The Los Angeles Chargers today activated long snapper Josh Harris, defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand and defensive back Deane Leonard from Reserve/Injured; Designated for Return. The Bolts also elevated running back Jaret Patterson and running back Trayveon Williams from the practice squad for Sunday's game.
A Pro Bowl snapper in 2021, Harris has appeared in 216 games as a pro with Atlanta and the Chargers, including nine in the postseason. He has been a key member of the Los Angeles special teams unit since signing with the team in 2022, helping kicker Cameron Dicker and punter JK Scott each earn league-wide recognition as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In addition to being an all-star in 2021, Harris was also recognized as a second-team All-Pro by The Associated Press. He played in two NFC Championship games and Super Bowl LI with Atlanta.
Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2012, Harris was part of a special teams operation that saw kickers Matt Bryant (2016 season) and Younghoe Koo (2020 season) earn Pro Bowl recognition. The Carrollton, Ga., native played his college football at Auburn, helping the Tigers win the BCS National Championship over Oregon following the 2010 season.
Hand has appeared in 69 career regular-season games (18 starts) with Detroit, Tennessee, Miami and the Los Angeles Chargers. The eighth-year veteran has totaled 112 tackles (72 solo), six sacks, six pass breakups, 15 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and a pair of recoveries over his career. This season for the Bolts, he has started five games and registered 10 tackles (seven solo), a sack, three tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Hand was a fourth-round pick by the Lions in the 2018 NFL Draft (114th overall), earning All-Rookie recognition from the Professional Football Writers of America after posting 27 tackles (22 solo), three sacks, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a recovery. He appeared in Miami's 2023 playoff game, recording three tackles (one solo) and a fumble recovery.
Over four seasons at the University of Alabama (2014-17), Hand appeared in 50 games, helping the Crimson Tide to a pair of College Football Playoff National Championships in 2015 and 2017. He ended his career with back-to-back seasons with second-team All-Southeastern Conference recognition (2016-17). Hand totaled 10 sacks in his time in Tuscaloosa, Ala., adding 71 tackles (30 solo), a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a recovery.
Leonard, a seventh-round pick by the Chargers in the 2022 NFL Draft (236th overall), has appeared in 39 games and made three starts, including the postseason. He has recorded 24 tackles (18 solo), six passes defensed, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a recovery on defense, while adding 17 special teams tackles. In two seasons at Mississippi, Leonard played in 19 games for the Rebels, totaling 64 tackles (38 solo), 11 passes defensed, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. He transferred to Oxford, Miss., after three seasons at the University of Calgary (Canada). In 23 games for the Dinos, Leonard recorded 47 tackles (44 solo), two forced fumbles and six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. He also averaged 10.3 yards per punt return and scored a touchdown on a 60-yard return as a freshman.
Patterson has appeared in 23 career games, including a start, with Washington and Los Angeles after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He played in each of the last two games for the Bolts as a standard elevation, running 20 times for 74 yards (3.7 avg.). In his career, Patterson has totaled 418 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 105 attempts (4.0 avg.), while hauling in 10 passes for 73 yards (7.3 avg.). The Glendale, Md., native spent last season on the practice squad for the Bolts and Commanders.
In three seasons at the University at Buffalo (2018-20), Patterson was a two-time team captain and had three-straight 1,000-yard campaigns on the ground. Patterson finished his Bulls career ranked No. 1 rushing touchdowns (52) in program history and second in rushing yards (3,884) and 100-yard performances (15). He set single-season school records with 1,799 rushing yards and 19 touchdown runs in 2019, tying his own record a season later with another 19 rushing scores. Patterson ran for 409 yards and eight touchdowns against Kent State in 2020, the most rushing scores by any FBS player in over 25 years, eventually earning recognition as All-America from The Associated Press and Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
A sixth-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2019 NFL Draft (182nd overall), Williams has appeared in 71 career games (68 regular season, three postseason) over six seasons with the Bengals. He has contributed on special teams with 10 tackles in his career, while also returning 33 kickoffs for 743 yards (22.5 avg.). On offense, Williams has 307 rushing yards on 62 attempts (5.0 avg.) and 74 receiving yards on 15 receptions (4.9 avg.). In his three-year career at Texas A&M (2016-18), Williams appeared in 38 games and topped 1,000 rushing yards each season. He finished his tenure in College Station, Texas, ranked No. 3 in program history with 3,615 rushing yards, adding 34 touchdowns on 600 attempts (6.0 avg.), averaging 95.1 rushing yards per game. He put forth a career year in 2018, earning Associated Press second-team All-America recognition after setting a program record and ranking No. 3 in the nation with 1,760 rushing yards. His 18 touchdowns that year tied for the fifth-most in the country.
