CHARGER UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Ex-Charger Banks Is a Force in the Indianapolis Defense
SAN DIEGO — The Chargers traded linebacker Chip Banks to the Colts in 1989 for a third-round pick, which General Manager Bobby Beathard used to select wide receiver Walter Wilson.
Wilson didn’t last with the Chargers, but Banks has gone on to become one of the Colts’ top defenders.
Banks leads the Colts with six sacks and is third in the AFC. He was the AFC defensive player of the week in the Colts’ opening-day victory over Cleveland, and he has one interception.
“Chip is an athlete, and he has 10 years of experience,” said Broderick Thompson, who will block Banks for the Chargers at right tackle. “I remember him being shifty and smooth. He wasn’t much of a practice player, but when he turned it up, he could do it.”
Thompson worked against Banks in practice while the two played together for the Chargers in 1987. In 1988, Banks failed to reach a contract agreement with the Chargers and did not play. Banks later admitted to a drug problem, underwent rehabilitation and then was traded to the Colts.
“It’s an amazing story,” Thompson said. “What that tells me about him is that he has a strong will and sense of self-preservation.
“We probably never had a conversation longer than two minutes while he was here. He was in his own world, but I respect him as an athlete. He was built like a Greek god and carried himself like that. He’s a good player.”
The magnetic resonance imaging test on the knee of running back Marion Butts was negative.
“We’re dealing with soft tissue swelling--both in the front and the back (of the knee),” Coach Bobby Ross said. “There’s nothing dramatically wrong with it, it’s just a deep, deep bruise that’s just got to get well.”
Butts has worked in practice, but Ross said if he were to name a starter today, it would be Rod Bernstine.
The Chargers are awaiting results of a MRI on tackle Mike Mooney’s shoulder. Ross said the club’s suspicion is that he has a partial tear of his rotator cuff. If so, he will go on injured reserve.
Thompson, who has been on injured reserve, will be added to the active roster today and start against the Colts at right tackle.
Quarterback John Friesz, who went down with a season-ending knee injury a little more than nine weeks ago, jogged for the first time since being hurt this week.
“It felt good,” Friesz said. “I hadn’t run for three months, and it was a good feeling. My knee is stiff and tight and it will take a couple of days again to feel normal, but then I’ll be jogging again.”
Friesz jogged on the treadmill for seven minutes, and in keeping with his rapid recovery, he walks around much of the time without a knee brace.
Friesz is not eligible to rejoin the team this season, but he’s working to be ready for the team’s extensive off-season program.
Ross said the team has enjoyed one of its finest weeks of practice in preparing for the Colts.
“This has probably been our best week,” Ross said. “I told them after practice that I thought we were finally starting to come around and do some things pretty good. Our concentration has been pretty good.”
