Daiyan Henley sat on the ground outside the Chargers locker room, a towel draped over his head.

The Chargers had just moved to 2-0 with a 20-9 win over the Raiders, but the third-year linebacker was spent.

Henley had been added to the Injury Report earlier in the day with an illness, with serious unknowns about whether he would play on Monday night.

Not only did the third-year linebacker suit up and tough it out, he put together arguably his best game as a pro.

"We elevated another linebacker because we just didn't know [if he would play]," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Had a fever, but he started playing and the medicine was out there on the field."

Tony Jefferson added: "It was his Flu Game."

Henley stuffed the stat sheet with a team-leading 10 tackles, a sack, an interception, two tackles for loss and two passes defensed in the Chargers primetime win over the Raiders.

He became the first Chargers players to record at least 10 tackles, an interception and a sack in a game since Rodney Harrison did so during the 2000 season.

In his own version of the infamous Michael Jordan "Flu Game," as many of his teammates referenced after the game, Henley was a force and a difference maker while not feeling at his best.

The linebacker was open after the game about just how difficult it was throughout — but pushed through it with the desire to give it his all.

"Pretty tough, not going to lie. I cried in the second quarter," Henley said after the game. "I'm being vulnerable right now, I cried in the second quarter. I felt terrible. I had my teammates next to me making sure I was staying in it, giving my all."

He later added: "I just wanted to give my all to my team. I was thinking whether I'm 100 percent, 90 percent, whatever percentage I got, I'm going to give it my all."

It didn't take long for him to make an impact on the game, illness and all.

On the Raiders first play from scrimmage, safety Alohi Gilman read a pass perfectly and charged downhill to break it up.

Henley was in the right place at the right time, as he collected the deflection for the defense's first interception of the night that would lead to the Bolts first points.

After talking during the offseason about making more plays on the ball and being in the right spots, the linebacker did just that to get things rolling for the Chargers early.

"I give credit to my team more than anything, I give credit to my coaches," Henley said. "It just shows the dedication and preparation I've put into this offseason because I felt like it's a lot I should have got last season, but it's always [about] this season."

Jefferson added: "I told him in the training room right before the game, I was like, 'For some reason, every time when I was super sick before a game, I usually balled out.' That's what happened. He got a freaking pick on the first play."

Henley would hit another wall during the second quarter, however, another true challenge that tested him physically and mentally.

But with his teammates right by his side supporting him, he was able to push through it once more and move past it.

"When I sat down in that second quarter, I got very emotional because I was really in pain," Henley said. "Denzel Perryman came over to me and shielded me, Alohi Gilman came over and shielded me.

"I kind of just thought to myself like, 'Not only am I doing this for myself but I'm doing it for my team,'" Henley continued. "I had to dig deep right there in that second quarter going into the half. I was able to get a fresh restart coming out in the second half."

He later added: "My thing is, it should all look the same when I'm on that field. I can't be less than, I got to make sure I'm giving my all."

He continued his big plays in the second half, and none bigger than his chase down sack of Geno Smith on fourth down that gave the offense the ball back with under four minutes to go.

Henley agreed with his head coach — his medicine was being out on the field.

"I felt my best when I made a play and felt my [worst] when I touched the sideline," Henley said. "No doubt. Every time I hit the sideline, I was short of breath, I just needed oxygen. I had the oxygen tank next to me the whole game.

"He was 100 percent right," Henley said about Harbaugh. "Every time I made a play and I was on the field, I felt my best."

His tough performance was heavily praised by his teammates after the game, as they knew the things the 25-year-old pushed through to stay out there.

Derwin James, Jr., saw it firsthand and gave him his praise in the locker room.

"Daiyan is a warrior," James said about Henley. "Y'all didn't get to see, but the whole week he's been down, can't even get out of bed and he went out here and gave us everything he had today.

"Really a Flu Game for him," James added. "A lot of respect for that boy because I don't know how he did it today, I'm not going to lie to y'all."

From being questionable to play to one of the best games of his young career, Henley showed off his toughness and put it all out there in primetime in an inspiring effort.

And he made the plays when needed to help move the Bolts to two consecutive wins to start the season.

"Just being out there and it happening this way, it made me appreciate my guys being around me," Henley said. "At a certain point, I felt like I was just running around, just making sure I was where I was supposed to be. But plays came and I was able to make the ones I needed to make."

He later added: "2-0, team win and whatever I do as an individual, it's shoutout to my team. Let's keep it going, keep it rolling."