Charger Notebook : Injury Means Clay Must Be Ready Now
Ready or not, for better or worse, John Clay is now the Chargers’ starting offensive left tackle.
The assignment won’t necessarily be permanent, but Clay earned a shot at it by default Wednesday when Gary Kowalski was placed on injured reserve because of a neck problem.
Kowalski’s injury was described as a cervical strain. Coach Al Saunders said doctors were evaluating it to determine whether a disk is involved. If so, Kowalski might be out longer than the minimum of 4 weeks on injured reserve.
Clay has made disappointingly slow progress since being acquired from the Raiders during training camp in the Jim Lachey trade. Saunders had hoped to break him in gradually, but Kowalski’s injury left him with no choice.
To fill Clay’s backup spot, the Chargers re-signed Ken Dallafior, a fourth-year man from Minnesota who had been cut Aug. 30.
Kowalski was hurt in the Chargers’ second game, against the Denver Broncos. Clay filled in against Seattle Sunday, and while he didn’t draw rave reviews, the job apparently is his for at least four more games.
“He’s got a ways to go,” Saunders said. “He’s learning a new position, new technique and a new offense. He’s improving, though, and that’s a positive sign.”
As for Clay’s well-documented weight problem, Saunders said he had slimmed down to 306 pounds.
“That’s as light as he’s been all year,” Saunders said. “He weighed 322 when he came here. He’s on a gradual monitored program. We don’t want him to lose too much all at once.”
Clay missed most of Wednesday’s workout after taking a blow to the head.
Saunders said, “We call it a burner. It went all the way down both legs.”
Clay, however, shrugged off the injury, saying, “It’s nothing. I’m OK.”
Dallafior, 29, who played a utility role in the Chargers’ offensive line the past 3 seasons, was at home in Detroit when he got the call to return.
“I was working out every day, so I’m in shape,” he said. “I had a lot of inquiries from other clubs but no tryouts. Of course, they all had film of me, so they knew what I can do.
“It’s a break to go someplace where I know the system. Hopefully, I don’t have the retention of a gnat.”
This is the third time Dallafior has signed with the Chargers. He signed, was released, then re-signed in 1985.
Dallafior was a fifth-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1982. He spent that season on injured reserve because of a neck injury and was waived during training camp the following year. In 1984, he played for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League.
Charger Notes
Ken Hobart, rookie safety from Idaho, was waived off injured reserve by the Chargers. Hobart had suffered a toe injury in training camp. . . . Defensive back Kevin Williams, a San Diego native who was in the Chargers’ camp this summer, signed with the Washington Redskins. Williams was with the Redskins for 12 games in 1985 and the Buffalo Bills for 1 game in 1986. He attended Crawford High School, San Diego City College and Iowa State University.