It seems you couldn't go more than a few days this offseason without hearing about Joey Bosa.
By now, you already know the historic numbers number 99 put up over the first 12 games of his career.
The Chargers' first-round pick a year ago led the team with 10.5 sacks. They were the most sacks by an NFL rookie since 2011, and the second most by a Chargers rookie (O'Neal – 12.5). Bosa finished the year with at least a half sack in the final six games, which is the longest stretch by any Charger since Marcellus Wiley had sacks in seven straight in 2001.
The hype surrounding the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year grew as the months went on, with many wondering what number 99 would do for an encore. Just two days into the start of training camp, it's safe to assume the praise around Bosa will continue to grow louder.
"I don't listen to it," he said. "Positive or negative, I stay away from the media and everything. I focus on getting better at what I do, and hope the team is successful. Really, I just want my family and the people close to me to be proud of what I do and who I am. Obviously I want the fans to see me in a good light, too. But at the end of the day, I'm really just focused on what the people close to me think."
It's clear what those on the Bolts think, especially Head Coach Anthony Lynn. Bosa put forth another dominating effort on Monday, living in the offensive backfield as a disruptive terror. If that wasn't enough, he had a hustle interception after a pass ricocheted in the air near the sideline.
"He looks like he's picked up where he left off," the head coach said after Monday's training camp practice. "He's running around. Rushing the passer. Going up against Russell (Okung) every day, and that's a good competition for him. It's only going to make Russell better and (Bosa) better. But Joey looks good!"
Lynn's hope, and expectation, is that Bosa's play will rub off on his teammates.
"It's contagious, I can tell you that! They see that and they feed off of that."
While it may seem exhausting watching his all-out hustle every snap, the truth is it comes natural for the 22-year old. It's manifested from a deep desire to be one of the game's truly elite players.
"I'm just competing with myself every day," Bosa said. "I hate *losing. I *hate getting blocked. So when I have a bad day, or a bad rep, I go and try to make the next one the best. I've always been competitive. It's something that I love. I want to be the best at what I do, so I don't think you can ever take a day off."
The Los Angeles Chargers take the practice field for the second day of Training Camp
