Hester continues to show versatility

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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

During Chargers minicamp and offseason coaching sessions, it wasn’t uncommon to see Head Coach Norv Turner pulling at the ear of rookie Jacob Hester. Turner’s teaching was described as a little “tough love,” but it was instruction that the Bolts’ third-round draft pick was grateful for.

“It’s good,” Hester said. “You need a little of that, especially coming in as a rookie. When he talks to you, you want to listen. I don’t let things like that bother me. It helps you out so I appreciated it.”

One of the reasons Turner had so much to say to Hester was due to the fact that the LSU alum is being asked to do so many things. During the first two days of training camp, Hester has served as the primary ball carrier during team drills but will likely be asked to play fullback, contribute on special teams and have a unique role in the passing game.

“It’s kind of hard to tell exactly what (my role) is going to be, but I’m sure as camp goes on it will kind of dwindle down and come together,” Hester said. “Right now it’s kind of unclear. A lot of fullback, a little bit of tailback. I’m doing some stuff split out in the passing game. I’m just having a lot of fun, trying to learn it all.”

In addition to simply making the transition to the professional level, Turner believes one of the biggest challenges Hester faces is learning to do a lot of different things to help the Chargers offense.

“Jacob is a young player and we obviously like him a lot,” Turner said. “He has a lot to learn. This is a totally different level. Things happen a lot faster. It is a lot more physical so we’re just going to bring him along as we can and see how he handles everything.”

Turner describes Hester as a “natural runner” who will have plenty of chances to make plays with the ball in his hands, regardless of whatever may be asked of him.

“He is going to get the opportunity to be the guy that gives LT a break, the Michael Turner role, if you will,” Turner said. “He is a talented guy. He catches well and is a good runner. He can block. We’ll just see the kind of progress he makes through the preseason.”

While Hester has carried much of the load while rookies, first-year players and select veterans get a head start on training camp this week, he realizes he’ll likely be asked to do more of the dirty work once the rest of his teammates arrive this weekend. That’s completely okay with him.

“When you’re a fullback, (blocking) is just something we like doing,” Hester said. “It’s the reason we like playing football. Everybody likes getting the ball, but it’s not the main thing.”

This week, Hester has heavily relied on the lessons he learned during minicamp and OCS’s, which have been extremely valuable.

“Having those 14 practices before I got here definitely helps,” Hester said. “You feel like you know what you’re doing out here. It’s not really your first day. They expect you to be crisp. You’re not really a rookie anymore after you have those (OCS’s). They want you to know what you’re doing. You don’t have any excuses anymore. It’s time to go.”

Mike Nowak, Chargers.com

During the first two days of Chargers training camp, rookie Jacob Hester has continued to have a lot asked of him, and he’s continued to perform.

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