holding onto the ball on the second day of minicamp. . . . Ross had praise on Friday for safety Stanley Richard. “He really closes on the football extremely well,” he said. . . . The play of cornerback Donald Frank also has caught Ross’ fancy. . . . Tight end Craig McEwen dropped back-to-back passes in Friday’s afternoon practice.