1979 San Diego Chargers Roster
National Football League (NFL)
Team Record: 12-4
Finishing 1st in the NFL's West Division of the American Football Conference
Postseason: 0-1 Lost Division Playoff
Coach: Don Coryell (12-4)
Location: San Diego, California
1979 San Diego Chargers StatisticsTeam Record: 12-4
Finishing 1st in the NFL's West Division of the American Football Conference
Postseason: 0-1 Lost Division Playoff
Coach: Don Coryell (12-4)
Location: San Diego, California
1979 San Diego Chargers Results
The San Diego Chargers of the National Football League ended the 1979 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses, finishing first in the NFL's West Division of the American Football Conference. The team compiled a postseason mark of 0-1.
The Chargers moved the ball well, scoring 411 points, and the rigid defensive squad yielded 246. Dan Fouts directed the offense, slinging for 4,082 yards. Charlie Joiner paced all receivers, grabbing 72 passes, while John Jefferson accumulated 1,090 receiving yards.
Clarence Williams carried the pigskin for a team-best 752 yards for San Diego.
The sticky-fingered defense pounced on 46 turnovers. Woodrow Lowe and Ray Preston each seized 5 opponent throws.
Don Coryell coached the team. The 1979 San Diego Chargers lost in the Division Playoff.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Dan Audick | T | November 15, 1954 | 6'3" | 252 | Hawaii | San Bernardino, CA USA | 16 | 4 |
| 37 | Hank Bauer | RB | July 15, 1954 | 5'10" | 200 | California Lutheran | Scottsbluff, NE USA | 16 | 0 |
| 6 | Rolf Benirschke | K | February 7, 1955 | 6'0" | 171 | California-Davis | Boston, MA USA | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | Willie Buchanon | LCB | November 4, 1950 | 6'0" | 190 | San Diego St. | Oceanside, CA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 87 | Larry Burton | WR | December 15, 1951 | 6'1" | 192 | Purdue | Northampton, VA USA | 12 | 0 |
| 71 | Fred Dean | RDE | February 24, 1952 | 6'3" | 230 | Louisiana Tech | Arcadia, LA USA | 13 | 12 |
| 73 | Charles DeJurnett | NT | June 17, 1952 | 6'4" | 263 | San Jose St. | Picayune, MS USA | 12 | 4 |
| 48 | Jerome Dove | DB | October 3, 1953 | 6'0" | 190 | Colorado St. | Newport News, VA USA | 16 | 0 |
| 47 | Frank Duncan | DB | November 16, 1956 | 6'1" | 190 | San Francisco St. | San Francisco, CA USA | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Glen Edwards | FS | July 31, 1947 | 6'0" | 185 | Florida A&M | St. Petersburg, FL USA | 15 | 13 |
| 86 | John Floyd | WR | September 10, 1956 | 6'1" | 195 | La-Monroe | Big Sandy, TX USA | 8 | 2 |
| 14 | Dan Fouts | QB | June 10, 1951 | 6'3" | 204 | Oregon | San Francisco, CA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 42 | Mike Fuller | PR | April 7, 1953 | 5'10" | 188 | Auburn | Jackson, MS USA | 16 | 0 |
| 7 | Roy Gerela | K | April 2, 1948 | 5'10" | 185 | New Mexico St. | Sarrail, AB Canada | 3 | 0 |
| 50 | Don Goode | LB | June 21, 1951 | 6'2" | 234 | Kansas | Houston, TX USA | 12 | 1 |
| 12 | James Harris | QB | July 20, 1947 | 6'4" | 210 | Grambling St. | Monroe, LA USA | 8 | 0 |
| 55 | Bob Horn | MLB | February 6, 1954 | 6'3" | 235 | Oregon St. | Salem, OR USA | 16 | 16 |
| 83 | John Jefferson | WR | February 3, 1956 | 6'1" | 198 | Arizona St. | Dallas, TX USA | 15 | 15 |
| 79 | Gary Johnson | RDT | August 31, 1952 | 6'2" | 257 | Grambling St. | Shreveport, LA USA | 16 | 15 |
| 18 | Charlie Joiner | WR | October 14, 1947 | 5'11" | 188 | Grambling St. | Many, LA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 68 | Leroy Jones | LDE | September 29, 1950 | 6'8" | 263 | Norfolk St. | Greenwood, MS USA | 16 | 15 |
| 74 | Louie Kelcher | DT-NT | August 23, 1953 | 6'5" | 291 | SMU | Beaumont, TX USA | 1 | 0 |
| 57 | Linden King | LB | June 28, 1955 | 6'4" | 241 | Colorado St. | Memphis, TN USA | 16 | 1 |
| 84 | Bob Klein | TE | July 27, 1947 | 6'5" | 235 | USC | South Gate, CA USA | 15 | 14 |
| 69 | John Lee | DE | February 17, 1953 | 6'2" | 255 | Nebraska | Fort Monmouth, NJ USA | 10 | 2 |
| 51 | Woodrow Lowe | RLB | June 9, 1954 | 6'0" | 227 | Alabama | Columbus, GA USA | 16 | 14 |
| 62 | Don Macek | C | July 21, 1954 | 6'3" | 261 | Boston Col. | Manchester, NH USA | 10 | 6 |
| 41 | Bo Matthews | RB | November 15, 1951 | 6'4" | 230 | Colorado | Huntsville, AL USA | 16 | 0 |
| 88 | Greg McCrary | TE | March 24, 1952 | 6'1" | 233 | Clark (GA) | Griffin, GA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 26 | Lydell Mitchell | RB | May 30, 1949 | 5'11" | 204 | Penn St. | Salem, NJ USA | 12 | 5 |
| 10 | Cliff Olander | QB | May 15, 1955 | 6'5" | 191 | New Mexico St. | Hartford, CT USA | 4 | 0 |
| 24 | Artie Owens | KR | January 14, 1953 | 5'10" | 176 | West Virginia | Montgomery, AL USA | 16 | 2 |
| 53 | Ralph Perretta | C-G | January 30, 1953 | 6'2" | 252 | Purdue | Rockville Centre, NY USA | 16 | 0 |
| 52 | Ray Preston | LLB | January 25, 1954 | 6'0" | 218 | Syracuse | Lawrence, MA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 56 | Bob Rush | C | February 27, 1955 | 6'5" | 265 | Memphis | Santa Monica, CA USA | 16 | 10 |
| 44 | Pete Shaw | DB | August 25, 1954 | 5'10" | 183 | Northwestern | Newark, NJ USA | 16 | 3 |
| 66 | Billy Shields | LT | August 23, 1953 | 6'8" | 272 | Georgia Tech | Vicksburg, MS USA | 16 | 16 |
| 45 | Hal Stringert | DB | January 2, 1952 | 5'11" | 185 | Hawaii | Honolulu, HI USA | 15 | 1 |
| 22 | Mike Thomas | RB | July 17, 1953 | 5'11" | 190 | Oklahoma | Greenville, TX USA | 14 | 9 |
| 59 | Cliff Thrift | LB | May 3, 1956 | 6'1" | 232 | East Central (OK) | Dallas, TX USA | 16 | 0 |
| 70 | Russ Washington | RT | December 17, 1946 | 6'6" | 289 | Missouri | Kansas City, MO USA | 16 | 16 |
| 8 | Jeff West | P | April 6, 1953 | 6'3" | 212 | Cincinnati | Wheeling, WV USA | 16 | 0 |
| 67 | Ed White | RG | April 4, 1947 | 6'1" | 269 | California | San Diego, CA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 63 | Doug Wilkerson | LG | March 27, 1947 | 6'3" | 253 | North Carolina Central | Fayetteville, NC USA | 12 | 12 |
| 40 | Clarence Williams | FB | January 25, 1955 | 5'9" | 194 | South Carolina | Oakley, SC USA | 16 | 16 |
| 29 | Mike Williams | RCB | November 22, 1953 | 5'10" | 181 | LSU | New Orleans, LA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 80 | Kellen Winslow | TE | November 5, 1957 | 6'5" | 251 | Missouri | St. Louis, MO USA | 7 | 1 |
| 16 | Mike Wood | K | September 3, 1954 | 5'11" | 199 | SE Missouri St. | Kirkwood, MO USA | 9 | 0 |
| 33 | Don Woods | RB | February 17, 1951 | 6'1" | 210 | New Mex. Highlands | Denton, TX USA | 15 | 0 |
| 99 | Wilbur Young | LDT | April 20, 1949 | 6'6" | 285 | William Penn | New York, NY USA | 16 | 16 |
