One of the National Football League’s hardest-hitting safeties, the Chargers made sure Jahleel Addae would be around to deliver plenty more blows by re-signing him to a four-year contract in March, just prior to his becoming an unrestricted free agent.

One of the National Football League’s hardest-hitting safeties, the Chargers made sure Jahleel Addae would be around to deliver plenty more blows by re-signing him to a four-year contract in March, just prior to his becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Nicknamed “The Hitman,” Addae is back to 100 percent after a collarbone injury sidelined him for eight games last season.

Coming off a career-high 65-tackle season in his first year as a starter in 2015, Addae was looking forward to a big year in 2016. He racked up 13 tackles in the Chargers’ first two games, but late in the team’s Week 2 contest vs. Jacksonville, he suffered the collarbone injury, sidelining him for the next eight games. He returned to the starting lineup in late November, just in time to help fuel a win in Houston. He started the last six games, finishing the season with 49 tackles, capping off the year by recording his first NFL interception and returning it 90 yards for a touchdown in the Bolts’ season finale against Kansas City. It was the seventh-longest interception return in franchise history.

Addae joined the Chargers as an undrafted rookie in 2013. He made the opening-day roster primarily as a special teams performer. As he gained the coaches’ confidence, Addae became a defensive regular late in the year. He made a number of big plays late in the season and led the secondary with 13 tackles in the playoffs. When the Chargers beat Kansas City in their regular-season finale to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2009, Addae made a key thirddown pass breakup during the Bolts’ game-winning defensive stand. Then in the postseason, he had a key fumble recovery in the team’s AFC Wild Card Playoff win at Cincinnati and a forced fumble a week later in the divisional playoffs at Denver.

While Addae enjoyed success on the field in 2013, he faced adversity off it. At the same time, he was trying to make inroads with the Chargers, Addae learned that his mother, Jennifer, was battling breast cancer back in their hometown of Valrico, Florida. Thankfully, today she is cancer free. Addae has shown his appreciation for her courage in battling the disease by serving as an honorary chair for the 2014-16 Susan G. Komen Races for the Cure.

Addae’s older brother, Jahmile, was a four-year starter at West Virginia. After a brief NFL career, Jahmile transitioned into coaching, and he is now coaching safeties at the University of Arizona.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: Signed with Chargers May 13, 2013...re-signed March 25, 2016.

2017: Started all 16 games at SS for the first time in his career…Ranked second on the team in defensive snaps, appearing on 1,032 of 1,049 plays...Finished second on the team with a career-high 95 tackles (70 solo), a half-sack, 7.5 tackles for loss and 10 passes defensed…Part of a defensive unit that ranked tied for fifth in the NFL with 43 sacks…Member of a defensive backfield that allowed just one 100-yard receiver in 2017, joining Arizona, Jacksonville and Minnesota as the only teams to do so…Part of the only secondary to not allow more than 245 gross passing yards in a game during the first seven weeks of the season…Reached 250 tackles for his career…Posted nine games with seven-plus tackles...at Denver (Sept. 11): Started at SS, playing all 69 defensive plays, joining fellow S Tre Boston as the only Chargers defenders to do so...Appeared on six special teams plays...Posted two tackles (one solo), including a tackle for loss…The game marked his third-straight career start in a season opener...vs. Miami (Sept. 17): Appeared on 66 of 68 defensive plays after starting at SS, totaling seven solo tackles...The seven tackles tied for the most on the team and were a team-high for solo stops...Marked the 50th game played of his career...Chipped in with five plays on special teams...vs. Kansas City (Sept. 24): Started the 30th game of his career at SS, playing all 53 defensive snaps and adding five on special teams...Was one of five Los Angeles defenders to play 100 percent of the defensive plays...Posted seven tackles (five solo), the most among Chargers defensive backs...vs. Philadelphia (Oct. 1): Led the defense with a career-high 11 tackles (seven solo), registering his fourth start of the season at SS...Was on the field for 79 defensive snaps, which tied for the team high with S Tre Boston…at New York Giants (Oct. 8): Started at SS and appeared on all 70 defensive plays, joining S Tre Boston, CB Casey Hayward and CB Trevor Williams as the only Los Angeles defenders to do so…Registered eight tackles (four solo), a tackle for loss and a pass defensed…at Oakland (Oct. 15): Appeared on all 58 defensive plays and five on special teams after opening the game at SS…Registered four tackles (three solo) and a pass defensed…Broke up a would-be-TD pass from QB Derek Carr on third-and-two to force an Oakland field goal…vs. Denver (Oct. 22): Appeared in the 55th game of his career, starting at SS and playing all 64 plays on defense…Posted a team-high nine tackles (six solo), a tackle for loss and two passes defensed…Brought his career total to 10 tackles for loss and passed 190 career solo stops…Posted the tackle for loss in the first quarter, bringing down RB Jamaal Charles for a two-yard loss on third-and-one to force a Denver punt…at New England (Oct. 29): Started at SS, the 35th start of his career, and played all 86 defensive snaps, the lone Los Angeles defender to do so…Posted eight solo tackles, bringing his career total to 250…Added two tackles for loss and a pass defensed…Registered the breakup trailing TE Rob Gronkowski on a seam-route before diving to tip the pass away…at Jacksonville (Nov. 12): Opened the game at SS and played all 84 defensive snaps, the only Chargers defender to do so…Added three plays on special teams…Finished with eight tackles (six solo) and two tackles for loss…It marked his third-straight game with eight-plus tackles…vs. Buffalo (Nov. 19): Posted three solo tackles after opening the game at SS…Appeared on 51 plays on defense and four on special teams…at Dallas (Nov. 23): Started at SS, playing on all 55 defensive snaps, one of three Chargers defenders to do so…Finished with seven tackles (six solo), marking his eighth game of the season with seven-plus tackles…vs. Cleveland (Dec. 3): Played all 63 defensive snaps and two on special teams after starting at SS…The game marked the 60th game played for his career…Finished with six tackles (five solo) and a season-high three passes defensed…Broke up a deep pass intended for TE David Njoku on a seam-route in the first quarter…vs. Washington (Dec. 10): Made the 40th start of his career at SS, finishing with two tackles (one solo) and a pass defensed…Played 49 defensive snaps and two on special teams…at Kansas City (Dec. 16): Started at SS and played all 66 snaps on defense while contributing eight on special teams…Finished with two tackles (one solo)…at New York Jets (Dec. 24): Posted seven tackles (five solo), including a half-sack to register his first quarterback takedown of the season…Put a swim move on FB Lawrence Thomas to collapse the pocket from the right to bring down QB Bryce Petty and split the sack with OLB Kyle Emanuel…Played 65 defensive snaps and six on special teams after starting at SS…vs. Oakland (Dec. 31): Started at SS, posting four tackles (two solo) and a pass defensed on 54 defensive snaps…Added four plays on special teams.

2016: Injured shoulder late in 38-14 win over Jacksonville Sept. 18...inactive (collarbone) Sept. 25 at Indianapolis, Oct. 2 vs. New Orleans, Oct. 9 at Oakland, Oct. 13 vs. Denver, Oct. 23 at Atlanta, Oct. 30 at Denver, Nov. 6 vs. Tennessee and Nov. 13 vs. Miami... Nov. 27 at Houston, returned after missing eight games with collarbone injury and logged eight tackles...Team Captain Dec. 4 vs. Tampa Bay...first NFL interception 90-yard return for TD Jan. 1 vs. Kansas City...seventh-longest interception return in franchise history. 

2015: Inactive Weeks 2-4 (ankle)...left Green Bay game Oct. 18 with back injury...left Kansas City game Nov. 22 in third-quarter with concussion...two passes defensed in 31-25 win at Jacksonville Nov. 29...12-yard sack late in second quarter Dec. 24 at Oakland...late in fourth quarter vs. Raiders, helped send game to overtime by drawing 11-yard intentional grounding penalty against David Carr.

2014: Inactive Weeks 1-2 (hamstring)...fourth quarter sack Sept. 28 vs. Jacksonville...diagnosed with concussion following Oct. 23 game at Denver...inactive Nov. 2 at Miami, Nov. 16 vs. Oakland and Nov. 23 vs. St. Louis...forced fumble Dec. 7 vs. New England was recovered by Darrell Stuckey and returned 53 yards for touchdown...paced team with career-high 10 tackles Dec. 14 vs. Denver.

2013: Crushing blow to break up third-down pass intended for Kenny Britt Sept. 22 at Tennessee...first-career sack on third-down play early in game Oct. 20 at Jacksonville...broke up third down pass during game-saving overtime stand in Dec. 29 win vs. Kansas City that lifted Bolts into NFL playoffs...third-down fumble recovery in Jan. 5 wild card playoffs at Cincinnati led to field goal and 17-10 lead...third down forced fumble vs. Denver’s Julius Thomas in Jan. 12 divisional playoffs.

COLLEGE: Second Team All-MAC as senior, first-team as junior and third-team as sophomore...CMU’s co-Defensive Player of Year as senior after winning award outright as junior... invited to East-West Shrine Game following senior season... tied for conference lead with four picks as senior and junior... MAC Defensive Player of Week after Miami (Ohio) game in 2012...51 career games with 302 career tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, eight interceptions, 21 passes defensed and three forced fumbles...redshirted in 2008...played at Central Michigan from 2009-12...general management major.

PERSONAL: Born in Tampa, Fla....third-team all-state as senior, second-team all-state as sophomore...two-time all-county running back at Riverview High School in Valrico, Fla.