Chargers rookies have to adjust to life in the NFL, big city

Sept. 12, 2024 3:01 AM PT

Compared to the countryside of Chatsworth, Ga. — population of 4,871 — Los Angeles might as well be another planet for Chargers rookie Ladd McConkey. He is a Southern-twanged Martian adjusting to a new frontier in this sprawling metropolis.

“Chatsworth is a small town, and everybody knows everybody,” McConkey said. “Here, you have a lot more people, and I was not expecting everything to be on top of each other.”

A rural Georgian through and through, all he’s known is the Peach State. McConkey grew up in Chatsworth, two hours north of Atlanta. He played at North Murray High before spending four years in Athens at the University of Georgia.

McConkey visited L.A. when the Bulldogs capped back-to-back national championships at SoFi Stadium in 2022 against Texas Christian.

This is much different.

Life as an NFL rookie comes with immense pressure. High draft picks, such as McConkey, a second-rounder, look to justify the draft capital spent on them. Then there are practice squad rookies, who carry the anxiety of being one organizational decision away from unemployment.

The transition off the field, however, is just as challenging. To help, McConkey is living with his fiancée, Sydney Horne, in Redondo Beach, a much more manageable spot for him than the heart of L.A. Having his fiancée by his side has made McConkey’s move to the NFL much smoother, offering him support to help combat the grind of an NFL season.

“It’s awesome,” McConkey said. “After practice, whether it’s a good or bad day, I get to go home and just talk and hang out with her. She’s my support system.”

McConkey’s family still lives in Georgia, so he stays connected through frequent phone calls, which helps ease the challenge of being so far from home. Family visits during preseason games also helped.

“It sucks because my whole family lives in Chatsworth,” McConkey said. “Not being able to drive home and see them is definitely different.”

As with McConkey, a mix of country boys, East Coasters and Floridians are trying to adjust to the faster-paced life in Los Angeles after spending training camp at the team hotel in El Segundo. For rookies, navigating these changes is easier with the help of people such as Arthur Hightower.

As the Chargers’ senior director of player engagement, Hightower has guided rookies into NFL life since 2005, from the team’s days in San Diego to its current home in Los Angeles. His role involves overseeing their financial education, life skills, relocation and overall development off the field.

“The one thing they all have in common is that they’re rookies, and everything is new,” Hightower said. “People just assume because they make X amount of dollars, they know everything. But they’re still young professionals. This is their first real job.”

Hightower and his staff’s efforts to help players settle are all-encompassing — from deciding if living with a roommate is more suitable to considering the importance of proximity to the facilities or handling unexpected needs, such as finding a barbershop.

“There are stressors, no matter where you are in life,” Hightower said. “The faster they can get acclimated, the better they will perform.”

Offensive tackle Karsen Barnhart is quickly adjusting to city life after growing up in small towns, though the reality of L.A. has turned out quite different from what he imagined.

Chargers guard Karsen Barnhart (61) stands for the National Anthem with his hand on his heart.

“I had the perception of it being like New York,” which he dislikes, Barnhart said. “The perception was completely off with how everything’s spread out here. There’s a big town every five minutes, and it’s not as packed.”

He sees similarities between El Segundo, where the team’s facility is located, and Ann Arbor, where he played for the Michigan Wolverines — though now the ocean is closer for Barnhart, thanks to fellow rookie Joe Alt, who offered him a place to stay in Manhattan Beach.

“After training camp, I had found a place and wasn’t going to use some of the rooms, so I just said, ‘Hey, you want to room with me?’” Alt said.

The two tackles became close friends at the NFL combine in February, and their friendship grew stronger throughout training camp, according to Alt. After years of living alone, he liked the idea of sharing a space with someone going through a similar experience.

“It’s great to be tested with somebody else and see what they’re thinking and how they’re processing things,” Alt said.

Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt (76) takes the field for a game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

With both towering more than 6 feet 5 and weighing well over 310 pounds, space is at a premium, which could have led to quibbles. However, the sleeping arrangement was straightforward. As Barnhart put it, “He gets the bigger room. There was no arguing. He was kind enough to let me stay.”

The starkest contrast comes when Barnhart thinks of his hometown, Paw Paw, Mich., a village of just 3,395 residents nestled off I-94.

“Paw Paw is completely different,” Barnhart said. “For a kid growing up in the country ... the Cali lifestyle is a completely different transition. But I’m loving it so far.”

It isn’t his first visit to the area. Earlier this year he traveled with Michigan to play Alabama in the Rose Bowl on the way to a national championship.

It hasn’t taken long for the rookies to embrace California culture.

Barnhart already has adopted one quintessential Angeleno complaint — the traffic. Others are enjoying the South Bay’s scenic ocean views, soaking up the endless sunshine and indulging in local delicacies.

Chargers linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste drops into coverage.

“I’m not going to lie, I done run into a lot of good taco places,” Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste said. “I eat tacos at least three times a week.”

With a look of betrayal, his roommate, Tre’mon Morris-Brash, asked from a neighboring locker, “You getting tacos, bruh?”

Jean-Baptiste shared his love for al pastor and carne asada, a passion he apparently enjoys by himself.

“Nah, he ain’t put me on,” Morris-Brash said. “That’s fine.”

Jean-Baptiste, who plays inside linebacker, and Morris-Brash, who plays outside linebacker, find their living arrangement reminiscent of another college year. They were teammates for four years at Central Florida and lived just a few doors apart in the same residence hall. Now they’re both on the Chargers’ practice squad, continuing a shared experience.

Chargers linebacker Tre'Mon Morris-Brash (57) returns an interception during a preseason game against the Cowboys.

“It’s cool going to college with him and then having him be here,” Morris-Brash said. “It’s great to see a familiar face every day, and even cooler that we became roommates. It’s definitely sweet.”

The two share a luxury apartment just minutes from team facilities and kept it civil when deciding who got the bigger bedroom, settling it with a game of rock, paper, scissors. Jean-Baptiste came out on top.

Despite their fondness for the complex, the cost came as a bit of a shock.

“Oof, one thing I can say is that the rent in California is very different than where I’m from,” said Jean-Baptiste, who grew up in Florida City, Fla., (population 13,000). “Very pricey.”

The two moved in a few days before the Chargers’ season opener. While they were game planning on the field, off the field they focused on setting up their Wi-Fi, which they handled themselves.

“We really just been trying to get our house set up first,” Morris-Brash said.

This move isn’t a first for Morris-Brash or Jean-Baptiste. Morris-Brash left his hometown of Richmond, Va., to play at UCF in Orlando. Jean-Baptiste moved to Oxford, Miss., for his final year at Ole Miss as a graduate transfer.

The distance from family can be challenging, but Jean-Baptiste credits their support — and the phone — for easing his transition. He often talks with his father, who keeps him updated on the weather in Dade County.

“I talked to my dad yesterday,” Jean-Baptiste said. “He just says one day it’s raining, one day it’s hot as hell. One day it’s raining, one day it’s hot.”

“My family’s behind me,” he added, “and being over here allows me to stay focused on my dream.”