Daiyan Henley is thriving in his first year as a starter.

After not seeing much action on defense during his rookie season last year, the Los Angeles native has been a crucial part of the Bolts defense as he mans the middle of the field.

Henley has started all 14 games so far this year and leads the Chargers defense in tackles (131) and is third in tackles for loss (six). He's also played the most snaps on the team with (855).

Chargers.com recently caught up with Henley ahead of Week 16 on his stellar sophomore season and the Chargers defense.

Here's our 1-on-1 conversation with Henley:

Thanks for your time, Daiyan. This is your second year, but first as a starter, what's that been like?

"My first year as a starter has been exciting. It's also been a learning experience, being able to accept my role on this team, being able to accept being more in the front and having to deal with the highs of it all and the lows of it all."

In the offseason you talked about wanting to work your way into the starting spot. Fast forward to now, you lead the defense in snaps. How much pride have you taken in the work it's taken to get here?

"It just shows I was really committed, dedicated to what I was speaking and wasn't just speaking it. I had that mindset where nothing is ever set and done. With that mindset, it let's me know I still have so much farther to go. I'm just happy and proud of where I am now, but not comfortable."

You've only played linebacker a handful of years. Do you still find yourself learning as you go at this position?

"You're never not learning and that goes for every position. Being a linebacker, I'm getting more comfortable. I have a great coach [NaVorro Bowman] at the position, someone who's played the position and he's helping me every day take another step towards where I want to be. I've come a long way from where I was, but every day I'm learning."

Going off your point about your position coach. Having someone like NaVorro Bowman, what are the advantages of having a guy in your room who played at the level he did?

"There's a saying of, 'Seeing is believing.' Having a coach where you can see it, it makes you believe everything he says. I think it comes with just the right amount of pressure as a player because you want to live up to the standard that he's set and also push your own standard. Just having a coach like that in my ear, knowing he wants me to be better, it ultimately makes me want to be better myself."

What's it been like having Jim Harbaugh at the helm?

"He's exciting, but more than anything he's dedicated and he loves the sport. He loves the guys in this building and he loves the sport. He says it all the time, he loves guys that love football. If you're a football guy, you're for him and I think that's vice versa. I love this sport and I love a coach that's willing to put it all on the line for. That's what I see in Coach Harbaugh."

On the defensive side you have Jesse Minter coaching you up. What are some of the things that have stood out to you about him so far?

"He's a seasoned coach, he knows what he's doing, he knows what he's talking about, he's someone I depend on. I would be selfish to say I want him to be my defensive coordinator forever. But the dude is one hell of a man, father and a hell of a coach."

How much confidence has he instilled just given the fact this is your first year as a starter?

"A lot. Having a defensive coordinator that trusts you to be on the field for the majority of the snaps, having him in my ear, literally, with the green dot. He calms me down and he keeps me in it, he keeps me very much locked in every day. I think that's the best part about having him as a coach."

The leader in the room obviously is Denzel Perryman. What does having a veteran like him in the room help with the most, especially given most of the room is young or hasn't played a whole lot on defense?

"The uniqueness I think people don't speak about with Denzel is his leadership style is not at all what you think a leader is. He leads from a brother standpoint, like a big brother. It's love for Denzel, a lot of love. He doesn't lead like, 'Oh this is what we've got to do today.' He's more like, 'How are you feeling, where's your mind at, how are you approaching this?' He's a guy that cares about the person. Not the football player, but the person underneath the helmet and that's why he's such a great captain, great leader because that's how he leads."

As a group, how much do you guys in the room feel the responsibility to set the tone for the defense and allow the unit to play at the high-level you guys have been playing at?

"Being the center of the defense, we're the quarterbacks of the defense. That's not something we take lightly. It's a statement that we wear on our shoulders proud because we want these guys to lean on us as much as we lean on them. We want to be looked at as the guys that can make it happen. That's what you see out there, confident, flying around because we believe in the teammates next to us and around us. And they believe in us."

Last question, but you guys have a chance to get into the playoffs for the first time in your career. What's the mindset like as a team in these last three games?

"No regrets. Let's not leave nothing on the table, nothing to be desired. We want to go out there with this opportunity to make the playoffs and make sure that we every time we're out there we make it count. Just so we don't have no regrets at the end of the day and say what we could've did or what we should've did. It's just about moving forward."