An early theme of the Chargers season has been young players stepping up when their number has been called.
Chargers fifth-round rookies Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart have highlighted that mindset.
With a number of injuries to the secondary, the pair of 2024 draft picks each got the starting nod against the Broncos and they were a big part of why the Bolts were able to leave Denver with the win to move to 3-2 on the season.
"I'm so proud of them boys," safety Derwin James, Jr., said about the pair of rookies after the Week 6 win. "I told them this game don't have no age limit on it.
"You can be a rookie and make plays," James added. "They came out there and did that."
It was just Still's second start and second time being active in his young career, as he also started in Week 4 against Kansas City.
Hart, however, had played primarily on special teams and minus some snaps late in the blowout win against Carolina, saw his first extended run on defense.
Just like Still did in the previous game, the Notre Dame product was ready for his call.
"Major shoutout to Cam. Played really well, prepared really well," Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter said Friday. "Major shoutout to [defensive backs] Coach [Steve Clinkscale] for really dialing in with him, getting ready."
Minter later added: "Like I said a little bit with Tarheeb, guys that are rookies, when you come in you don't really know how much you're going to play early in the year. I know [Hart] wanted to play more than he was, but he kept playing, kept working, kept working in practice. Then when his opportunity was called, he was ready."
And similar to Still, the rookie said he felt comfortable in his first start while playing all 55 defensive snaps.
Hart looked the part as well, posting the second-highest Pro Football Focus coverage grade on the team among cornerbacks and safeties (63.9) and fourth-highest overall defense grade (68.9).
He was stellar in the run game as well though, posting the second-highest run defense grade (83.1), trailing only Khalil Mack who had a 94.8, and notching three tackles on run plays.
As much as a rookie getting their first career start in a hostile environment could be intimidating, Hart said the preparation that goes into every week allowed him to go into the game feeling confident.
"Just doing the prep we do every week, whether I know I'm starting or not, I feel like anybody would be ready," Hart said. "Practice is hard, we grind, we work hard, run to the ball, we take good angles. If we do that in practice, the game is going to be a lot easier.
"I don't think it was anything too crazy," Hart added. "With the work we do in practice, it allows anybody to go out there, play fast, be comfortable and confident."
Still on the other hand, had quite the experience in his second pro game.
After playing 40 out of 42 snaps in the slot in his first game, the rookie out of Maryland had to play the bulk of his snaps on the outside in Denver.
With injuries forcing the Bolts to reshuffle their secondary, Still played 31 snaps at outside corner and 18 in the slot.
But with versatility and learning different spots something Minter, Clinkscale and the defensive staff have emphasized, Still felt ready to go wherever he had to lineup.
"That's always something Coach Clink says, that you have to be able to play multiple positions, whether it's slot, outside, wherever," Still said. "Really, I would say the first couple of plays was just getting adjusted to it.
"It's knowing the plays, knowing where to be and then ultimately when it comes down to it, the got to have it situations, competing and being where you need to be," Still added. "The coaches had a lot of faith in me, I had a lot of faith in myself, I have my teammates around me so I wasn't too nervous about going and moving outside."
Just like the coaching staff, the fellow members of the secondary have also been a huge part of their success.
Both Hart and Still echoed the same sentiment of the role their veteran teammates have played not only in knowing the playbook, but helping them understand the way a long season goes.
"Tony Jefferson, he's one of the dudes I hang out with the most, and he always tells me to be ready," Hart said. "It's a long season, things happen in an NFL season… He always says always be ready, do your thing on special teams and when your opportunity comes, make sure you're ready for that opportunity because you never know when it's going to come.
"It could be Week 2, it could be Week 15," Hart added. "Just make sure you stay ready throughout the week, work hard and when the opportunity comes, seize it."
Still added: "They all support us, we support each other. Everybody wants to succeed, I just really appreciate my brothers in the back end, coaches, for having us prepared for the game but also having the confidence in the ability that we can go out there and help win the game."
Staying ready has helped the two rookies waste no time in getting in the mix on defense early in their first NFL season.
"We knew the opportunity was going to come, we just didn't know when it was going to come," Still said. "We weren't frustrated that it wasn't coming early on, I would just say timing is everything, and it's a great time to be alive."
