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

54 MELVIN INGRAMOutside Linebacker Draft 1 – ’126-2, 265 South CarolinaRookieRichmond County HSRockingham, N.C.The Chargers’ draft room was full of excitement whenSouth Carolina’s Melvin Ingram fell to the Chargers withthe 18th overall pick in the first round.A jack-of-all-trades at South Carolina, Ingram posted thefourth-most sacks in school history and the fifth-mosttackles for loss. A team captain and full-time starter as asenior, he helped the Gamecocks rank third in the nation intotal defense and 11th in scoring defense. Ingram returnedtwo fumbles for touchdowns, played special teams andscored a touchdown on a 68-yard run during a fake puntagainst Georgia in 2011. It all led toward him being namedjust the third consensus first-team All-America in SouthCarolina history and the first since 1984.Ingram was also part of a resurgence at South Carolinathat peaked when the Gamecocks won a school-record 11games in his final season, going 11-2, including a 30-13 winover Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day.Ingram’s athleticism and versatility led teammates tonickname him “Super Melvin” in high school. Ingram can doa standing back-flip, he can dunk a football over the crossbar,he can dunk a basketball with ease and he can throw afootball more than 70 yards.Ingram spent most of his life in a single-parent householdafter his father, George Melvin, died when he wasyoung. His mother, Nancy, taught him to be humble, buthis dad had taught him that big-time players make bigtimeplays in big-time situations. It’s a message that’s stuckwith Ingram throughout his football career.DRAFT PICKS, UNDRAFTEDROOKIES & FIRST-YEARPLAYERSTRANSACTION HISTORY: First-round pick (18), April 26,2012...signed four-year contract, May 11.COLLEGE: Consensus first-team All-America choice assenior, including Associated Press...also first-team All-SEC byAP and coaches...three-time SEC Player of Week in 2011 followinggames vs. Georgia, Vanderbilt and Auburn...started all13 games at right defensive end as senior...tied school recordwith 10 sacks in 2011 to rank third in SEC and 13th innation...third in school history and fifth in conference with 15tackles for loss...led team and ranked third in SEC with ninesacks as junior...finished career with 109 tackles, 21.5 sacks,30.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions...redshirted in2008...played at South Carolina in 2007 and from 2009-11...holds degree in African-American studies.PERSONAL: Born in Hamlet, N.C....All-Mid Southern Conferenceand all-region linebacker and wide receiver as senior atRichmond County High in Rockingham, N.C....returned fumblefor touchdown in 2006 Shrine Bowl91 KENDALL REYESDefensive End Draft 2 – ’126-4, 300 ConnecticutRookieNashua North HSNashua, N.H.The Chargers used their second-round pick on KendallReyes from Connecticut, a versatile player who lined up atall positions along the defensive line for the Huskies. Reyeswas a two-year team captain and a two-time first-team All-Big East Conference pick. As a senior in 2011, he wasnamed to a long list of postseason award watch lists,including the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy.Reyes was one of the quickest players to come out of theBig East Conference and he really impressed NFL coachesand scouts during practices in the week leading up to the2012 Senior Bowl. Reyes started games at both strong andweak-side defensive tackle at Connecticut as well as strongsidedefensive end. By career’s end, Reyes had tallied the10th-most tackles for loss in school history (32.5) and he’dintercepted two passes, returning one for 79 yards in 2010that was the seventh-longest in the UConn record books.Reyes is from Nashua, N.H., where he scored the first-evertouchdown in Nashua North High School’s history, hebecame the first NFL draft pick in school history and the firstplayer from Nashua to be drafted into the NFL in 14 years.TRANSACTION HISTORY: Second-round pick (49), April 27,2012...signed four-year contract, May 11.COLLEGE: First-team All-Big East as junior and senior andfirst-team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference as senior...played in 52 games with 40 starts, tallying 142 tackles, 11.5sacks, 32.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and twointerceptions...redshirted in 2007...played at Connecticut fromMEDIA GUIDE | 1202008-11...earned communications degree.PERSONAL: Born in Nashua, N.H....two-time all-state andall-conference wide receiver and defensive end at NashuaNorth High...selected to play in 2007 Shriners’ All-Star game...honor roll student and class president as sophomore...teamcaptain of football, basketball and track teams.