2012 SD Chargers Media Guide_PROOF.P - Seahawks Online ...

11 EDDIE ROYALWide Receiver-Kick Returner UFA (Denver) - ’125-10, 185 Virginia Tech5th NFL SeasonWestfield HS1st with ChargersChantilly, Va.VETERANS &RETURNING PLAYERSThe Chargers landed one of the NFL’s top free agentoffensive and special teams threats when they signed formerDenver Bronco Eddie Royal to a three-year contract inMarch. The Chargers had stiff competition for the Chantilly,Virginia native as his hometown Washington Redskinswere also in hot pursuit of the former Bronco.Chargers fans will remember Royal’s exploits during anationally-televised ESPN Monday Night Football game in2009 when he returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdownsin the first half of a 34-23 Broncos’ win. In total,Royal has returned three punts and kickoffs for touchdownsand he’s one of only four players (former ChargerDarren Sproles, Minnesota’s Percy Harvin and Chicago’sDevin Hester) in the NFL to total at least 2,000 yards fromscrimmage and 2,000 returns yards since 2008.Compactly built at 5-10 and 185 pounds, Royal openedeyes at the NFL Combine in 2008 when he bench-pressed225 pounds 24 times, most among all receivers at theCombine. The Broncos made him a second round pick thatyear and he immediately let his presence be felt, racking upnine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in his NFLdebut against the Oakland Raiders. When the ’08 seasonconcluded, Royal earned All-Rookie honors from both ProFootball Weekly and the Professional Football Writers ofAmerica, as well as by The Sporting News after a season inwhich he posted the second-most catches by an NFL rookie,totaling 91 catches for 980 yards and five touchdowns.Royal also set Broncos rookie records in all three cate-gories, he led all NFL rookies in those categories, and hebecame the league’s first player since the NFL merger in1970 to record his team’s longest run, reception, kickoffreturn and punt return in the same season.Royal’s career achievements are all the more remarkableconsidering that he suffered from asthma as a child. Royalwas the youngest of Pearl Royal’s seven children and threeof his siblings also suffered from it. Fortunately, the MedicalCare for Children Partnership (MCCP) in Fairfax, Virginiaprovided the needed medical resourcesand all four of the kids received thetreatment that they needed. Severalyears ago when Royal signed an endorsementdeal with a t-shirt company called Gameday Passion,part of the agreement was that a portion of the proceedswould support MCCP.Royal’s sister, Capt. Christina Royal, is a graduate of theVirginia Tech Corps of Cadets and she is currently a specialagent in the United States Air Force’s Office of SpecialInvestigations. Christina was the first-ever female regimentalcommander and the first-ever African-American regimentalcommander for the Corps of Cadets, where shewas in charge of all the cadets at the school. Royal’s brother,Chris, played defensive back at Marshall University from2002-05 and he later played in the Arena Football and AF2Leagues. In 2007, Chris was the 2007 Spalding Rookie ofthe Year for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers of AF2.Currently, he is a graduate assistant coach at Marshall.TRANSACTION HISTORY: Second-round pick (42) by Denver,April 26, 2008...signed with Broncos July 24...contractexpired March 13, 2012...signed three-year deal with Chargers,March 16.2011: Injured groin Sept. 18 vs. Cincinnati and inactive nextthree games...caught 26-yard touchdown pass and returnedpunt career-long 85 yards for touchdown in 50th careergame, 38-24 win at Oakland Nov. 6...became second Broncoto return punt and catch pass for touchdown in samegame...caught 30-yard touchdown pass in first-career playoffgame Jan. 8 vs. Pittsburgh. 2010: Ranked sixth in NFLwith 11.9-yard punt return average...top all-around performancewith eight catches for season-high 113 yards andtouchdown Oct. 3 at Tennessee...included season-long 41-yard catch vs. Titans. 2009: Set Denver record for receptionsthrough player’s first two years (128) while totaling secondmostreceiving yards (1,325) during span...10 catches Oct. 11vs. New England to tie as third-fastest player in NFL historyto reach 100 career receptions...AFC Special Teams Playerof Week and AFC Special Teams Player of Month (October)after becoming 11th player in NFL history to return punt(71 yds.) and kickoff (93 yds.) for touchdown in same game,Oct. 19 at San Diego...kickoff return was fifth longest inBroncos’ history. 2008: All-Rookie pick by Pro FootballWeekly/PFWA and The Sporting News...ranked sixth inNFL with 1,829 combined yards, most among all rookies in’08 and third-highest tally by rookie in Denver annals...seventhin league in kickoff return average (26.1 yds.)...totaledMEDIA GUIDE | 102five plays of at least 50 yards...posted team’s longest puntreturn of season (36 yards) Sept. 28 at Kansas City to goalong with longest kickoff return of season (95 yards) Nov. 2vs. Miami, longest catch of season (93-yard touchdown) Nov.6 at Cleveland and longest run of season (71 yards) Dec. 21vs. Buffalo...95-yard kickoff return vs. Dolphins tied for thirdlongestin team history...Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of Weekafter nine catches for 146 yards and touchdown in Sept. 8NFL debut at Oakland...was sixth-most receiving yards byplayer in debut game since 1960...caught game-winning twopointconversion following four-yard touchdown catch with24 seconds left in game Sept. 14 vs. Chargers...inactive Oct.12 vs. Jacksonville (ankle)...Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of Weekafter 164-yard effort at Cleveland Nov. 6, including 93-yardTD catch...added 74 return yards for 238 total yards fromscrimmage vs. Browns...set Broncos rookie record with 11catches in Dec. 28 season finale at San Diego.COLLEGE: First-team All-ACC as senior...second-team All-ACC and Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America asjunior...school-record 4,686 all-purpose yards (1,778 receiving,1,386 kickoff returns, 1,296 punt returns, 226 rushing)...puntreturn total was also ACC record...left schoolranked fourth in receptions (119), fifth in receiving touchdowns(12) and sixth in receiving yards (1,778)...scored 16career touchdowns: 12 on catches, three on returns and onerushing...also threw TD pass...played in 51 career games with44 starts...played at Virginia Tech from 2004-07...degree insociology.