Chad Alexander’s scouting tell: the one trait the Chargers refuse to compromise on
Fans love getting an insight into their own team from those on the inside, but sometimes it can interest everyone.
When Chad Alexander talks about “toughness,” he is not using the word the way scouts once did as shorthand for playing through pain. For the Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager, toughness is a filter that shapes pretty much every decision.
Appearing on the NFL Daily Power Players podcast, Alexander explained that the Chargers’ evaluation process is built around traits that do not always show up on film. “We look for toughness. We look for resiliency. We look for grit,” he said. “We look for guys who have overcome some sort of adversity.”
What toughness actually means in Chargers evaluations
Under Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz, toughness is defined as durability, mental resilience and selflessness. Alexander described it as players who are “extremely tough minded,” capable of sustaining physical and emotional strain without changing their approach.
“It’s really not for everybody,” he said. “It’s for those rare players that are the toughest of the tough.”
The work behind Chargers’ choices
The Chargers attempt to validate those traits through exhaustive background work. Alexander said the team spends as much time researching players at the bottom of the draft board as those at the top. That includes speaking with college coaches, staffers from previous schools if a player transferred, and comparing notes across the scouting department.
“We talk to several different people when we go into these schools,” he said. “We like to bring everybody into the discussion.”
Players who have faced and navigated hardship often separate themselves late in the process. Alexander believes those experiences signal who will “survive and thrive” inside a demanding program. With clear standards from ownership to coaching, he said the Chargers know which prospects fit and which do not.
“We know what types of players we want to bring in,” Alexander said. “And we know what types of players may fit elsewhere.”
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