After a long press conference attended by a large media contingent, Joey Bosa walked through the double doors at Chargers Park and into the locker room.
He was greeted by another large contingent-his teammates.
The speculation anyone may have had about how he'd be received by his fellow Chargers can be put to rest. With a combination of hugs, high fives and handshakes, Joey's teammates made him feel at home. Their reaction was just another reason why he's happy to officially call himself a San Diego Charger.
"They are who wanted me, and they wanted me for years now," he said while sitting at his locker. "Despite the dispute I still feel (the love) from the organization. One month doesn't change how we feel. They obviously think I can help this organization win. We've got some great people here and some great players. We have a lot of potential. We just need to make it click. I'm excited to be part of an organization that I think will have a big turnaround."
Like most, Bosa was surprised by how long it took to come to an agreement. Even though it took until August 29 to put pen to paper, his desire to be a Charger remained in tact
"We came to a fair deal," he said. "There's no animosity between any of us; me toward them or them toward me….I want to obviously thank the Spanos family for the deal that we came to terms with. I would never have this opportunity without them. They are just happy to have me here and I'm happy to be here. There's no bad blood at all. It's all just moving forward."
While his agents and the Bolts spent the last few months hammering out the details, Bosa spent it hard at work back home in Florida working out six days a week every week. Nonetheless, there is a big difference between being in what he called some of the best shape of his life and football shape. He hopes to play Week 1 but knows that decision will be left up to the coaches.
"Nothing's like putting on the pads and actually playing football. You don't really understand that unless you play football. But I think I've put myself in the best possible shape I can be in."
The ordeal wasn't easy on Bosa's psyche, either. While some showed support, there were many who tried relentlessly to bring him down. In an effort to drown out the noise and stay focused, Bosa deleted his social media accounts.
"Every single day when people were leaving hateful comments…I was up early working to help (the Chargers), my team, win. I hope (they'll) support me now. I'll continue to do everything I can to be successful and to help this team be successful."
Nonetheless, Bosa focused on football, and on the fans supporting and expressing how they couldn't wait to see him on the field donning the lightning bolt.
"To know I have that support means a lot. Early in this process I shut off all social media because mostly what you witness is negative. Unfortunately, a lot of positive (messages) gets drowned out by negativity. But to those who supported me and the team, and have an understanding of what happens, I really appreciated that. I want you to know I've been doing everything I can to help this team and be ready."
