SAN DIEGO – 
Once he’s inside, Jammer announces his intention to buy a quick snack. As the word spreads, his teammates approach him with orders and give him their money. He returns shortly with bags filled with food.
Eating, watching ESPN and listening to a variety of music are some ways Chargers players relax during precious down time to break up the monotony of training camp.
The players also resort to gaming systems. Similar to fans, veterans and rookies anticipate the beginning of August for two reasons: training camp and the latest release of Madden NFL. Chargers players featured in the game can glimpse at their personal and team rankings assigned by the game’s creators.
“I don’t play too many video games, but I’ll be playing the new Madden (already out) since I finally (made it on the game),” defensive end
As the Chargers continue to prepare for the regular season, they’ve grinded through a series of two-a-days which involved much more than two practices.
Wake-up time during training camp varies depending on the individual.
“I like to wake up around 5:30 a.m. to relax and watch television,” Nwagbuo said.
Chargers running back
“I eat the same thing: egg whites, a piece of toast and a little Tabasco sauce,” Hester said.
Following a nutritious breakfast, players suffering from nagging injuries or soreness visit the training room for treatment and extra stretching. Breakfast and treatment are within the same hour, so players have to use their time wisely.
On single-practice days, offense and defense work out for an hour in the morning before a special teams-only practice. Special teams players also have walk-throughs before practice during two-a-days. Most players take about 15 minutes to get dressed for morning sessions that require helmets, jerseys, shorts, shells and shoes.
The players are on the field before an air horn sounds at 9 a.m. Morning practices last until 10:45 a.m. During the next three hours the players eat lunch, have time to rest or take a short nap, then return to Chargers Park for more treatment, taping and group meetings.
They start dressing for the evening practice, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m.
When players are free from the arduous training camp schedule, some prefer to do absolutely nothing.
“During camp you only get about three hours in the day that you aren’t doing football activities,” Hester said.
Hester, who’s in his third camp, all with the Chargers, values sleep, which rejuvenates his mind and most importantly his body. An NFL training camp novice quickly learns how it can physically debilitate them. Rookie running back
“There’s no time limit out here. The energy you put out here is a lot different from college,” Stuckey said.
Mathews frequents the bone-chilling cold tub after practice.
“I try to get in (it) to refresh my legs and stretch as much as I can after practice,” he said.
Like Mathews and Stuckey, several other rookies are competing for a roster spot thousands of miles from their home or college town. However, 16 current players on the training camp roster are either California natives or have attended universities in the state. These players have the luxury of spending time with close relatives and significant others during camp.
“Luckily (my wife and son) are staying in San Diego for training camp and I can meet them for lunch,” Hester said.
San Diego native and Mt. Miguel High School (Spring Valley, Calif.) alumnus Nwagbuo has immediate family within a 25-minute commute from Chargers Park.
After practice, “I (call) one of my brothers to see what they are doing, Nwagbuo said.
Dinner is served from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The buffet consists of a salad bar, grilled vegetables, high-protein meats, carbohydrates and plenty of hydrating liquids. Dinner is another opportunity for bonding after a hard day of work.
On occasion, they alter their dining cuisine. Hester admitted buying a bean burrito one night, justifying his purchase by stating the beans had protein in them.
Whether eating at Chargers Park or leaving for dinner, players must attend nightly film sessions and group meetings. While most Chargers fans are watching their favorite primetime sitcoms, the players are sitting through their second film sessions of the day.
Film sessions are beneficial to the players because players can see themselves from a birds-eye perspective and learn from their mistakes in practice.
In film sessions, Mathews said, “you go over plays and play installs that you ran earlier in practice. You focus on the little points, (like) if you messed up on (a) read or took the wrong (step) to get to a certain play, then you have to fix it before the next practice.”
Film session ends at 10 p.m. and players return back to their rooms for a good night’s rest. Curfew is at 11 p.m.
Typical two-a-day schedule:
6-8 a.m. Breakfast
6:45-8:15 a.m. Players take shuttle to practice facility
7-8:30 am Taping and treatment
8:45-9 a.m. Special Teams (ST) walk-through
9-10:45 a.m. Practice (shells)
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Lunch
Noon - 3:30 p.m. Taping and treatment for players
2:15-2:30 p.m. Special teams meeting
2:30-3:15 p.m. Group meetings
3:35-3:45 p.m. Specialists
3:45-4 p.m. Special teams walk-through
4-6 p.m. Practice
6-7:30 p.m. Dinner
7:30 -7:55 p.m. Special teams meeting
8-10 p.m. Team/Group meetings
10-11 p.m. Snack
11 p.m. Curfew
