Bruise Brothers (San Diego Chargers)

History

In the 1975 draft, the core of the Bruise Brothers was formed when the Chargers drafted Johnson (first round, 8th overall pick), Kelcher (second round, 30th overall), and Dean (second round, 33rd overall) with three of their first four picks. Each of the three became an All-Pro player during his career. The Chargers acquired Jones from the Los Angeles Rams in 1976 for a future draft choice. Dean played at right defensive end, Johnson at right defensive tackle, Kelcher at left tackle, and Jones at left end. Dean and Johnson became the primary pass rushers, while Kelcher and Jones developed into strong defenders against the run.

In 1978, they were considered the strength of the Chargers' defense. Sports Illustrated lauded their pass rushing ability, calling them an "awesome young front four" that was "better than average against the run, and its pass rush has clearly helped an unheralded secondary rank among the league's best."

Those Chargers teams were known for their potent Air Coryell offense. Coryell's teams were criticized for their defense, but they allowed an NFL-low 246 points in 1979. Led by their defensive line and Johnson's team-record sacks, San Diego in 1980 led the NFL with 60 sacks. Johnson, Kelcher, and Dean were all named starters in that season's Pro Bowl, a rarity for three defensive linemen from the same team; Jones, whose 12 sacks were second on the team behind Johnson, was also named an alternate for the Pro Bowl. That season, the Chargers line was nicknamed the Bruise Brothers, Fans were asked to mail in their suggestions. The Chargers' front office presented a list of 15 finalists to the linemen, who chose the winner.

Dean held out for a pay raise in 1981, and he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in October. He was replaced by John Woodcock, who had nine sacks, but the Chargers' sack total fell to 47 that season, and their defense surrendered the second-most points in the American Football Conference. U-T San Diego in 2013 called the trade "perhaps the biggest blunder in franchise history."

Aftermath

Dean in 1981 played on division winners for both San Diego and San Francisco. He was named the UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 12 sacks in 11 games for the 49ers, and San Francisco won Super Bowl XVI that season. Johnson was also traded to San Francisco later that year, and he teamed with Dean and Kelcher to win Super Bowl XIX.

Dean, Johnson, and Kelcher all finished their careers with San Francisco. Dean was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After they traded Dean, the Chargers defense did not return to the upper half of the NFL rankings until the late 1980s.

Chargers career sacks

The following table lists the Bruise Brothers members' sack totals during their Chargers career.

References

References

1. Jenkins, Chris. (November 18, 1984). "Niners hope to bag another crown". The San Diego Union.
2. (March 28, 2009). "No. 16: Chargers' best draft class". ESPN.com.
3. Brown, Eddie. (April 25, 2014). "Best and worst of the draft". U-T San Diego.
4. Canepa, Nick. (August 4, 2010). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson dead at 57". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
5. Magee, Jerry. (February 12, 2007). "You gotta hand it to legendary Johnson". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
6. (September 7, 1976). "Vet Snow Waived By Ram Squad". The Press-Courier.
7. Schudel, Jeff. (September 4, 1981). "'Bruise Brothers' to test Brown's pass pocket". The Times Reporter.
8. Clayton, John. (January 18, 1985). "49ers Dean-fense Hopes to Pressure Marino". Pittsburgh Press.
9. Marshall, Joe. (September 4, 1978). "Afc West".
10. (July 31, 1978). "SD countdown for Seahawks". The Spokesman-Review.
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16. Turney, John. (June 15, 2021). "We Have to Say Goodbye to Leroy "Too Much" Jones". Pro Football Journal.
17. (August 25, 2013). "Ex-Kempsville star among hall of fame inductees". The Virginian-Pilot.
18. "Countdown to Enshrinement Spotlight: Fred Dean". College Football Hall of Fame.
19. Clayton, John. (January 2, 1981). "Chargers Create Monster—Bruise Brothers". Pittsburgh Press.
20. (September 27, 1981). "Disgruntled Dean Ends two-Day Walkout". The Post.
21. (January 28, 2001). "Say It Ain't So". cnnsi.com.
22. (October 3, 1981). "Sports People; Dean Goes to Chargers". The New York Times.
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24. Krasovic, Tom. (June 5, 2013). "Chargers had a Fearsome Foursome, too". U-T San Diego.
25. Magee, Jerry. (July 15, 2008). "Pass-rush specialist Dean named to Bolts' hall". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
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33. [[#2012sdmg. San Diego Chargers 2012]], p. 244–45.