Week 1 is upon us, and count Rashawn Slater among the Chargers players who are hyped for it.
The Bolts star left tackle is entering his fourth season and has established himself as one of the best players at his position across the league.
Chargers.com recently caught up with the fourth-year offensive tackle ahead of the regular season opener and what he's looking forward to the most from this year's offensive line.
Here's our 1-on-1 conversation with Slater:
Thank you for your time, Rashawn. How are you feeling heading into Year 4? Has everything flown by?
"It's really bizarre how fast it's gone by. I've realized now I will have played more years in the league than in college this year, which is a crazy realization. It's flown by, but I'm having a lot of fun with it. It's just a blessing to be here."
What's that build up to Week 1 like? Is there any extra excitement to just go out there and start a new season?
"I think we're pretty happy to have wrapped up camp. It's always like the grind of the year, but now you get to just go play football. We're all just really excited about that."
How much has Jim Harbaugh added to that excitement this year?
"We've been real excited from the jump. It's been really cool to just watch it all come together. It's really been a process adopting a whole new set of coaches, new scheme and everything. We've been building, and we really feel like we've been building and seeing the progress before our very eyes. Now it's like time to go unleash that."
Knowing how he and the staff values the offensive line, how much extra confidence does it give your unit?
"Hell yeah. It feels great honestly. Especially [Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman], knowing his plans and our plans as an offense. We can't wait."
On a similar not, how has it been having offensive line coach Mike Devlin in the room?
"It's been great. He's a very detailed coach which, as a player you always appreciate a coach who's going to coach you really hard. We get a lot of reps. Every rep you get is another chance to engrain that muscle memory. He's been very good for us."
Another year of getting to work on the left side with Zion Johnson. How has the bond between you two grown and how much are you looking forward to building on another year with him?
"It's been pretty tremendous. I mentioned before, we were working together pretty much the entire offseason. It's been a great year for the both of us. I know we're going to dominate. I don't want to talk too much, I think it's going to be a force to reckoned with for sure."
Has there been a change in taking more of a leadership role now as you are one of the more experienced members on the line?
"We got a good group of young guys that just want to learn, to work. For me, that's always just been how I'm wired, and these guys are too. I just love the game and it's good to be able to play with people who do as well, who want to do that extra work."
Do you have any personal goals heading into your fourth season?
"I definitely have some personal goals but I think the biggest thing is I just want to enjoy every moment. I think we're on the verge of something very special. Just be present, have fun with the game and just ball. If I can do those things, I know everything I want will come true."
Finally, how exciting is it to finally get a chance to see the O-line in action after a summer of building up to it?
"It's going to be something to behold. We got guys, we got scheme, we got coaching. I can't wait to roll with those guys. It's going to be a blast."
