Bolts deal to get Hester

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Sunday, Apr 27, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

The Chargers woke up Sunday morning hoping to add another player to their offensive backfield, so they quickly made a move to assure they’d get their guy.

While the Bolts weren’t scheduled to pick until the fifth round Sunday, they sent their 2008 fifth-rounder (160) and their 2009 second round pick to the New England Patriots in order to draft LSU running back Jacob Hester with the 69^th selection.

“If we sit where we were, we don’t get him,” Assistant General Manager Buddy Nix said. “The bottom line is we got the player we wanted. That’s always been what’s most important to us.”

Hester was LSU’s feature runner during their most recent National Championship run. He gained 1,103 yards as a senior and was a leader both on and off the field.

“You can say this about a lot of players, but Jacob Hester is a football player,” Nix said. “He won’t wow you with the workout numbers and all, but he gained over 1,000 yards in the SEC. He’s been extremely productive and we’re excited to have him.”

While studying Hester, Nix saw him play tailback, fullback and also regularly watched him line up as the lone back in LSU’s backfield. The Chargers love his versatility and believe he’ll immediately be a contributor in the kicking game in addition to what he brings to the offense.

“He’ll do whatever we ask him to do,” Nix said. “He can run, block, play special teams. He’s a character guy who works hard and will make everyone around him better.”

The Chargers are excited about Hester’s versatility and the flexibility he gives Head Coach Norv Turner.

“If there’s a guy that can figure out how to use him best it’s Norv,” Nix said. “We may use him in a few different places. We just know we got a good football player.”

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