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Classic Beathard Chargers' crop highlighted by Dingle, last-minute find
Posted: Sunday April 18, 1999 09:13 PM
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers finally got around to drafting defensive players on Sunday, including a sleeper from a Division II program who wasn't worked out by the team until Saturday. San Diego came into the draft saying its most pressing needs were on defense, then spent its two picks on offensive players on Saturday. On Sunday, the Chargers took North Carolina State free safety Jason Perry in the fourth round, Clemson defensive end Adrian Dingle and McNeese State offensive lineman Reggie Nelson in the fifth round, and cornerback Tyrone Bell from Division II North Alabama in the sixth round. Bell appears to be a classic Bobby Beathard pick. He didn't seem to be much of a prospect last spring, wasn't scouted in the fall, but then word got out that there were prospects at the school. "Tyrone is a guy who came on late," said Beathard, the team's general manager. So, at the last minute, after looking at videotapes and making some phone calls, defensive backs coach Rod Perry was sent to Florence, Ala., on Saturday, along with Beathard's son, Casey, a part-time scout who's also a country musician based in Nashville. "We wanted to make sure somebody got down there," Beathard said. "Both had very similar evaluations, both were excited about the guy. He's a guy Rod thought at that stage of the draft we should take him because he's a pretty talented guy." Bell, who is 6-foot-2, 206 pounds, was a three-year starter who had six interceptions and 43 tackles last year. The Chargers made a similar last-minute trip to look at quarterback Jeff Baker last year, but ended up signing him as a free agent. Of the three defensive players drafted, the 6-foot-2 1/2, 278-pound Dingle would seem to have the best chance to contribute the quickest. Defensive end William Fuller retired, and the Chargers don't expect to re-sign Marco Coleman, an unrestricted free agent. Coleman was a bust as a pass rusher in his three seasons with San Diego, getting just 9 1/2 sacks in that span. Dingle was converted from linebacker to defensive end prior to his senior season, and responded with 10 1/2 sacks and 47 tackles. Prior to the draft, Beathard said most of the defensive ends available would be a notch above the developmental squad. But on Sunday, he called Dingle "pretty much a finished product." "He's been very productive," Beathard said. "He's a tough, hard-nosed player. He reminds me a lot of what Marco Coleman was like coming out of Georgia Tech, probably quicker than Marco at that stage of his career." If the Chargers don't re-sign Coleman, "there's a real spot there for a guy [Dingle] to step into," coach Mike Riley said. "I think he physically has a chance to do that. That was a good deal." Perry was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention who had four interceptions and a career-high 125 tackles. Nelson played tackle at Division I-AA McNeese State but will be moved to guard. San Diego's top pick, Oklahoma fullback Jermaine Fazande, attended a news conference and said he looked forward to teaming up with Natrone Means. He started out as a tailback at Oklahoma, but said he doesn't mind doing the dirty work that fullbacks do. "Fullback is just a want-to," he said. "You've got to want to go out there and block somebody. I have that mentality that I want to go out there and block somebody. To me, it's nothing I can't do." Fazande was taken with the second-to-last pick in the second round on Saturday. He said he currently weighs 265 pounds, but his playing weight is 250 to 255. San Diego's third-round pick, tight end Steve Heiden of South Dakota State, was also scheduled to attend the news conference, but had his wallet stolen Saturday night and thus couldn't board a flight because he had no photo ID. "He tried to replace it last night, but in Brookings, S.D., there's nothing open," Beathard said.
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