Many years have passed since Shawne Merriman and Quentin Jammer were first round draft picks of the San Diego Chargers.
Selected fifth overall in 2002, Jammer spent 13 years in America's Finest City while Merriman spent six electric seasons on the Bolts.
Over a decade after each player was selected, they returned to Chargers Park on Wednesday to offer sage advice to a new crop of Chargers rookies.
"This is special for me because this is home to me," Merriman said. "I'm always going to be tied to the Chargers organization, and probably even more so to the San Diego community. These guys are the new wave, so for me, I want to help them do what they need to do to be a successful San Diego Charger. What kind of better person to give that advice than someone who has already done that. Someone who's done all the right things, all the wrong things and everything in between. I think they'll want to hear from someone who has already been through it."
Joshua Perry proved Merriman to be correct as the fourth-round linebacker appreciated the chance to hear from "Lights Out".
"That was pretty awesome because he is a big time guy. He is someone that we definitely look up to in this organization. There was a lot we took away from hearing someone like him who has been through it, and had a lot of wise words. I'm really happy to have the opportunity to sit here and take in that information."
While Merriman covered a number of topics, there was one area he emphasized as being extra important as something he wished he had known when he was a rookie.
"For me, I think time management is really important for them to understand. That is number one. Everybody is going to want a piece of their time and pulling them in a lot of different directions. They need to tell everyone that football is their number one priority, so don't let anyone pull you away from football. That's your number one priority, so get that clear to your family, friends, publicist and everyone. Football is number one, and everything else comes second. So I wanted to make that clear."
Meanwhile, Jammer focused on financials, stressing the importance of saving up and not spending foolishly.
"I've been through exactly what they are about to embark on, so it's always good to drop some knowledge and take care of the next generation," Jammer said. "I was pretty good about everything, but if there is one piece of information I want to stick is to financially save your money. You only get to play so many years, and you will have life after football. You'll have to take care of yourself and pay the bills, so I want them to be smart."
