Quarterbacks may get all the fame and fortune, but defensive players get to knock the snot out of quarterbacks – and for that, we love them. While teammates Phillip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson get the headlines and accolades, linebacker Donnie Edwards continues to fly under the radar and lead by example on the other side of the ball. The San Diego native hasn’t missed a game in nearly a decade and is routinely one of the NFL leaders in tackles. This time, Edwards has his sights set on us – fortunately it’s just to talk about making it in the NFL, setting Chargers’ records and his thoughts on John Kerry’s comments on the military.

Where are you originally from and where do you call home during the offseason?
San Diego, California - born and raised. Yeah, I'm playing for the team I grew up watching. It was a dream come true to come back home and play here. I was the biggest Chargers fan ever growing up.

How early did you start playing football and how many other positions did you play when you were younger? When did you first think you might be able to make it at the pro level?
I started playing football in 1984, and I was in Pop Warner as a defensive lineman and outside linebacker. I remember one of my first games ever; I came off the edge, sacked the quarterback and stripped the ball away from her. I picked it up and ran it in for a touchdown and we won 6-0. Any time you have success it builds your confidence. And for me to have a little success early on, it let me know I could play the game.

Are you naturally athletic, or did you have to work harder to get to the highest level of competition? What other sports, if any, are you good at?
I'm very athletic. I'm quick and very limber. I also played baseball in college as an outfielder and first baseman. I was already starting on the football team at UCLA, so I backed away from baseball because I didn't have enough time to play both sports.

You mentioned your time at UCLA. Can you tell us about your overall college experience and what you got out of your time there?
College was great. My goal in life was to go to college - not necessarily to play professional football. Believe it or not, if I wasn't going to get a college scholarship I was going to get in through the military. Someone was going to pay for my college because I was going somehow, someway. I was offered a scholarship, so I decided to go to UCLA and it was the best thing I've ever done in my life. I learned so much. Not even in the classroom, but from being around that environment and learning about life. I was just trying to get into college and now I have a degree in political science and a Master's Degree in education.

We're not sure people understand just how much time, work and preparation go into each and every game. Can you tell us a little bit about what an average day during the season is like for you?
Take an average Wednesday – if you're hurt, you need to be in the trainer's room by 6:30 or you get a $1,500 fine. Then you've got meetings and walk-throughs until noon. You take an hour for lunch and then head back out onto the practice field for two hours, followed by more meetings. We get out of there around five o'clock, and I get home around six. So it's a long day.

You were drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round in 1996 and played there for six seasons. What kind of memories do you have of your time there, and who were some of your favorite teammates back then?
I have great memories from Kansas City. I really enjoy going back there to this day. The city has really embraced me and still gives me a warm welcome. Some of my teammates that I was close with include Tony Gonzalez, Tony Richardson and the late Derrick Thomas to name a few.

How much of a transition is it to go from the college game to the pros?
My whole life before I got into the league was about going to school and playing football on the side. Going to the league it was my only job - I was now getting paid to play it. You kind of realize quickly that you have to put everything you have into this game because, as the veterans told me early on, the NFL stands for "Not For Long" when you're a player. My goal initially was to prove to everyone that I should have been a first-round draft pick. I felt I should have gone in the first round, but I got hurt my senior year.

On a semi-related note, is it possible for a guy to have a good time in the Midwest?
For a single guy it can be difficult. I went from living in Los Angeles and going to UCLA to the Midwest. It was … quiet different. I was like, "Where's everybody at?"

You have been in the NFL for 11 years, but have only played for two teams, which seems rare in football today. How have you managed to accomplish that - is it something you have strived for or have you just been fortunate?
You just never know in this league. Some people don't realize it, but in the NFL we don't have guaranteed contracts. We have a series of one-year contracts. So when you see someone on TV who signs a five-year deal worth $20 million, most people think that player is going to get all of that money. But the only part of the contracts that is guaranteed is the signing bonus. After any year the team can terminate your contract and you don't see the rest of the money.

You hold the San Diego Chargers record with an 82-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown back on Nov. 10, 2002. Do you remember that play, and how worn out were you when you finally made it to the endzone?
It happened so quickly, I remember having the ball bounce right into my hands. I just thought to myself "Run!" and I took off. I was running and no one was behind me, so I looked up and watched myself on the Jumbotron. It was funny because everyone was asking me why I was looking up and I told them it was because I was looking at myself on TV.

The NFL has become larger than life with its own TV network, fantasy football and everything else. We know you don't play fantasy football, but what do you think of the whole phenomenon?
I think it's awesome. The entire NFL business is thriving with fantasy football and our games are beginning to catch on in other countries. Everything has grown so much in just the 11 years I've been in the league.

Do you play the Madden video game? If so, how good are you at it and what team do you use?
I don't play Madden, I play Call of Duty - it's a military game.

The video game version of Donnie Edwards has an overall rating of 91 and is an 85 in speed, a 95 in awareness, but only a 66 in player strength. Would you say this is a fair evaluate of yourself?
They base it on how much I weigh. If I was 245 lbs. I'm sure my strength would be up on pure weight alone. I'm only 225 lbs. and playing linebacker, but I pride myself on being one of the strongest linebackers. So I concentrate on weight training and keeping myself strong. But I don't think that is a fair assessment.

If you could be the NFL commissioner for a day what one change would you make and why?
That's a tough one. I'd take the job just so I can have my name on the football.

How much longer do you see yourself playing professional football and what will your life be like once you decide to hang it up?
Any given day you put that helmet on and walk across that line you run the risk of that being your last play. I take everything in stride - game by game and year by year. But I plan to play a while longer. When I'm done, I'll probably get into business in the private sector. You know, try to make a ton of money like YouTube.