Nadame Tucker made quite the splash in 2025 when he tied for the Division I lead with 14.5 sacks.
Not bad for a player who didn't have any career sacks before last season.
A key reason for the Western Michigan star's breakout?
Chris O'Leary, the new Chargers Defensive Coordinator who held the same role at WMU last season. And Sean Spence, the Chargers linebackers coach who was Western Michigan's edge coach in 2025.
"Those are my guys," Tucker said Wednesday during his media session at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Tucker had plenty of praise for O'Leary on Wednesday.
O'Leary's defense at Western Michigan defense ranked second in the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense (17.4 points per game), a mark that was also good for ninth in all the FBS.
The unit was also second in yards allowed per game (305.5) in the MAC and 19th in the country allowing 179.9 passing yards per game.
"I was happy for him," Tucker said of O'Leary returning to the Chargers. "We put together a great season and to see him get rewarded in that way, it makes me happy because he's a great guy and he deserves it."
Tucker said O'Leary elevated his game in 2025 by holding him to a professional-caliber level, which included watching Chargers tape to help teach his scheme.
"I feel like he held me to a certain standard. Always reminding me what the pros were doing even when we were in practice and stuff like that," Tucker said. "It kept me on my P's and Q's and gave me a different perspective on how I looked at the game. Just wanted to be like one of those guys."
Tucker later added: "We definitely did [watch Chargers tape]. Khalil Mack and those guys."
Tucker said he has no doubt O'Leary, who was the Chargers safeties coach in 2024, will do great things in Southern California.
"He loves ball. He's an energetic guy. He wears cleats during practice," Tucker said. "It's beautiful with him, the energy. I'm an energy guy too so we were feeding off each other's energy. It was great.
"I thrived off of his energy and he thrived off mine. He knew I wanted to go out there and make plays and that's what he needed me to do," Tucker added.
As for Tucker's NFL prospects, teams are learning about his unique background as he didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school.
He focused on basketball and actually planned on becoming a police officer before going the junior college route for football.
Tucker played JUCO ball before spending three seasons at Houston. He then transferred to Western Michigan for his final season and popped off under O'Leary's tutelage.
"They're going to get to get a guy that's looking to make plays. I'm trying to take the ball away and be disruptive in the backfield, help my team win," Tucker said.
"Really I just stayed persistent and kept believing in myself. I started playing football late, so I knew I was a project," Tucker added. "I went JUCO, I took the long route, so I knew I was a project and I've always been working for a very long time. I wouldn't say it clicked, but I was just waiting for an opportunity."
